Aggression, Performance Variables, and Anger Self-Report in Ice Hockey Players

Abstract

This study partially replicated a former one showing a relationship between aggression and performance among hockey players. With certain penalties used as a measure of aggression, two groups of male college ice hockey players were compared for differences in goals and assists. Those rated high in aggression scored significantly more goals than those low in aggression. The direction of differences in assists was the same but did not reach significance. When the same groups were compared for shots on goals, significant differences were found, favoring the high aggressive group. This finding was discussed in light of energy output and efficiency. Attempts to relate performance and personality measures were not successful when comparisons on a self-report measure of anger were analyzed.