Aggression

Question 1

hostile aggression

Answer 1

reactive and angry, with the intention of causing harm

Question 2

instrumental aggression

Answer 2

deliberate and designed to achieve an aim (planned)

Question 3

violent aggression

Answer 3

using physical force to cause physical injury to another person (eg. punching, kicking)

Question 4

verbal aggression

Answer 4

using words to cause psychological damage to another person (eg. gossiping, shouting)

Question 5

cognitive priming for aggression

Answer 5

cues in the environment can trigger schema that contain cognitive scripts for aggression

Question 6

cues can include:

Answer 6

• watching a violent, aggressive film
• playing violent video games
• a picture of war/ weapons

Question 7

below awareness

Answer 7

subconscious priming

Question 8

hostile attribution bias and aggression

Answer 8

• someone with HAB is likely to automatically see aggressive intent in the actions of others
• therefore, more likely to respond with aggression

Question 9

cognitive scripts and schema (aggression)

Answer 9

• if someone experiences a lot of violence throughout their life, then their schema will be biased towards aggression
• people with aggressive schema may also have cognitive scripts that lead them to aggression

Question 10

conformity - aggression

Answer 10

• if someone joins a group that is violent and aggressive, they are more likely to be violent and aggressive
• stereotypes of some social groups can mean aggressive violence is expected of them (self-fulfilling prophecy)

Question 11

desensitisation - influence of the media

Answer 11

if you consume a lot of violent media, or are exposed to a lot of violence in your life, then you become desensitised to it. this means you experience less arousal for aggression and are less likely to be empathetic to victims

Question 12

disinhibition - influence of the media

Answer 12

after viewing violent media, people are less likely to think that aggression is inherently bad

Question 13

direct learning

Answer 13

due to their life experiences, individuals become conditioned to give an aggressive response

Question 14

indirect learning

Answer 14

people learn to be aggressive from observing the aggression of others

Question 15

operant conditioning

Answer 15

aggression can be learned directly through operant conditioning

Question 16

positive reinforcement

Answer 16

aggressive behaviours are mostly acquired and maintained through positive reinforcement bc aggression is an effective way of gaining rewards

Question 17

tangible rewards

Answer 17

money, food and other physically ‘real’ rewards

Question 18

intangible rewards

Answer 18

pleasurable feelings and social status

Question 19

vicarious reinforcement

Answer 19

• observer experiences the model’s reward ‘second-hand’, but this is enough to increase the likelihood that the observer will imitate the model’s behaviour
• but, if the aggression is punished, the observer learns that it’s not effective in gaining a reward and the likelihood of imitation is reduced

Question 20

evolution and aggression

Answer 20

• aggressive behaviour provides an evolutionary advantage in ‘survival in the fittest’
• human males who were aggressive were more likely to survive in the past
• therefore, they were more likely to have the better resources and more likely to mate (passing on their genes)

Question 21

amygdala

Answer 21

• if someone has an abnormally small amygdala, they’re more likely to interpret situations as hostile and to react aggressively/ violently

Question 22

limbic system

Answer 22

processes emotions

Question 23

pre-frontal cortex

Answer 23

impulsive behaviour

Question 24

damage to brain structures

Answer 24

can lead to aggression

Question 25

high levels of testosterone

Answer 25

high levels of aggression and competetiveness

Question 26

low levels of serotonin

Answer 26

• lower emotional stability
• leading to impulsive behaviours, including aggression

Question 27

high dopamine

Answer 27

higher levels of aggression

Question 28

low cortisol

Answer 28

higher levels of aggression in men (this is because high cortisol blocks the effects of testosterone)

Question 29

genetics and aggression

Answer 29

• aggression can be inherited
  if you have an aggressive parent, you’re more likely to be aggressive too

Question 30

MAOA gene

Answer 30

if you inherit the low-activity version of the MAOA gene then you’re likely to be highly aggressive

Question 31

the SRY gene and aggression

Answer 31

• it has an indirect influence on aggression through masculinisation of the embryo
• the gene activates testes development that triggers testosterone production in the womb