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Aggression Flashcards

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1
Q

Name and outline the two types of aggression

A

-Proactive aggression: cold blooded, aggression is planned to achieve a desired outcome
-Reactive aggression: warm blooded, impulsive aggression with physiological arousal

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2
Q

What is aggression

A

Behaviour that is intended to harm another individual who does not wish to be harmed

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3
Q

What is the limbic system

A

-Maclean defined the limbic system as the hypothalamus amygdala and the hippocampus
-Reactivity of amygdala linked to how aggressive someone is
-a benzodiazepine drug which decreases the activity of the amygdala found to be effective in reducing aggression
-other structures regulating emotional behaviour

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4
Q

What is seratonin

A

A neurotransmitter with widespread inhibitory effects throughout the brain. it has a key role in aggressive behaviour

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5
Q

What is the role of the orbitofrontal cortex and seratonin as a neural mechanism in aggression

A

-Seratonin slows down and calms neuronal activity
-Normal levels of seratonin in the orbitofrontal cortex associated with fewer neutron firing so greater self control
-decreasing levels of seratonin associated with an increased impulsive aggression
-Violent offenders found to have lower seratonin levels then control group

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6
Q

What is the role of testosterone as a hormonal mechanism in aggression

A

-Hormone from the androgen gland produced mainly in the male testes (smaller amounts in ovaries)
-aggression highest when testosterone levels are the highest

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7
Q

What is the role of the prefrontal cortex and aggression

A

-Prefrontla cortex linked to regulation of emotions so inactivity will cause higher levels of aggression
-Phineas gage who had his prefrontal cortex damaged by an iron rod shown to be aggressive frequently getting into fights

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8
Q

What is the role of progesterone and aggression

A

-Lowest levels of progesterone just after menstruation
-Low levels of progesterone linked to increased aggression in women

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9
Q

Evaluate the role of hormonal mechanisms in aggression

A

-Animal research as a researcher found that monkeys who had an increase in testosterone from mating season were most aggressive COUNTERPOINT: lacks genersability to humans
-Cortisol levels may is also be involved in aggression: dual hormone hypothesis

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10
Q

what is the role of twin studies and aggression

A

-Researchers found concordance rates of 50% for MZ twins and 19% for DVs
-Verbal aggression 28% MZs and 7% DVs

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11
Q

What is the role of adoption studies and genetic factors of aggression

A

-Meta analysis of adoption studies found that genetic influences accounted for 41% of variance in aggression

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12
Q

What is the role of the MAOA gene

A

-Regulates seratonin
-MAOA-L linked with high levels of aggression as it cannot regulate seratonin
-Dutch family studies showed that men from the family involved in aggressive violent criminal behaviour had the MAOA-L variant

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13
Q

What is the role of gene environment interactions

A

-MAOA L gene activity only related to adult aggression when combined with early traumatic life experiences

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14
Q

Evaluate the role of genetic factors in aggression

A

-Several lines of evidence point to genes as a direct causes of aggression shown by twin and adoption studies COUNTERPOINT: considerably undervalued the role of non genetic factors
-Twin studies lack valid duty as they both share the same environment as MZ twins so there may not be as large of a genetic influence from twin studies
-Ignores the roles of female aggression so possible gender bias

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15
Q

What is the ethological explanation of aggression

A

-Aggression is adaptive
-Aggression benefits the survival of a species because a defeated animal is rarely killed but is forced to find territory elsewhere
-In social animals aggression established dominance hierarchies such as in male chimpanzees

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16
Q

What is ritualistic aggression

A

Appeasement displays by loser inhibit physical damage from victor, adaptive for the survival of species

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17
Q

What are innate releasing mechanisms

A

A biological structure or process which is activated by an external stimulus that in turn triggers a fixed action pattern

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18
Q

What is a fixed action pattern

A

-A sequence of steryotypes preprogrammed behaviours triggered by an innate releasing mechanism

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19
Q

Outline the six features of fixed action patterns

A

-Stereotyped or unchanging sequences of behaviours
-Universal because the same behaviour is found in every individual of the species
-Unaffected by learning as the same for every single every individual regardless of experience
-Ballistic as once the behaviour is triggered it follows an inevitable course and cannot be altered before it’s completed
-Single purpose the behaviour only occurs in a specific situation and not in any other
-A response to identifiable specific with stimulus or releaser

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20
Q

What is tinbergens research

A

-Male sticklebacks are highly territorial during mating season and develop a red spot on underbelly
-If another male enters their territory a FAP is triggered
-Tinbergen found that regardless of shape if the model had a red spot the stickleback would attack no matter the realism

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21
Q

Evaluate the ethological explanation to aggression

A

-Evidence against aggression being too the ritualistic: Psychopaths are capable of pre mediated and cold blooded violence which is not triggered by IRMs or FAP suggesting ethological explanation is incomplete
-Research support as twin and adoption studies showed that there is a significant basis of genetics on aggression therefore ethological approach is correct in claiming aggression is genetically determined COUNTERPOINT: twin and adoption studies ignore the role of enviromental factors
-Does not explain cultural differences as killings are far more common in southern states then northern states suggesting it is not evolutionary

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22
Q

What is the evolutionary explanation of sexual jealousy

A

Sexual jealousy is greater in men because it evolved as a defence against cuckoldry driving aggressive strategies to retain mates mainly nate retention strategies

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23
Q

What are mate retention strategies

A

-Direct guarding and negative inducements
-Physical violence against partner which is more likely when men use mate retention strategies

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24
Q

Outline the evolutionary explanation of bullying

A

-Adaptive for bullies increasing reproductive success
-Different in men and women

25
Q

What is male bullying

A

-Adaptive
-Signals desireable characteristics for females eg dominance
-Improves bully’s health

26
Q

What is female bullying

A

-Adaptive
-Secures partners fidelity and resources for offspring

27
Q

Evaluate the evolutionary explanation of aggression

A

-Gender differences: women using physical aggression risks offspring survival so use of verbal aggression is better to retain resources from a partner
-Cultural differences: !Kung San people in africa had very negative attitudes towards depression discouraged in childhood COUNTERPOINT: !kung san people despite this have a abnormally high homocide rate so observer may be biased limiting the validity
-Evolutionary argument is biologically determinists which is an issue for the justice system as it provide an alibi for violent crimes

28
Q

What is the original frustration aggression hypothesis

A

If a goal is blocked this creates distracting which is relieved by aggression which may be displaced onto an innocent target, a cathartic experience

29
Q

What is the weapon effect

A

-Fustration alone may not be enough
-Students given electric shocks (fustation) gave stronger (fake) electric shocks to confederate when guns present (Berloeitz and Lapage)

30
Q

Outline a study on frustration aggression

A

-Students doing jigsaw that was impossible or confederate annoyed or insulted them
-Most frustrated students have strongest electric shocks (Geen)

31
Q

Evaluate the frustration aggression hypothesis

A

-Meta analysis showed aggression is displaced against weaker and more available targets
-Fustration does not always lead to aggression, aggression can occur without fustration (not automatic)
-People who hit a punchbag became more aggressive not less even doing nothing reduced aggression more than venting

32
Q

What is social learning theory

A

-A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors
-Operant conditioning is direct and observational learning is indirect
-Children learn that aggression is effective when they observe models being rewarded for behaving aggressively

33
Q

What are the cognitive conditions for learning in SLT

A

-Attention
-Retention
-Reproduction
-Motivation

34
Q

What is self efficacy

A

-Aggression successful in the past therefore expect it to continue to be rewarding

35
Q

Outline banduras research

A

-Young children observed adult model with bobo doll
-Very close imitation of models aggression
-boys more likely to imitate physical aggression of same sex model

36
Q

Evaluate social learning theory as an explanation of agression

A

-Real world application in reducing aggression through friendships with children rewarded for non aggression and media characters
-Bandura recognised biology but SLT emphasises nurture and underplays genetic and hormonal influences
-SLT is enviromentally determinist

37
Q

How does crowd behaviour change in relation to aggression

A

-Losd of self identify and responsibility in crowd ignoring social norms against aggression

38
Q

What is de individuation

A

A psychological state in which an individual loses their personal identity and takes on the identity of a social group when for example in a crowd or wearing a uniform. The result may be decreased concern about the evaluation of others

39
Q

What does de individuation result in

A

Private and public self awareness teduced in crowds eg less attention to own feelings and less affountable for aggressive acts

40
Q

Outline a study on de individuation

A

-200 students to list what they would do if they never could be found out
-36% responses were antisocial
-26% criminal acts
-9% pro social

41
Q

Evaluate de individuation as an explanation of aggression

A

-Research on de individuation suffers due to demand characteristics
-Undervalues the importance of biological factors on aggression
-Most aggressive messages posted online by people hiding identities

42
Q

What is institutional aggression

A

Aggressive or violent behaviour that takes place within the social context of a prison or or their formal organised setting

43
Q

What is the dispositional explanation to aggression in prisons

A

-An explanation of behaviour that highlights the importance of the individuals personality
-Contrasts with the situational explanation
-Created the importation model

44
Q

What is the situational explanation for aggression within prisons

A

-Identifies the causes of behaviour as existing within the environment which may include other people
-Contrasted with dospositional explanations
-Created the deprivation model

45
Q

What is the importation model

A

-Prisoners bring their criminal attitudes and aggressive behaviours into the prison
-They would be aggressive in any situation
-Offenders imprinted negative characteristics like trauma and anger into prisons the more likely they are to be physically aggressive
-The dispositional explanation

46
Q

Evaluate the dispositional explanation for aggression within prisons

A

-Research support: No difference between high and low security prisons, 33% aggressive versus 36%
-Ignores key factors on how prisons are run such as weak leadership and unofficial rules that effect aggression

47
Q

What is the deprivation model

A

-Aggression is caused by psychological (freedom) and physical (goods) deprivation worst with unpredictable regimes
-Situational explanation

48
Q

Evaluate the situational explanation to aggression in prisons

A

-Real world evidence in the development of norwegian prisons followed a significant reduction in the number of aggressive cases
-Contradictory research as a study of mississippi prisons conjugal visits not linked to reduced aggression

49
Q

What is the effect of excessive TV viewing on aggression

A

Time watching TV in childhood reliably predicts aggressive adult criminal convictions (Robertson et al)

50
Q

What is the effect of violent film content

A

Children closely imitated filmed adult models beating Bobo doll, social learning (Bandura et al)

51
Q

Outline a study on the strength of TV and film on aggression

A

Post uu eve correlation but only 1-10% variance in children’s aggrsssion due to media

52
Q

Outline two studies on the effects of computer games

A

-Lab experiments: white noise volumes higher after playing violent computer game
-Correlational studies: Positive correlation between time spent playing violent games and aggression making a serious public health issue

53
Q

Evaluate the research on the effects of TV and computer on aggression

A

-Defining aggression difficult as white noise not a true reflection of aggressive behaviour
-Confounding variables in that the person may already be aggressive and it is not the media causing them to be
-Lab studies well controlled COUNTERPOINT: lacks generisability to the real world

54
Q

What is desensitisation

A

Repeatedly viewing or playing violent media leads to reduced arousal less empathy and acceptance of violence

55
Q

Evaluate desensitisation

A

-Krahe et al shoes participants non violent and violent films and found that those who watched violent film clips gave louder bursts of white noise to a confederate without being provoked
-Study however failed to linked media viewer to provoked aggression therefore making it an incomplete explanation

56
Q

What is disinhibition

A

Learned social inhibitions against aggression loosened by repressed exposure to rewarded violent media creating new social norms

57
Q

Evaluate disinhibition

A

-Research support as film shows aggression as fentanyl leading to more shocks given
-Cartoon violence leads to aggression becoming socially normative if unpunished

58
Q

What is cognitive priming

A

Exposure to violent media provides a script stored in memory triggered when we perceive aggressive cues eg song lyrics

59
Q

Evaluate cognitive priming

A

-Real world application in providing researchers the ability to challenge the hostile cognitive biases in patients
-Confounding variables in research as priming in violent video games is complex therefore the studies may be at risk of confounding variables

psychology (12 decks)

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