8 - Anti-social behaviour Flashcards
define outgroup homogeneity
viewing all members of an outgroup as the same, thinking all members have the same characteristics
why do people dehumanise the outgroup
to justify being hostile and violent and so we can portray the whole group as predictable
why isn’t outgroup diversity noticed
bc less contact with them but more with ingroup so attuned to ingroup differences
why is outgroup homogeneity a heuristic
helps make decisions and have a cog load so cant differentiate members
a study of sororities found what
own sorority had more favourable characteristics and less similar to each other
define stereotype
simplified, widely shared belief about characteristics of a group and its member
how does stereotyping as a heuristic work
notice members’ common traits and use stereotypes if outcome-independent so no need to expend effort and correct misperc
define stereotype threat
anxiety of fulfilling a stereotype leading to one negatively fulfilling and conforming to it
what was found in the black and white people stereotype threat study
black people did worse in ST condition due to pressure to dispel intelligence stereotype which white people don’t have
what was found in the black and white people word gap fill stereotype threat study
black people completed words in a way showing a stereotype threat and self doubt and stereotypes activated in them
what three factors are why stereotypes are applied
automatic, easier to process, may not have motivation or ability to correct misperceptions
why may people not have motivation to correct misperceptions
means they have to work with the outgroup
what did the study with “Hilda” find out
outcome-dependent no cog load was least stereotypical and outcome dependent cog load relied on stereotypes most as insufficient thoughts and memory
define ironic suppression
trying to not think of thoughts but when in a situation where we can express them, the views are much more prominent
why do thoughts become more prominent in ironic suppression
mind is on a state of alert for the thought and it’s hard to stop thinking unwanted thoughts
define subtyping
viewing someone who doesn’t fit in with the general pattern of their group’s stereotype and viewing them as an exception
how does subtyping decrease discomfort
reduces cog dissonance when someone we like shows characteristics inconsistent with the stereotyped group’s characteristics
define modern racism
racism being unacceptable so racist views become less aggressive and more subtle in socially acceptable situations
difference between modern and overt racism
overt uses discriminatory exclusion but modern uses implicit forms like qualifiers “if x did this then…”
define aggression
physical or social behaviour intended to harm another living being
4 different types of aggression?
emotional, cognitive (hostility), behavioural, social (harming emot wellbeing w/o physical)
biological evolutionary arguments
natural selection: aggression allows survival of the fittest as fighting instrict develops to drive behaviour
in the evolutionary argument, what allows us to act aggressively
external circumstances like provocative behaviour to release build up
how is the evolutionary explanation built on flawed understanding of evolution
says aggression if beneficial for species but actually only for individuals or families
2 other limitations of the evolutionary argument
implies aggression is inevitable so we look to pick fights
aggression isn’t always good as can get ostracised
what is testosterone associated with
increased risk-taking, selfishness, aggression
what did the testosterone study find (+)
inmates with higher conc of test. in saliva more likely to have commited violent crimes, breaking prison rules, being rated as tougher by peers
3 testosterone limitations
- could just be males’ impulsivity, strength, or our social understanding
- physical aggr for boys, social for girls
- correlation ≠ causation
how can serotonin be responsible for aggression
low levels increase aggression levels
how are serotonin and a low social status related
low social status reduces serotonin activity, signalling “little to be lost” so risk being aggressive to improve status
strength of serotonin
evidence of causality where giving no cheese, which increases levels, increases aggression
describe the basics of genetics and aggression
predisposed, multiple candidate genes responsible but env is a big influence
what does the AP2 gene do
when mutated, increases the indirect/social aggression in women
what does the MAOA gene control
neurotransmitters like serotonin being switched on and off, and interacts with the environment
in children, what else is needed alongside the MAOA gene being mutated
maltreatment so they develop psychopathy with is associated with aggression
how can aggression increase or decrease depending on neuroanatomy
hypothalamus stimulation decreases
amygdala, limbic systems, and brain stem increase
what is the role of the prefrontal cortex in aggression
can help us not be aggressive since it’s found to be less active in violent offenders
how does alcohol consumption help to increase aggression
interacts with testosterone and impairs the prefrontal cortex so can’t control behaviour or forsee consequences
define narcissism
displaying positive, boastful self-image when having doubts about self worth and go to great lengths for positive feedback and are hostile towards negative
is there a relationship between self-esteem and aggression, and why?
no: high in social inclusion are less aggressive but high in self-perceived superiority more likely to
define frustration
aversive state being triggered when prevented from achieving desired goal
define aversive condition
unpleasant condition organisms want to avoid can trigger aggression if exposed
what does the frustration-aggression hypothesis propose
frustration always leads to aggressive behaviour to harm source of frustration
what conditions need to apply for frustration to occur
hope of achieving goal is lost
frustrated when almost achieved
frustrated more than once
anticipated satisfaction with achievement
how do aversive conditions cause aggression
automatic social cognition: make us angry so aggression is more salient, more prone to it and don’t think about consequences
define hostile attribution bias
incorrectly interpreting ambiguous situations and behaviour as ones with intention of provocation through attribution errors
how can SLT be criticised
children in Bobo Doll study may not have had aggressive intentions
other explanations like frequent obs increase saliency
strength of SLT
found aggressive children were more aggressive as it would be more rewarding
define catharsis
process of releasing and providing relief from strong, repressed emotions like anger in a way not harmful to others
what is embodied social cognition
certain emotions lead to certain physiological effects
results of a study about catharsis using a punching bag
those ruminating about negative feedback felt more positive, angry, and showed most aggression
positives of catharsis
short term flood of endorphins boosts mood
studied found retaliating against the aggressor quickly lowered BP
criticism of catharsis related to evidence
most shows catharsis makes aggression worse and unconsciously teaches that aggression is rewarding
criticism of catharsis related to when it works
only if wrongdoer isn’t intimidating does aggression seem justifiable
what is mean world syndrome
exaggerated perceptions of the frequency of violence and ASB following violent media consumption
what did a meta-analysis find about violent media and aggression
strong link found with lab/field studies however correlation ≠ causation
how does MWS make crime more likely
become less engaged with society
how can desensitisation increase aggression with violent media
reduced negative emotions towards violent media due to repeated exposure so no longer deterred but now assoc w fun/laughter not fear
what is the role of inhibiting the anterior cingulate cortex in the frontal lobe
it’s associated w cognition and emotion so will suppress emotional reaction to violence being processed
strength of MWS
evidence present that violent media reduces physiological responses to real-life violence
what is the general aggression model
repeated exposure to violent media means several aggressive things are learnt and rehearsed, increasing an aggressive personality
what 5 aggressive things are learnt in the general aggression model
beliefs and attitudes perceptual schema expectational schemas behaviour scripts desensitisation
general aggression model also states that what is important
dispositional factors and situational variables alsocause aggressive behaviour
what is the weapons effect
being exposed to stimuli representing aggression makes people more aggressive if angry
a study related to the weapons condition found what
those who received more shocks and in the weapons condition gave more shocks w a longer duration
what does the weapons effect depend on
whether people view weapons as acts of aggression, e.g. weaker in USA where guns = every day objects
