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Aggression Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the evolutionary explanation for aggression?

A
  • People are aggressive because of sexual Jealousy
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2
Q

What is Cuckoldry?

A
  • Where men bring up another man’s child as their own -> Waste precious resources supporting survival of genes that aren’t his own
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3
Q

What is Direct Guarding?

A
  • Male Vigilance over partners behaviours: e.g Phone checking, Tracking apps
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4
Q

What is the limbic system made up of?

A
  • Hypothalamus
  • Amygdala
  • Thalamus
  • Hippocampus
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5
Q

What is the role of the hypothalamus in aggression?

A
  • Small = Less than 1% of brain
  • Regulates autonomic nervous stamen
  • Triggers release of hormones -> Adrenaline
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6
Q

What is the role of the amygdala in aggression?

A
  • Aggression centre -> Regulates perceptions and reactions to aggression and fear
  • when stimulates -> Leads to aggression responses = Anger/ violence, Fear/ anxiety
  • The more reactive it is, the more aggressive our behaviour -> Could be a result of our upbringing
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7
Q

What is the role of the Thalamus in Aggression?

A
  • Relay Station
  • Directs sensory information to their specific areas -> Somatosensory area
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8
Q

What is the role of the hippocampus is aggression?

A
  • Form new memories
  • Convert STM -> LTM
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9
Q

What is the Gossip et al study of aggression:

A
  • The Ultimatum Game -> Used to assess aggression
  • 2 players -> Proposer and responder
  • Proposer offers to split money in certain way (Fair or Unfair) with responder.
  • If responder accepts, money is split as proposed. If responder rejects, both receive nothing
  • Responders played while having their brain scanned using FMRI
  • Rejection of unfair offer = Amygdala showed fast and heightened response
  • When participants govern benzodiazepines (Calm Nervous System) = Halves number of rejections -> Activity in amygdala decreased
  • Shows amygdala is a prominent part in aggression response
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10
Q

What is Serotonin?

A
  • An inhibitory neurotransmitter
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11
Q

What is an inhibitory neurotransmitter?

A
  • Slows down + Dampens neuron activity. Therefore normal levels of serotonin are associated with a greater degree of behavioural self-control
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12
Q

What effect does serotonin have on amygdala?

A
  • Inhibits the firing of the amygdala
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13
Q

What effect will low levels of serotonin have on aggression?

A
  • Remove inhibitory effect on amygdala -> therefore less able to control aggression -> therefore increases aggressive behaviour/ more likely.
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14
Q

What is the Virkkunen Study of aggression?

A
  • Comparison of serotonin breakdown product in cerebrospinal fluid of violent impulsive and violent non-impulsive offenders.
  • Levels were significantly lower in impulsive offenders -> Also suffered more from sleep irregularity
  • Demonstrates that low serotonin levels are linked to aggression
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15
Q

Evaluate Neural Mechanisms:

A

+ Evidence of link between low serotonin levels + Increased aggression = Raleigh -> Vervet monkeys fed on experimental diets high in tryptophan (Boosts serotonin levels) showed less aggression than monkeys on a low tryptophan diet

+ Charles Whitman killed 13 people in Texas. Said he was corniced something was making him aggressive = Found to have tumour pressing against his amygdala -> Supports amygdala playing important role in aggression in humans -> Validity of theory

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16
Q

What role does testosterone have in aggression?

A
  • Levels around 8x higher in males than females
  • High levels thought to be reason for observed sex differences in aggression
    -Higher levels in orbitofrontal cortex reduces activity -> Means OFC less able to regulate aggressive impulses from limbic system = Less self control
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17
Q

What is the limbic system?

A
  • A set of neural structures located in centre of brain. Amygdala and hypothalamus are key to aggressive responses
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18
Q

Evaluate Hormonal mechanisms:

A
  • Testosterone causes aggression argued against by Mazur = we should distinguish between aggression and dominance behaviour - Most dominance behaviours aren’t aggressive = It may be that testosterone plays a role in dominance behaviour rather than leading to aggression

+ Role of testosterone= Archer = Analysed results of over 230 males over 5 studies -> Found low positive correlation between testosterone and aggression = Provides support for high testosterone and + Aggression -> However, link only correlational so there could have been other factors

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19
Q

What is evidence from twin studies for the genetic explanation for aggression?

A
  • Coccaro = Concordance for physical assault rates
    -> 50% for MZ and 19% for DZ
    -> Verbal Aggression was 28% for MZ and 7% for DZ
  • Shows genetic similarities have a role in aggressive behaviour -> However as MZ share 100% of genes but concordance isn’t 100% suggests there are other factors
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20
Q

What is evidence from adoption studies for the genetic explanation?

A
  • Rhee and Waldman = Meta analysis of adoption studies on direct aggression + Antisocial behaviour
    -> Found 41% of aggressive behaviour can be linked to genes
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21
Q

What is the MAOA gene?

A
  • Enzyme to ‘Mop up’ NT’s in synapse after nerve impulse has passed
    -> Breaks down neurochemicals -> Especially serotonin
    -> MAOA gene determines how well this works
  • Dysfunction in gene leads to abnormal functioning of enzyme
    -> Leads to imbalance in levels of serotonin -> Haven’t broken down appropriate levels
  • Affects levels of aggression
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22
Q

What role does gene/environment interaction have to play in aggression?

A
  • ‘Warrior gene’
    -> Variant of MAOA gene
    -> Found in 1/3rd of western men
    -> Over 60% of some communities
  • Frazzetto
    -> Link between aggression and warrior gene
    -> But only if they experienced sexual or physical abuse in first 15 years
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23
Q

Evaluate genetic factors in aggression:

A
  • Measuring aggression is different significantly between studies:
    -> Rhee + Wadman used parent reports -> Kids more likely to act calm in front of their parents rather than just by themselves
  • Difficult to separate genetic + environmental factors
    -> There has to be an environmental trigger to provoke genetic aggression
    -> Links to Diathesis Stress Model
    -> Shows interactionist may be best way to explain
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24
Q

What is the ethological explanation of aggression?

A
  • Aggression is both ritualistic an adaptive
  • Adaptive = Main function of aggression as increases our chance of survival. Species can right over resources + create of dominance hierarchy
    -> Pettit observed young children play + found aggression leads to social dominance
  • Ritualistic = Lorenz -> Symbolic aggression would ensure organism not harmed. If organism sustained injury, this could impair their ability to reproduce or death. -> Means ritualistic aggression like ‘teeth Baring’ would have same effect of lettering opponent without physical harm.
  • Ritualistic aggression = Innate releasing Mechanisms + Fixed action patterns
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25
Q

What are Innate Releasing Mechanisms (IRM)?

A
  • Animals have a built-in neural structure which, when exposed to specific stimuli, such as facial expression, It leads to/ releases fixed action patterns
26
Q

What are Fixed Action Patterns (FAP)?

A
  • Stereotyped + Predictable sequences of behaviour
  • Universal in every kind of species
  • Not affected by learning
  • ‘Ballistic’ once behaviour is triggered it follows inevitable course + Cannot be altered
  • Single purpose and only occurs in specific situations
  • Response to a specific stimulus (A releaser)
27
Q

What is the male Stickleback study for the ethological explanation of aggression?

A
  • Tinbergen = Showed male sticklebacks have highly ritualised attack patterns -> Presented them with realistic model but no red underbelly or wood model (Unrealistic) with red underbelly
  • Fish only attacked red underbelly models
    -> Shows they have fixed action pattern of aggressive behaviour
28
Q

Evaluate the ethological explanation of aggression:

A

+ Brunner = Studied 28 male members of Dutch family who repeatedly involved in impulsive aggressive violent criminal behaviour (rape, attempted murder) -> ‘Impulsive’ suggests aggression is innate + Possible ritualistic -> Supports theory as shows adaptive + Ritualistic

  • Nisbett -> Cross cultural study in homicide levels of white males in northern vs southern USA = Much higher in Southern -> Cultural influences on innate mechanisms -> Ethological doesn’t explain this because it says it should be same across all cultures -> Study shows it is not culturally relative
29
Q

What is the Frustration-aggression hypothesis?

A
  • Created by Dollard
  • involves aggression and catharsis

-> Catharsis = process of releasing and thereby providing relief from strong or expressed emotion

  • Aggression is a psychological drive -> If we cannot achieve this drive, we become frustrated -> frustration becomes aggression in form of verbal outbursts or violent behaviour -> cathartic as drive is satisfied
30
Q

What are the 3 reasons why aggression may not be expressed in the frustration-aggression explanation?

A
  • Threat of punishment -> teacher gives you poor grade
  • An abstract cause -> Economic situation, illness
  • Absence of the cause -> Teacher left before you were given poor grade
31
Q

What happens when the cause of our aggression is not available to us in the frustration-aggression explanation?

A
  • Aggression must be displaced so an individual can experience catharsis
32
Q

What did Green do and find in his research in the frustration-aggression explanation?

A
  • Jigsaw puzzle completed by make students
    -> Level of frustration manipulated: Puzzle impossible to solve, ran out of time because of confederate interruptions
    -> Confederate then insulted them for not completing puzzle
    -> Participants then able to inflict electric shocks on confederates
  • Highest shocks given to insulting confederates
33
Q

What role do environmental cues play in frustration-aggression explanation?

A
  • Frustration creates a readiness for aggression -> Aggressive cues in environment can make this more likely
34
Q

What did Berkowitz and Lepage do + find when researching the frustration-aggression explanation?

A
  • Students given electric shocks by confederate in lab situation
  • Then participants had the chance to do the same back in 2 conditions: Simple repeat of experiment, Guns on a nearby table
  • Higher shocks administered when guns present
35
Q

Evaluate the frustration-aggression explanation:

A

+ Marcus + Newhall -> Meta analysis of displaced aggression. Scenarios where PPs had to direct aggressive behaviour against a target other than the cause of frustration. PPs in this group sig more likely to aggress against innocent party than non provoked people.
-> Supports idea of displaced aggression leading to better aggression

  • Bushman = PPs who were frustrated encouraged to vent by punching a punchbag -> PPs reported increase in aggression levels = Challenges catharsis as aggression increased not decreased
  • Real world application as Frustration-aggression hypothesis used as an explanation for mass-killings (NAzi’s + Jews WW2) = Ecological validity
  • Berkowitz = Frustration is one of many things that makes people aggressive (E.g Jealousy, Pain, Loneliness) -> Unpleasant feeling forms negative effect which causes frustration = presents Dollard’s theory as over simplistic and reductionist
36
Q

What is the social learning theory of aggression?

A
  • Aggression is learned through a mixture of indirect and direct reinforcement
  • Indirect = people learning through observing + imitating aggressive role models
  • Direct = likely to repeat behaviour if in future they are rewarded for it.
  • How aggressive you are is also influenced by self efficacy = A persons confidence in their ability to carry out certain actions
37
Q

Evaluate Social Learning theory?

A
  • Determinist: Suggests if someone observes aggressive act being rewarded they will imitate that behaviour
  • Testing results in ethical issues -> Issues with showing children aggression raises awareness in lack of protection from harm = Studies like BOBO doll would be hard to replicate and therefore difficult to establish whether SL does play a role.

+ Poulin and Boivin -> Analysed behaviour of 9 + 12 Year old boys -> Most aggressive boys formed friendships with other aggressive boys -> Long lasting friendships together to access resources = Seeing rewards maintains behaviour -> Vicarious reinforcement as see friends get rewarded

38
Q

What is Deindividuation?

A
  • Loss of personal identity -> When in situations of anonymity
    -> Behaviour less constrained by social norms
    -> Lose our inhibitions

E.G = KKK, Night Clubs, Crowds, Masks

39
Q

What role does crowd behaviour play in deindividuation?

A
  • Lose our self identity + responsibility for our behaviour
    -> Disregard norms and laws
  • Responsibility is shared by crowd so personal responsibility is diminished
  • Experience less guilt at being aggressive towards others
40
Q

Zimbardo deindividuation suggestions:

A
  • When deindividuated our behaviour is rational + normative
  • When deindividuated we are emotional, impulsive and irrational and anti-normative and disinhibited
  • Lose self awareness, stop monitoring behaviour
  • Ignore social norms
41
Q

What are the situations which lead to deindividuation?

A
  • Darkness
  • Drugs
  • Uniforms
  • Masks
  • Disguises
42
Q

Explain the role of anonymity in deindividuation:

A
  • Situations make us anonymous
    -> therefore we have less fear of being caught
    -> We are unidentifiable
    -> Bigger the crowd, the more anonymous we are
43
Q

What is Private self-awareness:

A
  • how aware we are of our own thoughts + behaviours
    -> In a crowd our focus is on external events
    -> therefore less thoughtful and self-critical
44
Q

What is public self-awareness?

A
  • How much we care what others think of us
    -> In a crowd = less likely to feel judged, so we become less accountable for our aggression and destruction
45
Q

What research did Dodd carry out into deindividuation?

A
  • Asked psychology students -> ‘If you could do anything humanely possible with complete assurance that you would not be detected or held responsible, what would you do?
  • PPT’S knew they had anonymous answers

Findings:
- 36% anti-social behaviour
- 26% Criminal acts (Rob a bank = Most Common)
- 9% Prosocial behaviours

46
Q

Evaluate Deindividuation and Anonymity:

A

+ Douglas + McCarty = Strong correlation between anonymity and ‘flaming’ in online chatrooms. Most aggressive messages from those with hidden identities -> Supports idea that anonymity increases anti-social and aggressive behaviour.

  • Gergen -> Strangers in a dark room study. Kissing + intimacy happened quickly. In second condition, strangers told they would meet afterwards = amount of kissing + intimacy reduced dramatically. = Challenges theory as suggests in darkness they would become more aggressive however the opposite happened.

+ Female PPT’s told to give (Fake) shocks to confederates. When the Ppt’s wore KK outfits, higher level of shocks, when wearing nurse outfit, lower levels of shocks = -> Shows deindividuation leads to changes in behaviour. -> Either aggressive of prosocial

+ Real world application through online bullying and trolling

47
Q

What research has been conducted into the effects of computer games on aggression?

A
  • Bartholow + Anderson = People play either violent or non-violent video game for 10 mins and then blast non-existent opponents with white noise -> Violent video game people gave significantly higher blasts of noise = Supports view that violent video games lead to higher levels of aggression. However, lacks mundane realism + Lab study = no fear of retaliation
  • Matt De Lisi = Juvenile offenders with a history of serious aggression. Interviewed offenders and found positive correlation with amount of violent computer games they played. Correlation allows study of more realistic forms of aggression, however, can’t establish cause and effect.
  • Robertson -> Children + Tv hours in New Zealand -> Able to predict adult aggression levels based on excessive TV watching in childhood. This research allows much more realistic picture of how media influences aggression. However, confounding variables may have influence on aggression.
48
Q

What are Physical Effects of Desensitisation:?

A
  • When we witness violence our sympathetic nervous system kicks in -> Raises heart rate + Blood pressure
  • When children regularly play violent video games or watch violent tv, they become habituated to its effects. -> E.g they feel less anxiety/stress when playing
49
Q

What are Psychological Effects of Desensitisation?

A
  • Watching lots of forms of aggressive media makes us think it is socially acceptable to use anger to resolve conflicts.
  • Funk = More exposure to violent media made people feel less empathy empathy for victims and negative effects toward violence were weakened
50
Q

What research is there into Desensitisation?

A
  • Weisz and Earls: Showed participants film with graphic rape scene in or a non-violent film. -> All PPT’s then watched reenactment of a rape trial

-> Male participants who saw film showed greater acceptance of rape myths + sexual aggression and less sympathy toward victim in the trial.

-> No effect on female participants

51
Q

Evaluate Desensitisation:

A

+ Krahe -> People who watched more violent media had power arousal + levels of anxiety when watching violent media = Desensitisation is a key factor in aggression
-> Counter for desensitisation could be catharsis = Watch and play violent media to release aggressive impulses

52
Q

What is Disinhibition?

A
  • We learn that violence + aggression are unacceptable ways to resolve most conflicts. -> Seen as antosicial and harmful.
  • Learnt ways of behaving are loosened after being exposed to violent media -> May be due to violence being normalised + socially acceptable and therefore justified.
    -> Consequences are minimised or ignored -> Sometimes even rewarded -> Creates new social norms
  • Things such as cartoons can promote violence
53
Q

Evaluate Disinhibition:

A
  • Berkowitz and Alioto: Participants who saw a film where aggression was used to seek vengeance = more likely to give higher + longer electric shocks to a confederate.
    -> Shows aggression is depicted as justified
    -> If aggression seen as justified, it’s seen as socially acceptable -> SLT suggests people learn behaviour through imitation of violent behaviour
54
Q

What is Cognitive Priming?

A
  • When we watch violent media, it creates a ‘script’ which we remember + are primed to respond with aggression.
  • Process is automatic
  • Scripts are triggered when we face a cue in real life that we perceive as aggressive
  • Fischer + Greitmeyer asked male participants to listen to song with lyrics that were aggressive + derogatory towards women or lyrics that were neutral
    -> Found PPT’s that heard aggressive lyrics behaved more aggressively towards a female confederate
    -> Process repeated with female participants + Similar results
55
Q

Evaluate Cognitive Priming:

A

+ Could be used to reduce aggressive reactions
-> If cause of aggression is the triggering of aggressive scripts, may be possible to challenge the hostile biases that aggressive people may hold

-> Could encourage people who watch a lot of violent media to consider alternatives such as humour of negotiation

56
Q

What is the importation model within institutional aggression?
And what are study goes alongside it?

A
  • Violence is not a product of the institution, Inmates have certain predispositions for violence.
    -> Characteristic are imported into the prison, therefore violence is a product of the individual characteristics of the inmates.
  • Beliefs, values, norms, attitudes all imported into prison environment -> Norm of prison is violence + Violence used to establish power and status to access resources. -> Prison violence is result of individual prisoners not prison environment.
  • De Lisi:
    -> 813 juvenile delinquents in confined institutions -> Brought in several negative dispositional factors -> E.g childhood trauma, irritability, High levels of anger
  • Inmates more likely to engage in suicidal activity and sexual misconduct
    -> Committed more acts of physical violence when compared to control group who had fewer negative dispositions
57
Q

Evaluate the Importation model:

A

+ Camp and Goes: 561 male inmates with similar histories + predispositions towards aggression. Half in low-security prisons, half in High-security

  • Found 33% in low-security involved in aggressive misconduct in first 2 years + 36% in high-security
    -> NOT a significant difference
    -> Shows it is the individuals not the environment.
  • Fails to take into account dispositional features like poorly managed prisons are most likely to see violent inmates = Dispositional explanation lacks validity
58
Q

What is the Deprivation Model within Institutional Aggression?

And what research is there?

A
  • Cause of prison violence = environment of the prison
    -> Harsh prison environments cause stress in inmates who resort to aggression to cope
    -> Lack of freedom, independence, safety, intimacy all features of prison environment
  • Prison regime also lead to flare ups in aggression. -> Using ‘Lock Ups’ to control behaviour frustrates inmates -> Leads to aggression
  • Steiner:
    -> data from 512 prisoners in America. -> factors that predicted inmate aggression.

Found:
- Inmate to Inmate violence more common in prisoners with:
-> More female staff
-> More African-American inmates
-> More Hispanic inmates
-> More inmates in protective custody

59
Q

Evaluate Situational Factors: (Deprivation model)

A

+ Cunningham - Analysed 35 inmate homicides in Texas prisons -> Motivations for aggression stemmed from inmates lack of ability to do things
-> Shows that aggression is linked to environment

  • Hensley - Studied 256 male and female inmates in Mississippi -> Allows Conjugal visits -> Found no link between these visits and reduced aggressive behaviour
    -> Demonstrates must be more affecting aggression than just institution as outside factor has not decreased aggression
60
Q

Why is an interactionist approach the best to understanding institutional aggression?

A
  • Importation model better for explaining violence between inmates
  • Deprivation model better for explaining violence against prison staff
  • Interactionist approach valid as prison staff only located at prisons so situation is a big factor -> E.g there won’t be aggression against prison staff in a cafe as different situation/ setting.

Psychology (10 decks)

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