DOI: 10.14686/buefad.1799451 ISSN: 1308-7177

An Examination of the Relationship between Aggression and Sociometric Popularity in Preschool Children

Nihal Akalın, Belgin Liman
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Purpose: Aggression is an increasingly prevalent behavioral problem today. Studies show that aggression can harm children's social relationships, increasing their likelihood of exposure to peer violence and rejection by their peers. Aggressive children are more likely to inflict violence on their peers and are more likely to be exposed to their violence. This study aimed to determine the linear and curvilinear relationships between sociometric popularity and aggression in children. Method: The study group consisted of 420 children aged 5-6 years. Relationships between variables were analyzed using correlation. The effects of gender on aggression and popularity in girls and boys were tested using an independent samples t-test. Then, linear regression analysis and second-order regression analysis were performed, respectively, to determine the effects between the variables. Findings: Aggression scores were found to be higher in boys, while sociometric popularity scores were higher in girls. A significant and negative relationship was observed between popularity scores and aggression scores for both girls and boys. For girls, the linear effect of sociometric popularity on aggression is statistically significant, indicating that aggression levels increase as peer preference decreases. Curvilinear effects are not significant for girls. For boys, both linear and curvilinear effects of popularity on aggression are statistically significant. The linear effect showed that low peer preference was associated with high aggression levels. Curvilinear effects showed that aggression levels increased in boys at both low and high levels of peer preference. Conclusion: The research findings can shed light on the dynamics of peer group structures and offer valuable guidance for early intervention strategies.

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