aggression

Question 1

definitions of aggression - these can vary

Answer 1

behaviours :
* resulting in personal injury or destruction of property
* intended to harm others (of same species)

can be psychological or physical harm

Question 2

4 methods of studying aggression

Answer 2

analogues of behaviour
signals of intention
ratings
indirect measures

Question 3

studying aggression: analogues of behaviour (2) +eval

Answer 3

bobo dolls e.g. Bandura
pressing a button to deliver a shock e.g. Milgram

• maybe not generalisable to real life

Question 4

studying aggression: signals of intention (1) +eval

Answer 4

expressing willingness to behave aggressively

• intention doesn’t mean behaviour

Question 5

studying aggression: ratings (3) +eval

Answer 5

self-report
reports by others (parent or teacher)
observations

• social desirability bias
• observation - interpret behaviour in line with prior expectations/hypotheses

Question 6

studying aggression: indirect measures (1) +eval

Answer 6

non-physical, relational / psychological aggression

• may inflate prevalence of aggression if comparing to direct/physical measures of aggression

Question 7

approaches to explanations for aggression (3, 6)

Answer 7

biological:
* psychodynamic
* evolutionary

biosocial:
* frustration and aggression
* excitation transfer

social:
*social learning

Question 8

psychodynamic explanation of aggression

Answer 8

Freud (1920)

unconscious drive → Thantos (death instinct)

instinct builds over time creating pressure which cannot be controlled and needs to be released

tension is redirected → catharsis

Question 9

evolutionary theory of aggression

Answer 9

ensures genetic survival
link to living long enough to procreate

in animals:
* e.g. males fight each other for mating rights
* e.g. females protecting young using aggression

in humans - obtain social and economic advantage to improve survival rate of children

Question 10

strengths (2) and limits (6) of biological approaches to aggression

Answer 10

strengths:
+ resonates with violence as part of human nature
+ supported compared with animal behaviour

limits:
* individual differences - some people aren’t aggressive
* gender differences
* not easily testable or measurable - only from observations
* humans aren’t only aggressive to protect children → can be targeted at them too
* doesn’t help interventions
* evolutionary is over many years - hard to measure in lab

Question 11

frustration-aggression hypothesis

Answer 11

based on catharsis hypothesis from psychodynamic approach

frustration as an antecedent to aggression:
* frustration = when individual is prevented from achieving a goal by an external factor
* aggression = cathartic release of build up of frustration

cannot always challenge source of aggression

Question 12

frustration-aggression hypothesis
define:
* sublimation
* displacement

Answer 12

sublimation = use aggression in acceptable activities e.g. sports

displacement = directing aggression onto something or someone else

Question 13

excitation transfer (Zillmann, 1979; 1988)

Answer 13

experience physiological arousal in different contexts

arousal in one context can carry over to another and can increase likelihood of aggressive behaviour

3 stages:
* stimuli produces arousal
* another stimuli occurs before decay of arousal
* therefore misattribute excitation to second stimulus

e.g. work out at the gym and get home to find someone has taken your parking spot and take out anger on them

Question 14

strengths (2) and limits (3) of biosocial approaches to aggression

Answer 14

strengths of biosocial approaches

useful opportunities for interventions to target

Marcus-Newhall et al (2000) → meta-analysis of displaced aggression → people took it out on innocent parties

limitations of biosocial approaches

frustration doesn’t always lead to aggression

some types of arousal can make us feel good which reduces aggression e.g. exercise and endorphins

participants venting by hitting a punch bag became more aggressive (Bushman et al 1999)

Question 15

social learning theory of aggression

Answer 15

Bandura (1971)

aggression can be learnt

• direct → through operant conditioning
• indirect → observational learning and vicarious reinforcement

rewarding aggression = learn it is socially acceptable

bobo doll study:
observe an adult with a doll either:
* in person
* on video
* a cartoon
* control - saw nothing

when left alone with the doll they acted most aggressive when they observed in person compared to other conditions

Question 16

strengths (2) and limits (5) of social theory of aggression

Answer 16

strengths of social theories

• how children learn aggression from others around them and the media
• empirical support from studies

limitations of social theories

• but many studies in a lab - not generalisable
• aggressive role models doesn’t mean aggressive behaviour
• does not consider individual differences
• effect of media on behaviour not consistently replicated
• boys more aggressive than girls with Bobo doll → could be hormonal or social??

Question 17

gender as a factor for aggression

Answer 17

men are more frequently aggressive than women
– is this hormonal or social

individual variation in testosterone across genders, and testosterone is only weakly related with aggression

learning gender appropriate behaviours

• physical aggression is unacceptable for women
• indirect forms of aggression may be more socially acceptable for women

therefore not amount but type differs

Question 18

2 types of aggression

Answer 18

relational aggression:
* excluding
* rumours and gossip
* manipulation

direct aggression:
* threatening
* hitting
* fighting
* name-calling

Question 19

lit review of female aggression (Denson et al., 2018)

Answer 19

overall women are more indirect (relational) than direct

in the lab this is true too - less physical aggression by women than men

this may be due to socialisation

Question 20

personality as a factor for agression (big 5 study)

Answer 20

Bartlett and Anderson (2012)

big 5 personality traits and aggression:

agreeableness:
* negative association both direct and indirect via attitudes and emotions
* more agreeable = less aggressive

neuroticism:
* positive association with physical aggression directly and indirectly via emotions
* more neurotic = more aggressive

supported my recent meta-analysis

Question 21

alcohol as a factor in aggression - direct and indirect

Answer 21

68% incidents of physical aggression have alcohol present

increases aggressive behaviour in men

direct effects:
* less cortical control - impaired cognitive function and decision making
* increases activity in primitive areas
* physiological arousal - in line with excitation transfer model

indirect effects:
* placebo effect - thinking you are having alcohol makes you more aggressive
* priming effect - thoughts of alcohol increased aggressive behaviour

Question 22

alcohol and aggression study - shock study

Answer 22

Taylor and Sears (1988)

placebo or alcohol given to men

do a competitive task involving reaction time

loser is given an electric shock by the winner - they can choose the strength

confederate applied social pressure to participant

alcohol group were more susceptible to pressure and delivered “larger shocks” (it actually remained the same)

Question 23

heat as a factor in aggression - study

Answer 23

Cohn and Rotton (1997)

hotter weather means more aggression

not linear effect of heat - dips again when it gets too hot

stronger effects in the evening - potential interaction between heat and alcohol too

Question 24

crowding as a factor in aggression

Answer 24

more dense population = higher crime rates

increased stress, irritation, frustration, and physiological arousal

anonymity in crowds:
* disinhibition → social forces that would restrain us are reduced
* deindividuation → feel unidentifiable in a crowd of others - therefore feel unlikely to face consequences e.g. in a riot

Question 25

disadvantaged groups as a factor of aggression

Answer 25

socially disadvantaged = more violent if:
* disadvantage is unjust
* cannot improve disadvantaged position

rates of homicide and non-lethal violence higher among urban, poor, ethnic minority males → social and ecological factors

relative deprivation → discontent and feeling that conditions aren’t likely to improve

Question 26

violent media as a factor in aggression

Answer 26

access to sanitised versions of aggression → desensitises viewers

social learning theory → copy acts you see

video games increasing aggression

viewing violent films increased aggression compared to non-violent films → esp when violence is unpunished

Question 27

general aggression model (GAM)

Answer 27

Anderson and Bushman (2002)

interplay between personal and situational variables

influence 3 internal states: cognition, affect, arousal

affects our appraisal and decision processes → influences aggressive outcomes

application in many contexts - media, domestic violence etc

use this to inform interventions and reduce aggression and violence

Question 28

GAM - 4 stages

Answer 28

input
persona and situation factors increase or decrease likelihood of aggression through influence on internal state variables

internal state
affect, cognition, and arousal is effected and then effect appraisal

appraisal
either thoughtful or impulsive depending on internal state

action
whether they act aggressively or not in a social encounter

Question 29

GAM with video games in undergrads study

Answer 29

Anderson et al (1995)

measure hostile affect, cognition, perceived and physiological arousal with undergrads playing video games

they increased temp in the room

found hot temps increased aggressive tendencies in all 3 internal states

excitation transfer processes may increase of bias appraisal of ambiguous social events → therefore more likely to be aggressive

Question 30

institutionalised aggression

Answer 30

aggressive behaviours by members of an institution e.g. in prisons or schools

prisoners:
* 25% victimised by violence each year
* 4-5% experience sexual violence
* 1-2% are raped

schools:
* 30% students annually experience aggression at school

Question 31

causes of institutionalised aggression

Answer 31

dispositional:
* personalities of members e.g. gender, attachment etc.

situational:
* loss of freedom, crowding, uncomfortable temperature

links to GAM and frustration-aggression hypothesis

Question 32

IPV - intimate partner violence - WHO definition

Answer 32

any behaviour within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological or sexual harm to those in the relationship, including acts of physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviours

Question 33

causes of IPV (3 categories)

Answer 33

personal/situational
biology, gender, stresses (finances, jobs, illness), alcohol consumption, football

social
social learning theory - generational cycle of abuse

biosocial
excitation transfer (football, alcohol), frustration-aggression hypothesis (stresses), GAM (personal/situational factors)

Question 33

rates of IPV

Answer 33

30% women globally over 15 have experienced physical and or sexual IPV

female perpetrated IPV occurs more in modern, secular, and liberal societies –> reflects changes in traditional gender roles/norms (societal influence)