The Relationship Between Aggression, Rumination and Self-Esteem in Third-Level Students

The current study was carried out to examine the rates of aggression, self-esteem and rumination of thought among adult students currently attending third-level education. A sample of students (N = 112) was obtained through convenience sampling along with snowball sampling as they had the choice to forward the questionnaire on social media if they wished. A cross-sectional self-report design was adopted. All participants were administered the Aggression Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Self-Critical Rumination Scale to measure their levels of aggression, self-esteem and rumination. No significant relationships were found between self-esteem or rumination of thought being predictors of aggression. Gender differences were statistically significant with males scoring higher on both aggression and self-esteem. Contradictory to the third hypothesis, self-esteem was shown to decrease as age increased. These findings suggest that males may exhibit aggression more than women to adhere to society’s view of aggression being seen as masculine. It also displays that self-esteem may decline as age inclines due to a reduction in social experiences, possibly evolving into a sense of loneliness.