Aggression Flashcards
Moral behaviour
The carrying out of an action that is deemed right or wrong.
Moral development
The process in which an individual develops the capacity to reason morally
2 perspectives on moral behaviour
-Structural-developmental
-Social learning
Structural-Developmental Perspective (Kohlberg’s 3 levels)
Kohlberg’s 3 development levels:
1. Pre-conventional morality (fear of punishment, hope of rewards)
2. Conventional morality (conform for approval)
3. Post-conventional morality (principled actions)
*Structural-developmental theorists view moral development as the change in reasoning patterns that are related to a person’s cognitive growth and development.
6 Stages of Structural-Developmental Perspective
*Development Level 1
1. Abide by rules in fear of punishment
2. abide by rules in hopes of receiving awards
*Development Level 2
3. conform to avoid disapproval of others
4. upholds laws and social rules
*Development Level 3
5. actions guided by principles commonly agreed upon as essential
6. actions are self-selected and guided by ethical principles
Social Learning Perspective
-Moral behaviour learned through reinforcement and modelling
-Participation in sport teaches ethical sporting behaviours
4 Factors Influencing Moral Behaviour
- Sport environment- Influenced by coach, what behaviours they encourage
- Motivational climate- Mastery vs. performance (mastery= coach encourages cooperation and learning from mistakes, performance= coach emphasizes winning)
- Team norms- Standards or expectations that influence behaviour
- Goal orientation- Task vs. ego orientations (task=lower aggression, ego=higher aggression)
Aggression definition
Any overt verbal or physical act that is intended to injure another living organism either psychologically or physically.
Assertive behaviour
Forceful, vigorous, and legitimate actions with no intent to injure an opponent.
Violent behaviour
An extreme act of physical aggression, with “no direct relationship to the competitive goals of sport and relates to incidents of uncontrolled aggression outside the rules of sport.”
4 Key Points of Aggressive Behaviour
- It is a behaviour, not an emotion or a feeling or a personality trait.
- It can be verbal or physical.
- It is intended to cause physical or psychological harm.
- It is directed toward another living organism.
Instrumental aggression
Aggressive acts serving as a means to a particular goal—such as winning, money, or prestige—in which intent to injure the opponent is involved. This type of act is impersonal and designed to limit the effectiveness of the opponent
Hostile aggression
Aggressive acts undertaken for the intentional purpose of trying to harm or injure the victim.
Bullying in sport
Imbalance of power between peers where the one who is more powerful repeatedly attacks the less powerful one with the intention to harm.
Hazing in sport
Any potentially humiliating, degrading, abusive, or dangerous activity expected of an individual to belong to a group, regardless of willingness to participate
5 Theories of Aggression
- Psychodynamics
- Frustration-Aggression Theory
- Physiological Explanations
- Social Learning Theory
- Moral Disengagement
Psychodynamics
-Humans are born with behavioural tendencies causing them to act in certain ways.
-Freud believed aggressive behaviour is innate (natural response).
Catharsis= purging aggression, release of built up aggression
*theory has little support today
Frustration-Aggression Theory
-Aggression is a natural response to frustration.
-Theory has shortcomings.
-Revised theory: Aggression can have causes other than frustration and frustration can lead to behaviours other than aggression.
Physiological Explanations
-Aggression is physiological in nature.
- Two supportive mechanisms:
1. Brain pathology: Research indicates aggressive behaviour is often characteristic of people with brain tumours.
2. Blood chemistry: Aggression has been linked to the hormone testosterone.
-Steroids can increase aggression in sport
Social Learning Theory
-People are aggressive because they have learned aggression pays/can lead to success
2 forms of social interaction that influence aggressive behaviours:
1. Modelling: Observing aggressive models and retaining tendencies
2. Learning: Acquiring new responses due to reinforcement
Moral Disengagement
-Individuals tend to cognitively separate the moral component from an otherwise unprincipled act in order to rationalize engaging in it.
-Extension of social learning to address moral behaviour
-Individuals refrain from behaviours that violate their moral standards
Factors affecting aggression in sport
- Personal factors
- Situational factors
- Group factors
Personal factors affecting aggression
-Gender (not significant, e.g. in hockey women tend to more psychologically aggress by taunting or provoking, but pretty equal b/t genders
-Age (older have more desire but not conclusive
-Physical size (bigger=more aggressive
-Retaliation motives
-Annoyances
-Self-presentation
-Passion/athletic identity (obsessive passion=uncontrollable urges)
Situational factors affecting aggression
-Frequency of competition
-Home advantage
-Point differentials
-Coaching behaviours
Group factors affecting aggression
-Individual’s role
-Team norms
-Collective efficacy for aggression (using it as a tactic)
-Group behaviours (teams more united in pursuit of goals, increased aggression)
Ways to reduce aggressive behaviour in sport
-Punishment and encouragement
-Educational interventions
-Behavioural modification practices
-Changes to sporting environment
-Aggressive behaviour in media: show more assertive plays and role models
