Seventeenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

The aim of this study is to detect potential differences in university student social networks regarding aggressiveness during COVID-19 quarantine time, as lessons were delivered on line (January – March 2021) and the period after the return of students in university with on-campus participation (October 2021-January 2022). More specifically, during quarantine time, 4 networks of totally 195 students (105 male, 90 female) of the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science (DPESS), University of Thessaly, Greece and after quarantine time, 3 networks of totally 215 students (103 male, 111 female) of DPESS and Department of Nutrition and Dietics, University of Thessaly, Greece participated in the social network study. They completed a two-part questionnaire, consisting of network part, regarding relationships of aggressiveness and attractiveness and a non-network part including variables like age, financial status etc. Social network analysis was carried out with Visone 1.1 and statistical analysis with SPSS 26. Main results indicate younger students tend to be more threatening and ironic, while body characteristics, like weight and height are correlated to threatening and ironic behaviour in both periods. Urbanity seems to enhance aggressiveness during pandemic time, while family financial status and travelling abroad are correlated to irony after the return of students in universities. During the pandemic time, although students tend to be attracted by co-students scientifically, socially and physically, they seem to manifest all kinds of verbal aggressiveness like irony, rudeness, hurting and threatening comments, something that seems to be attenuated after their return on campus with rudeness and irony.