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aggression Flashcards

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1
Q

what is proactive aggression?

A

proactive aggression - planned method of getting what you want

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2
Q

what is reactive aggression?

A

reactive aggression - impulsive - followed by psychological arousal

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3
Q

what is the limbic system?

A

limbic system - subcortical structures in the brain (inc hypothalamus and amygdala) thought closely involved with regulating emotional behaviour inc aggression

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4
Q

what is serotonin?

A

serotonin - a neurotransmitter with widespread inhibitory impacts throughout the brain

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5
Q

what is testosterone?

A

testosterone - hormone from the androgen group - produced mainly in male testes and associated with aggression

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6
Q

neural explanations of aggression: (2)

A

the limbic system

serotonin

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7
Q

hormonal explanations of aggression: (1)

A

testosterone

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8
Q

how does the limbic system play a role in aggression? (3)

A
  • Maclean research linked these network structures in the brain with emotional behaviours
  • amygdala - assesses and responds to threats and challenges
  • gospic et al - found in an ultimatum game - fast and heightened response of the amygdala when res rejected an unfair proposition (fMRI scans)
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9
Q

how does serotonin play a role in aggression? (3)

A
  • neurotransmitter involved in communication of impulses between neurons
  • due to inhibitory effect - normal levels reduce the firing of neurons = more self-control
  • lower levels = disrupted mechanism = more impulsive behaviour (Vikkunen found lower levels of serotonin in impulsive offenders)
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10
Q

how does testosterone play a role in aggression? (3)

A
  • responsible for masculine development
  • role in regulating social behaviour - influences some parts of the brain which involve aggression
  • Gimmanco supports role in range of animal studies - demonstrate higher levels of testosterone in male monkies in mating season - more aggressive (desirable)
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11
Q

genetic factors in aggression: (3)

A
  • twin studies
  • adoption studies
  • MAOA gene
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12
Q

how do twin studies support the role of genetic factors in aggression? (2)

A
  • suggests that heritability accounts for 50% of variance in aggressive behaviour
  • Coccaro et al research
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13
Q

how do adoption studies support the role of genetic factors in aggression? (3)

A
  • similarities in aggressive behaviour between adopted child and biological parents suggest genetic influences operate
  • similarities in aggressive behaviour between adopted child and adopted parents suggest environmental influences operate
  • Rhee and Waldman research
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14
Q

how does the MAOA gene play a role in aggression? (3)

A
  • MAOA is an enzyme that has the role of breaking down NTs into absorbable/reusable chemicals after nerve impulses have been transmitted between neurons
  • production of this enzyme is determined by MAOA gene - dysfunction may lead to abnormal enzyme activity thus impacting serotonin levels in the brain
  • Low variant of the gene - associated with forms of aggressive behaviour
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15
Q

how is the role of the MAOA gene in aggression counteracted by the diathesis-stress model? (3)

A
  • genes don’t act in isolation when influencing aggression
  • low MAOA gene activity is only related to adult aggression when combined with early traumatic life events
  • Frazzetto research - those without trauma didn’t have particularly high levels of aggression as adults even if they had low-activity variant
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16
Q

Ethological explanations of aggression - key terms (3)

A

ethology - study of animals in natural settings
instinctive aggression - occurs in all species without the need for learning - nurture and genetically determined
ethologist research - generalise findings to humans are we are all subject to the same forces of natural selection (Darwin)

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17
Q

ethological explanations - key points (3)

A

adaptive functions - Pettit et al (could use Volk research here)
ritualistic aggresison - lorenz
IRMs and FAPs - Lea, Tinbergen

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18
Q

ethological explanations - adaptive functions (3)

A
  • aggression has an adaptive function
  • beneficial to survival - access to status, territory, and resources - reduces competition and possibility of starvation
  • aggression allows hierarchy establishment - male chimps climb hierarchy using aggression - status and mate appeal
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19
Q

ethological explanations - adaptive functions research

A

Pettit et al
Studied young playgroups to observe how aggression plays a role in child’s dominance over others
Adaptive - dominance gives power and access to resources

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20
Q

ethological explanations - ritualistic aggression (3)

A
  • ritual - series of behaviours carried out in a set order
  • Lorenz observation - fights between animals - little damage is done
  • most aggressive encounters consisted of ritualistic signalling (claws, teeth display) and rarely reached point of physical violence
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21
Q

ethological explanations - ritualistic aggression research

A

lorenz - species aggressive confrontations often end with ritual displays - acceptance of defeat and stop aggressive behaviour of victor/damage to loser e.g wolf bares neck to victor
adaptive function - if every aggressive encounter ended with death - species existence would be threatened

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22
Q

ethological explanations - IRMs and FAPs (3)

A
  • IRM (innate releasing mechanism) - innate psychological process or structure
  • environmental stimulus (e.g a facial expression) releases a FAP (fixed action pattern
  • Lea stated FAPS have 6 features - stereotyped sequence, universal in species, unaffected by individual learning, once triggered cannot be stopped/altered before completion, occurs in specific situation, response to an identifiable/specific stimulus (e.g if it involves communication between species’ members, it ‘s known as a ‘releaser’)
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23
Q

ethological explanations - research

A

Tinbergen FAPs - presented Sticklebacks (typically territorial fish - aggressively triggered by sight of red spot) series of wooden models
Regardless of shape, if model had a red spot, Stickleback would aggressively display and attack it
Even if the model looked like a Stickleback, with no red spot = no aggression
Aggressive FAPs were unchanging + always ran its course to completion

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24
Q

State one strength of the ethological explanations of aggression (2)

A

Research to support FAPs - Tinbergen Sickleback fish - inc internal validity
Counteract- Hunt suggests FAP are more flexible and are greatly influenced by environment/learning experiences (e.g duration - modifiable by experience therefore ‘model behavior pattern’ is preferable)

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25
Q

State one limitation of the ethological explanations of aggression

A

P: not generalisable to human behaviour
E: Lorenz didn’t study higher mammals e.g primates, and Tinbergen didn’t study extreme aggression which is frequent in human aggression
E: Lorenz extrapolated behaviour of individual animals to entire behaviour of human race
L: internal validity of research decreased
–> ethological expl uses Darwin/natural selection to counteract this

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26
Q

evolutionary explanation of aggression - key terms (1)

A

evolutionary explanation - suggests that aggression is adaptively beneficial e.g acquiring resources, status, defeating sexual rivals and retaining mates

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27
Q

evolutionary explanation - key points (4)

A

sexual jealousy
male retention strategies - Wilson and Daly, Wilson et al
intimate partner violence - Shackelford
bullying - Volk

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28
Q

evolutionary explanation - sexual jealousy (2)

A

paternity uncertainty - threat of male cuckoldry - anti-cuckoldy behaviours to produce offspring
sexual jealousy drives aggressive strategies to retain partners as an adaptive masculine function

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29
Q

evolutionary explanation - male retention strategies (1)

A

wilson and daly - mate retention strategies include - direct guarding and negative inducements

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30
Q

evolutionary explanation - male retention strategies research

A

wilson et al - women who reported mate retention strategies in their partners were twice as likely to have suffered physical violence - 53% feared for their lives

31
Q

evolutionary explanation - intimate partner violence research (5)

A

Shackelford et al - studied IPV in straight couples
107 couples (married under 1 year) completed different questionnaires
Men completed ‘Mate Retention Inventory’ which rated mate retention behaviors
Women completed ‘Spouse Influence Report’ which measured extent of partner’s violence
Positive correlation between male retention behaviour and reports of physical violence - retention behaviours predicted the violence

32
Q

evolutionary explanation - evolutionary explanation of bullying (4)

A

evolutionary ancestors may have used bullying as an adaptive survival and reproductive function
volk et al - characteristics associated with bullying attractive - in males, dominance, status, access to resources etc
such behaviour deliver the ideal combination to access mates and limit competition
female bullying often used in relationships as a means to avoid cuckoldry - evolutionary as it enhances reproductive success

33
Q

state one strength of the evolutionary explanation

A

P: Helps devise effective anti-bullying interventions
E: Volk argues that anti-bullying interventions need to increase the rewards for prosocial alternatives - as bullying is an adaptive function to gain advantage. Therefore, interventions should address a bully’s perceived deficiencies e.g competing aggressively but fairly in sports - display prowess but not through bullying
L: external vailidty

34
Q

state one limitation of the evolutionary explanation

A

P: appears to be cultural differences
E: Brazil have been described as ‘fierce people’ and use aggression as acceptable behaviour to gain status
E: whereas other cultures discourage aggression and actually diminishes status e.g Kalahari
L: cultural differences diminish internal and external validity
–> Contradictions in findings may be due to observer ‘bias’ and expectations of a certain culture - methological flaws

35
Q

social psychological: frustration-aggression hypothesis: key terms (1)

A

frustration-aggression hypothesis - frustration always leads to aggression, aggression is always the result of fustration

36
Q

social psychological: frustration-aggression hypothesis: key ideas (3)

A

the hypothesis - dollard et al
research - green
the role of environmental cues - Berkowitz and LePage

37
Q

social psychological: frustration-aggression hypothesis - dollard et al (4)

A
  • hypothesis based on psychological drive and concept of catharsis
  • if achieving a goal is blocked by external factors = frustration, creating an aggressive drive
  • cathartic - frustration is satisfied and drive is reduced
  • aggression isn’t always expressed directly to trigger - abstract, too powerful, unavailable (=scapegoating onto available object)
38
Q

social psychological: frustration-aggression hypothesis - research (4)

A
  • green - male student given a jigsaw puzzle - level of frustration manipulated in 3 ways: impossible puzzle, ran out of time bc conf entered the room, conf insulted the ppt for failing the puzzle
  • next part inv ppt giving electric shocks to conf for mistakes on another task - insulted group gave strongest shocks, then interrupted
  • all 3 groups gave stronger shocks than the non-frustrated group
39
Q

social psychological: frustration-aggression hypothesis - the role of environmental causes (3)

A
  • Berkowitz - frustration merely creates a readiness for aggression - presence of aggressive cues make aggression more likely
  • Berkowitz and LePage - student ppt to be given electric shocks in a lab situation - inducing fustration
  • conf gave shocks, then ppt gave shocks - no. of shocks given depended on prsence of weapons - cond 1 - 2 guns, avg shocks 6, cond 2 - no guns, avg shocks 4
40
Q

state one strength (social psychological) frustration-aggression hypothesis

A

P: Research to support
E: Berowitz and LePage
E: Lab experiment supports the argument that aggressive stimuli leadto aggression
L: increases internal validity
–> casual conclusions/methological flaws

41
Q

state one weakness of the (social psychological) frustration-aggression hypothesis

A

P: There is doubt whether being aggressive is cathartic
E: Brushman found that ppt who vented their anger by repeatedly hitting a punchbag became more aggressive
E: Brushman argues that venting to reduce anger merely increases levels of anger. The outcome of this study is very different from what the frustration-aggression hypothesis suggests
L: Casts doubts on the internal validity of a central assumption of the hypothesis
–> therapists advise this to clients, sports as an anti-bullying means

42
Q

social psychological: social learning theory - key terms (1)

A

SLT - way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect learning, as well as the role of cognitive factors

43
Q

social psychological: social learning theory - key points (4)

A

direct and indirect learning - Bandura
observational learning and vicarious reinforcement
cognitive control
self-efficacy

44
Q

social psychological: social learning theory - direct and indirect learning (2)

A
  • bandura - aggression can be learnt directly through operant conditioning (positive and negative reinforcement)
  • aggression can be learnt indirectly through an indirect mechanism of observational learning (which accounts for the social learning of most aggressive behaviours)
45
Q

social psychological: social learning theory - observational learning and vicarious reinforcement (3)

A
  • children learn specific behaviours through observing models and consequence
  • if the model’s behaviour is rewarded/accepted - child sees that aggression is effective in achieving goals - vicarious reinforcement - child more likely to imitate
  • if model’s behaviour is punished - less likely to imitate/vicarious punishment
46
Q

social psychological: social learning theory - cognitive control (1)

A
  • bandura defined 4 cognitive conditions needed for observational learning to happen - attention, retention, reproduction and motivation
47
Q

social psychological: social learning theory - self efficacy (3)

A
  • self efficacy - the extent to which we believe our actions will active desired goal
  • child’s confidence in their ability to be aggressive as they learn brings them rewards e.g hitting another child to get a toy
  • self-efficacy develops with each successful outcome - aggression has been effective and will continue to use
    it as they are good at it
48
Q

state one strength of (social-psychological) SLT

A

P: considers cultural differences - but underplays role of biological factors e.g Bandura and masculine violence

49
Q

social psychological: deindividuation - key terms (1)

A

de-individuation - psychological state in which an individual loses their personal identity and takes on the identity of a social group - freeing individual constraints of social norms

50
Q

social psychological: deindividuation - key points (5)

A
  • crows behaviour - LeBon
  • Zimbardo
  • Dixon and Mahendran
  • role of self-awareness
  • dodd
51
Q

social psychological: deindividuation - crowd behaviour (2)

A
  • LeBon - when we are part of a crowd, we have the freedom to break social norms - lose sense of responsibility and self-identity for our behaviour
  • responsibility becomes shared throughout the crowd - less personal guilt for aggression
52
Q

social psychological: deindividuation - zimbardo, dixon and mahendran (3)

A
  • zimbardo - individuated state: rational and normative
    de-individuated state: emotional, impulsive and anti-normative, lose regard for social norms
  • dixon and mahendran - conditions of de-individuation which promote aggressive behaviour (darkness, drugs, uniforms, masks etc)
  • ‘anonymity shapes crowd behaviour’ - fewer opportunities to be identified and judged negatively
53
Q

social psychological: deindividuation - the role of self-awareness (2)

A

two types of self-awareness - private self-awareness (how we pay attention to our own feelings - red in a crowd as attention is diverted, less self-critical encouraging a de-individuated state) and public self-awareness (how we care about how others judge us - anonymity reduces judgement/ we feel less accountable for our actions)

54
Q

social psychological: deindividuation - research (4)

A

dodd - developed classroom situation to illustrate de-individuation
229 students - if you could so anything humanly possible without being detected, what would you do?
students told their answer would be anonymous
3 independent raters who didn’t know the hypothesis decided which 4 categories of antisocial behaviour the responses belonged to
36% involved some form of anti-social behaviour, 26% were actual crimes (e.g murder), 9% were pro-social

55
Q

state one strength of (social psychological) deindividuation explanation

A

P: Research - Dodd
E: study demonstrates a link between anonymity, de-individuation and aggression
L: internal validity increased
–> methological flaws - leading questions

56
Q

state one weakness of (social psychological) deindividuation explanation

A

P: research shows that de-individuation doesn’t always lead to aggression
E: Johnson and Downing - females had to give fake electric shocks to conf, condition 1 they were dressed as the KKK, condition 2 they were dressed as nurses
E: compared to controls, KKK ppt gave far more electric shocks, nurses gave fewer and were more compassionate in accordance with the prosocial role associated with nurses
L: aggression and prosocial behaviour are potential outcomes of deindividuation, and normative cues in a social situation are a key determining factor - internal validity decreased
–> demand characteristics/desirability bias

57
Q

social psychological: institutional aggression in prison contexts - key ideas (1)

A

dispositional explanation: the importation model - Irwin and Cressy, Delisi
situational explanation: the deprivation model - Clemmer, Steiner

58
Q

social psychological: institutional aggression in prison contexts - dispositional explanation: importation model (3)

A
  • Irwin and Cressy - model argued that prisons aren’t completely isolated from everyday life in the real world, inmates bring with them a subculture of typical criminality inc, belief, values and experiences
  • Import aggressive behaviours from life outside of prison as a means of settling disputes, negotiating the unfamiliar environment, or gaining status/reources
  • aggression is the product of individual characteristics rather than prison itself - prisoners predisposed to using violence, are likely to do so in any setting
59
Q

social psychological: institutional aggression in prison contexts - dispositional explanation: importation model research (4)

A
  • delisi et al = studied 183 juvenile delinquents confined in Californian institutes
  • inmates imported several negative dispositional features (trauma, anger, histories of violence)
  • these inmates were more likely to engage in suicide activity, sexual misconduct or physical violence
  • these were brought to the attention of the parole board (control group of inmates with fewer negative dispositional features)
60
Q

social psychological: institutional aggression in prison contexts - situational explanation: the deprivation model (3)

A
  • Clemmer’s deprivation model blames institutional aggression on prison environment itself
  • stressful, harsh environments - deprivation of freedom, safety and resources
  • deprivation of goods -> competition and aggression between inmates
  • aggression also influenced by the nature of the prison regime - unpredictable, oppressive and reduction of access to goods -> aggression becomes an adaptive solution to the deptivation
61
Q

social psychological: institutional aggression in prison contexts - situational explanation: the deprivation model research (3)

A
  • Steiner - predicted what would encourage aggression in 512 US prisons
  • inmate violence was more common in prisons where there were higher proportions of African-American inmates, hispanic inmates and inmates in protective custody
  • all prison level factors, independent of individual characteristics - factors reliably predicted aggressive behaviour
62
Q

media influences on aggression: the effects of computer games - key ideas (1)

A

suggests that images of aggression/violence which frequently appear in a variety of media influence aggression

63
Q

media influences on aggression: the effects of computer games - key points (4)

A

experimental studies - Bartholow and Anderson
correlational studies - Delisi
longitudinal - Robertson
meta analyses - Anderson

64
Q

media influences on aggression: the effects of computer games - experimental studies (4)

A
  • lab based, look at ST - how games impact aggression
  • Bartholow and Anderson - students plays a violent or non-violent videogame for 10mins
  • all carried out TCRTT test - standard lab measure of aggression - students deliver blasts of white noise at chosen volumes to punish virtual opponents
  • those who played violent game selected louder noise levels - 5.97 vs 4.6
65
Q

media influences on aggression: the effects of computer games - correlational studies (4)

A
  • delisi studied 227 juvenile offenders - histories of aggressive behaviours
  • structured interviews - gathered data on several measures of aggression + violent videogame playing
  • offenders’ aggressive behaviour significantly correlated with how often they played violent games and how much they enjoyed them
  • researchers argued that the link is so well established, that aggression should be considered a public health issue as grave as HIV/AIDs - computer game significant risk factor like not wearing condoms
66
Q

media influences on aggression: the effects of computer games - longitudinal studies (5)

A
  • robertson - link between ‘excessive’ TV watching and aggressive behaviour in adulthood
  • 1037 babies from New Zeland - measured TV viewing hrs at regular intervals until they were 26
  • time spent watching TV was accurate predictor of aggressive behaviour in adulthood
  • those who watched more TV - more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive/anti-social disorders
  • amount of tv watched more significant in influencing aggressive behaviour than whether it was violent
67
Q

media influences on aggression: the effects of computer games - meta analyses (4)

A
  • anderson performed meta-analysis of 136 studies which included experimental, correlational and longitudinal studies
  • exposure to violent videogames was associated with increases in aggressive behaviours - true for individualist + collectivist cultures, and both genders
  • further analysis suggests that the effect of violent video-game playing on aggressive behaviour is greater than the effect of second-hand smoke on cancer
  • analysis showed no indication of publication bias influencing results
68
Q

media influences on aggression - desensitisation causing aggression (3)

A

desensitisation - repeated exposure to violence reducing normal levels of psychological arousal associated with anxiety - making aggression more likely

  • psychological arousal replaced by habituation to effects of aggression
  • develops belief that aggression solves conflict/socially acceptable (Funk)
69
Q

media influences on aggression - disinhibition causing aggression (3)

A

disinhibition - normal social constraints (learnt through SLT) against certain behaviours can be weakened by environmental triggers. - restraints loosed by exposure to violent media - behaviours seem socially acceptable, making aggression more likely
- videogames where violence is rewarded - consequences minimised/ignored - creates new social norm in viewer

70
Q

media influences on aggression - cognitive priming causing aggression (3)

A

cognitive priming - repeated exposure to violent images creating preconceived scripts/expectations about aggression/situations which is stored in our memory - triggered when we perceive aggressive cues in a situation

  • Huesmann: primed to be aggressive
  • process mostly automatic - can direct behaviour without being aware of it
71
Q

media influences on aggression - desensitisation research

A

Weisz and Earls - ppt watched film with prolonged rape scene
ppt then watched a re-enactment of a rape trial
compared to those who watched a non-sexually violent film, the male ppt showed greater acceptance of rape myths, and showed less empathy towards victim
no such effect of film type on female ppt

72
Q

media influences on aggression - cognitive priming research

A

Greitemeyer - priming of aggressive scripts by looking at song lyrics

  • male ppt listened to songs with aggressively derogative lyrics about women
  • compared to when they listened to neutral lyrics, ppt recalled more negative qualities about women and behave more aggressively towards female conf
  • similar findings when replicated on females
73
Q

A03 institutional aggression in prison contexts - dispositional explanation: importation model/situational explanation: the deprivation model
weakness (1)

A

P: situational explanation: the deprivation model/importation - research flawed
E: Steiner and Delisi research (imported behaviours
–> westernised - only US studied/inmates may be provoked by extraneous variables
–> only juveniles studied
all prison level factors, independent of individual characteristics - factors reliably predicted aggressive behaviour

74
Q

A03 institutional aggression in prison contexts - dispositional explanation: importation model/situational explanation: the deprivation model
negative (1)

A
  • opposing research - zimbardo Stanford Prison experiment - ppt unlikely to have dispositional factors (‘mentally stable’/Stanford uni students)
    high levels of aggression from guards/prisoners - suggested that situational power is what caused aggression - decreases internal validity
    –> aggression may have been due to ‘leading roles’ - demand characteristics/artificial situation

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