Communication Dynamics and the Transformation of Martial Arts Educational Values: The Role of Group Conformity and Demographic Factors in Shaping Aggressive Behavior

Banu Prasetyo(1), Henri Subiakto(2), Yuyun Wahyu Izzati Surya(3), Rika Adi Kusumo(4), Ulfa Arofah(5), Quarin Hadianita(6),

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46843/jpm.v5i3.761


(1) Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
(2) Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
(3) Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
(4) Dinas Kesehatan Kota Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia
(5) Faculty of Business and Digital Management, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia
(6) Kementerian Keuangan Republik Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Martial arts education is not only a physical training process but also a social learning environment where communication, group interaction, and shared norms shape students' behavior. Within martial arts communities, conformity to group norms may influence how students interpret discipline, courage, and aggression. This study aims to examine the influence of group conformity and demographic characteristics (age and gender) on aggressive behavior among martial arts students in East Java. Using a quantitative survey design, data were collected from respondents through a validated Likert-scale questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to test the influence of the independent variables. The findings show that conformity has a negative, statistically significant effect on aggressive behavior, suggesting that adherence to positive group communication norms can reduce aggression. Age shows a positive and significant effect, while gender does not have a significant partial effect. Simultaneously, conformity, age, and gender explain the variance in aggressive behavior. These findings highlight the importance of communication dynamics and positive group norms in martial arts training environments as mechanisms for reducing aggressive tendencies among students.

Keywords

age; aggressive behavior; conformity; gender; self-defense education

Full Text:

PDF

References

Apo, J., & Redei, A. (2021). Techniques for Using Virtual Reality Simulations for Self-Defense Skill Development. EPiC Series Computing, 76, 66–75.

Baaklini, A. (2018). Individual and Social Correlates of Aggressive Behavior in Lebanese Undergraduates: The Role of Trait Emotional Intelligence. The Journal of Social Psychology, 158(3), 350–360.

Bailey, R. P., Sweeney, R., Sweeney, C., Huihiu, L., & Samsudin, N. (2025). Martial Arts for Young People? A Review of the Benefits and Outcomes of Children's and Adolescents' Participation in Martial Arts. Ido Movement for Culture. Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology, 25(3), 31–43.

Bandura, A. (1977). Bandura-Social Learning Theory. In Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications (pp. 175–192).

Beran, T. N., Kaba, A., Caird, J., & McLaughlin, K. (2014). The Good and Bad of Group Conformity: A Call for a New Programme of Research in Medical Education. Medical Education, 48(9), 851–859.

Berger, C., & Rodkin, P. C. (2012). Group Influences on Individual Aggression and Prosociality: Early Adolescents Who Change Peer Affiliations. Social Development, 21(2), 396–413.

Boudh, J. (2021). Effect of Martial Arts Training on Aggression and Discipline in Adolescents. Journal of Science Innovations and Nature of Earth, 26–30.

Brecklin, L. R., & Middendorf, R. K. (2014). The Group Dynamics of Women's Self-Defense Training. Violence Against Women, 20(3), 326–342.

Brunsdon, J. J. (2025). Cultivating Character Through Sport Education. Quest, 0(0), 1–28.

Capuano, C., & Chekroun, P. (2024). A Systematic Review of Research on Conformity. International Review of Social Psychology, 37, 13.

Castillo, N. A., Edmonds, W. A., Castro, M., Allen, J., & Luc, J. (2024). Measuring the Social and Emotional Skills of Hispanic American Students in an Afterschool Karate Program. Ido Movement for Culture. Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology, 24(2), 28–38.

Cermele, J., McCaughey, M., & McCaughey, M. (2022). Self-Defense as an Effective and Neglected Form of Sexual Assault Prevention: A Commentary and Overdue Correction to the Literature. Sex Roles, 493–503.

Dong, Y., Liu, F., Jiang, Y., & Wei, S. (2022). Neuroticism and Aggressive Behavior Among Left-Behind Children: The Mediating Roles of Interpersonal Sensitivity and Bullying Victimization. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), 11072.

Foell, J., & Patrick, C. J. (2021). Aggression. In Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience (2nd ed., Vols. 1–3, pp. V3-467). Elsevier.

Ganat, S. A. (2024). Psychological Mechanisms of Group Influence on Individual Behavior. ??????? ????????????, 226.

García-Linares, M. C., García-Moral, A. T., & Casanova-Arias, P. F. (2014). Prácticas Educativas Paternas Que Predicen la Agresividad Evaluada por Distintos Informantes. Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología, 46(3), 198–210.

Giardullo, G., Aliberti, S., Sannicandro, I., Fattore, S., & Ceruso, R. (2024). Karate Game: Using a Playful and Participatory Approach to Enhancing Children's Social and Motor Perception During the Developmental Age. Physical Education Theory and Methodology, 24(4), 539–544.

Guo, Y. (2025). Gender Differences in the Relationship Between Big Five Personality Traits and Aggression Among Physical Education Students. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 8122.

Hamilton, J. (2020). Undoing Gender or Overdoing Gender? Women MMA Athletes' Intimate Partnering and the Relational Maintenance of Femininity. Sociology of Sport Journal, 37(4), 346–354.

Hayhurst, L. M. C., MacNeill, M., Kidd, B., & Knoppers, A. (2014). Gender Relations, Gender-Based Violence and Sport for Development and Peace: Questions, Concerns and Cautions Emerging from Uganda. Women's Studies International Forum, 47, 157–167.

Hogg, M., & Reid, S. (2006). Social Identity, Self-Categorization, and the Communication of Group Norms. Communication Theory, 16, 7–30.

Hollander, J. A., & Beaujolais, B. (2024). "I Have the Right to Defend Myself": The Underlying Curriculum of Empowerment Self-Defense Training. Sex Roles, 90(1), 166–185.

Hollander, J. A., & Cunningham, J. (2020). Empowerment Self-Defense Training in a Community Population. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 44(2), 187–202.

Holmes, H. J., Sala-Hamrick, K. J., Pegram, S. E., Evans, E. K., Wilton-Martindale, J., & Lumley, M. A. (2021). Rape Aggression Defense Course: Physical, Psychological, and Interpersonal Benefits Among Women with and Without Interpersonal Victimization Histories. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(19-20), NP10411–NP10432.

Hornsveld, R. H. J., & Kraaimaat, F. W. (2023). Psychological Factors Predicting Violent Prison Inmates' Anger and Aggression. Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice, 23(5), 472–488.

Ifeanacho, N. C., & Emmanuel, N. E. (2017). Effects of Self-Esteem and Gender on Aggressive Behavior Among Adolescents. Journal of Psychology, 8(2), 61–67.

Johansson, M., & Svender, J. (2025). Of Course You Should Fight with a Girl! Doing Gender in the Inclusion Work of Budo and Martial Arts Sport Clubs. Sport, Education and Society, 3322, 1–13.

Kaveh, M. H., Zare, E., Ghahremani, L., Nazari, M., & Karimi, M. (2025). The Correlation Between Resilience, Self-Control, Self-Regulation, and Decision-Making Style and Aggressive Behavior in Adolescents: An Analysis Using Structural Equation Modeling. International Journal of School Health, 12(1), 33–41.

Kavoura, A., Channon, A., & Kokkonen, M. (2022). "Just Existing Is Activism": Transgender Experiences in Martial Arts. Sociology of Sport Journal, 39(2), 196–204.

Klucharev, V., & Shestakova, A. (2021). Neural Mechanisms of Social Conformity. In Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience (2nd ed., Vols. 1–3, pp. V3-540). Elsevier.

Kowalczyk, M., Zgorzalewicz-Stachowiak, M., B?ach, W., & Kostrzewa, M. (2025). Does Judo Training Contribute to the Motor Development of Children and Adolescents? A Systematic Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(7), 2439.

Kozina, A. (2012). Starostne Razlike in Razlike med Spoloma v Agresivnosti Slovenskih U?encev in Dijakov. Psihološka Obzorja, 21(1), 19–28.

Krahé, B. (2022). Aggression, Psychology of. In Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, & Conflict (pp. 562–571).

Ku?nierz, C., Niewczas, M., Cynarski, W., Bielec, G., & Rogowska, A. (2025). Latent Class Analysis of Aggression in Martial Arts and Combat Sports: A Cross-Sectional Study. PLOS One, 20.

Lafuente, J., Zubiaur, M., & Gutiérrez-García, C. (2021). Effects of Martial Arts and Combat Sports Training on Anger and Aggression: A Systematic Review. Aggression and Violent Behavior.

Lawrence, T. I. (2024). Pro-Bullying Attitudes and Impulsivity Link Polyvictimization to Adolescent Aggression. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 55(3), 289–297.

Lawler, S., Barrett, E. L., Teesson, M., Kelly, E., Champion, K. E., Debenham, J., ... & Stapinski, L. (2024). The long-term effectiveness of a personality-targeted substance use prevention program on aggression from adolescence to early adulthood. Psychological medicine, 54(11), 2917-2925.

Leberman, S., & Hurst, J. (2022). "Is Training with Your Children a Double-Edged Sword?": Motherhood and Martial Arts. In Motherhood and Sport: Collective Stories of Identity and Difference (pp. 30–47). Taylor and Francis.

Li, J., Jin, X., Zhao, T., & Ma, T. (2021). Conformity Consumer Behavior and External Threats: An Empirical Analysis in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic. SAGE Open, 11(3).

Liebau, K.-H., Voigt, C., Gräber, S., Paroustad, P., Lembcke, B., Lutter, C., & Jasina, A. (2025). Die Wirbelsäule im Kampfsport: Besonderheiten bei Masters-Athleten und Athletinnen. Sports Orthopaedics and Traumatology, 41(4), 345–352.

Lin, S., Bai, X., Cheng, G., & Liu, W. (2024). The Relationship Between Trait Anger and Reactive Aggressive Behavior in Middle School Students: The Mediating Role and Intervention of Hostile Attribution Bias. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 422.

Mangwanda, M. K. (2019). Lexical Structure as a Marker of Ideology in Ayi Kwei Armah's Fragments and Two Thousand Seasons. English Academy Review, 36(1), 69–83.

Mickelsson, T. B. (2025). Embodied Belonging: Rough-and-Tumble Play as a Mechanism for Social Cohesion in Martial Arts. SAGE Open, 15.

Mofakhami, A. (2021). The Effect of Moral Competence on Online Conformity Behavior. Ethics in Progress, 12(1), 73–83.

Mustafa, H., Harrison, A., Sun, Y., Pearcey, G. E., Follmer, B., Nazaroff, B. M., ... & Zehr, E. P. (2022). Five Weeks of Yuishinkai Karate Training Improves Balance and Neuromuscular Function in Older Adults: A Preliminary Study. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 14(1), 65.

Otsubo, K., Nawata, K., & Yamaguchi, H. (2024). Conformity?Based Out?Group Aggression: Does an In?Group Audience Intensify Out?Group Aggression as a Result of Conformity?. Japanese Psychological Research.

Padgett, J. K., & Tremblay, P. F. (2020). Gender Differences in Aggression. In The Wiley Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences (pp. 173–177). Wiley.

Phung, J. N., & Goldberg, W. A. (2021). Mixed Martial Arts Training Improves Social Skills and Lessens Problem Behaviors in Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 83, 101758.

Poorolajal, J., Ebrahimi, B., Rezapur-Shahkolai, F., Doosti-Irani, A., Alizadeh, M., Ahmadpoor, J., ... & Seydkhani, P. (2020). The Epidemiology of Aggression and Associated Factors Among Iranian Adult Population: A National Survey. Journal of Research in Health Sciences, 20(4), e00499.

Prade, C., & Saroglou, V. (2023). Awe and Social Conformity: Awe Promotes the Endorsement of Social Norms and Conformity to the Majority Opinion. Emotion, 23(7), 2100–2104.

Puzanova, Z. V., Larina, T. I., & Gudkova, Y. A. (2022). Diagnostics of the Students' Level of Conformity (Results of the Methodological Experiment). RUDN Journal of Sociology, 22(3), 518–530.

Sakanaka, S., Tsujii, N., Morimoto, H., & Shirakawa, O. (2020). Aggressiveness Is Associated with Excitement on the Five-Factor Model of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and Prefrontal Function in Patients with Stable Schizophrenia. Psychiatry Research, 290, 113054.

Sanchez-Ruiz, M. J., & Baaklini, A. (2018). Individual and social correlates of aggressive behavior in Lebanese undergraduates: The role of trait emotional intelligence. The Journal of Social Psychology, 158(3), 350-360.

Santos, I. L. S., Pimentel, C. E., & Mariano, T. E. (2025). Prosocial Violent Films and Aggressive Behavior: Examining the Moderating Role of Trait-Aggression in Brazil. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 34(11), 1661–1671.

Schwamberger, B., & Curtner-Smith, M. (2017). Influence of a Training Programme on a Preservice Teacher's Ability to Promote Moral and Sporting Behaviour in Sport Education. European Physical Education Review, 23(4), 428–443.

Shaikh, F., Viveki, R. G., & Halappanavar, A. B. (2014). Physical and Verbal Aggressive Behaviour Pattern Among School Children in Urban Area of North Karnataka: A Cross-Sectional Study. Journal of Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences University, 3(2), 55–62.

Sinulingga, A., Karisman, V. A., Samodra, Y. T. J., Wati, I. D. P., Syam, A., Syahruddin, S., ... & Suryadi, D. (2024). What Are the Character Values Contained in Martial Arts and How Are They Integrated into Character Education? Literature Review. Retos: Nuevas Tendencias en Educación Física, Deporte y Recreación, (60), 894–903.

Sniras, S. (2024). Identifying the Peculiarities of Students' Aggressive Behaviour in Physical Education Lessons. Physical Education Theory and Methodology, 24(4), 545–553.

Spears, R. (2021). Social Influence and Group Identity. Annual Review of Psychology, 72(1), 367–390.

Tejero-González, C. M., Balsalobre-Fernández, C., & Ibáñez-Cano, A. (2011). Self-Defense as an Educational Intervention to Modify Violent Attitudes. Revista Internacional de Medicina y Ciencias de La Actividad Fisica y Del Deporte, 11(43), 513–530.

Thompson, M. E. (2014). Empowering Self-Defense Training. Violence Against Women, 20(3), 351–359.

Umgaev, S. (2015). Gender Characteristic of Martial Arts in Participants' View. Oriental Studies, 8(4), 86–88.

Velija, P., Mierzwinski, M., & Fortune, L. (2013). 'It Made Me Feel Powerful': Women's Gendered Embodiment and Physical Empowerment in the Martial Arts. Leisure Studies, 32(5), 524–541.

Wijenayake, S., & Goncalves, J. (2025). A Review of Online Social Conformity: Outcomes and Determinants. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 41(15), 9274–9303.

Wijenayake, S., Hu, J., Kostakos, V., & Goncalves, J. (2021). Quantifying the Effects of Age-Related Stereotypes on Online Social Conformity. In IFIP Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 451–475). Springer International Publishing.

Williams, M. J., & Hebl, M. R. (2005). Warding Off the Attacker: Self?Defense in Theory and in Practice 1. Journal of applied social psychology, 35(2), 366-382.

Yao, M., Zhou, Y., Li, J., & Gao, X. (2019). Violent Video Games Exposure and Aggression: The Role of Moral Disengagement, Anger, Hostility, and Disinhibition. Aggressive Behavior, 45(6), 662–670.

Yu, L., & Mantuhac, I. H. P. B. (2024). Martial Arts in Physical Education and Student Self-Regulation. International Journal of Education and Humanities, 16(3), 316–321.

Yue, X., Cao, H., Wang, X., Zhu, D., & Hu, C. (2025). More Active, Less Aggressive! Understanding How Physical Activity Reduces Aggressive Behavior Among Chinese Adolescents: A Three-Wave Mediation Model. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, 1663439.

Zafra, M. S., Zagalaz, J. C., Moreno, D. S., & Sánchez, M. L. Z. (2019). Analysis of the Relationship Between Self-Concept and School Violence in the Last School Years of Primary Education. Publicaciones, 49, 39–51.

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.