AGGRESSION Flashcards
What is aggression?
physical, verbal, nonverbal behaviour intended to hurt someone (defined by intentions)
What is hostile aggression?
hurting someone else because we are angry
What is instrumental aggression?
hurting someone else to achieve some other purpose
What is relational aggression?
aggression that harms someone else through the manipulation of friendships
Nature of aggression
- evolutionary instincts
- genes
- testosterone
Nurture of aggression
- social learning theory
- culture of honour
What is behaviourism?
learning how to behave by behaving and experiencing consequences
Social learning theory / observational learning
learning how to behave by observing others behave and seeing the consequences of their behaviour
Key parts of culture of honour
- southwestern
- herding culture
- little law enforcement
- strong concern for reputation
- insults deserve retaliation
- willing to use violence to avenge
- high murder rates
What is displacement?
when we aggress against something similar to what blocked our goal
Frustration aggression theory
- best determinant of aggression is frustration
- we will aggress when our goals are blocked
Relative deprivation theory
- perception that individuals/social group have less than they deserve is associated with aggresstion
- example = more income inequality –> more homicides per million
Key parts of heat and aggression
- makes us uncomfortable and cranky
- increased misattribution of arousal
- environmental irritant
Key parts of alcohol and aggression
- reduces anxiety and inhibitions against aggression
- interferes with info processing that would override aggressive impulses
What is alcohol myopia?
- reduce self awareness
- enhance deindividuation
What is the weapons effect?
mere presence of weapons is a cue that can cause violence
What is the hallway study? COH
- 42 northern and 41 southern asked to carry materials to office down hallway
- confed bumps into them - calls them an asshole
- facial expressions, cortisol and testosterone measured
- southerners described it w/ more violence and had higher levels
Berkowitz and Lepage - Weapons effect experiment
- male Ps worked w/ confederate on problems
- evaluate the other by administering shocks
- participants assigned to 1 time (neutral) or 7 times (anger)
- more shocks given when there was a gun
Neo-associationistic account of aggression
aversive event –> anger –> aggression
What is learned helplessness?
when someone repeatedly experiences goal blocking - they will see no point in going after that goal
What is the punching bag study?
- 600 participants write an essay and are graded by confederates
- IV = punch bag OR listen to calming music
- DV = rate how angry you are
- those who used punching bag were angrier and aggressed more against other participants
