Aggression Flashcards
Have scientists found an aggressive gene
No, research has been more focused on how the brain functions and what areas of the brain are involved in aggression.
What is one theory of aggression
A person can be aggressive because of their biological make up.
What two parts of the brain are linked to aggression, can you label them
Limbic system - upper section
Amygdala - lower section
What is the Limbic system
The emotional area of the brain, it is responsible for the emotions needed for survival, like fear and aggression.
What did people with emotional disorders sometimes have in common
Damage to the Limbic system.
What is the amygdala
A brain structure thought to be involved in aggression. It recognises emotional responses and produces aggression.
In animal studies what did removing their amygdala do?
Make the animals very calm whereas damage to the amygdala may cause increase levels of aggression
What did we learn from Charles Whitman who shot 13 people
He was convinced there was something wrong with his brain that made him more aggressive and left behind a suicide note to say he wanted them to do a brain autopsy on him. It showed that there was a tumour pressing against his amygdala. Suggesting that the amygdala might cause aggression.
Why is difficult to be able to tell if there is a direct link between the amygdala and the Limbic system and aggression.
We cannot damage human brains to see if it results in aggression because that would be unethical.
What are two strengths of the biological theory of aggression
Animal studies that have involved damage or removal of the amygdala offer evidence for its link with aggression.
Case study of David Whitman is evidence for the link with aggression.
What are two weaknesses of the biological theory
Studying the brain can be difficult and risky so there is no way of making sure areas of the brain are linked to aggression.
Animals and humans are different in many ways, so animal research suggesting a link between the brain and aggression may not be applicable to humans.
What are hormones
Chemicals produced by the human body that send signals to organs around the body via the blood stream.
What is the biological proof that makes are more aggressive than females
Boys produce more testosterone which Is a male sex organ. It is secreted by the adrenal glands and tested, it develops the male reproductive system and helps to produce make features.
Do mean and women both have testosterone
Yes but males produce 10x more
What proof is there that testosterone is linked to aggression
Animal research has shown that injecting testosterone increases levels of aggression whilst removing the testes decrease levels of aggression
Why can we not test testosterone levels in the same way as animals for humans
It is unethical
How can psychologists test humans testosterone
They can take blood from humans to see what level of testosterone they have and compare it to how aggressive they feel or act.
What have correlation studies found about the relationship between testosterone levels and questionnaire results
Between high testosterone levels and greater reported aggression on questionnaires
What is the issue with the link between aggression and testosterone
Not certain a whether testosterone causes increased aggression or if aggression causes increased testosterone.
What are 2 strengths of the theory of testosterone and aggression
In animals, there is a clear cause and effect relationship between testosterone and aggression.
Human studies show a relationship between aggression and testosterone in correlation studies.
What are 2 weaknesses of the theory of testosterone and aggression
If testosterone is the cause of aggressive behaviour, why are some women more violent than men and why aren’t all men aggressive?
This explanation of aggression completely ignores the huge impact of upbringing and social circumstances on our behaviour.
What is observational learning
The process of learning from watching others.
What is modelling
Observing, identifying with an copying the behaviour of a role model.
What is identification
A feeling of similarity with a role model that leads to the imitation of their behaviour - we believe we can be like them.
What is vicarious reinforcement
Learning through the positive consequences of other people’s actions rather than first hand - we are more likely to copy if they are rewarded.
What is another explanation for aggression
SLT
How do children learn according to SLT
Through watching other people either directly or through watching other people directly or through watching people in the media - these are role models.
How are role models chosen
Through the process of identification, people they look up to, or who are similar to themselves : same gender or older age
According to SLT when are we more likely to copy someone’s behaviour
When we observe someone being rewarded for their behaviour we are more likely to copy them, whereas if we observe somebody being punished for their behaviour we are less likely to copy it. This is vicarious reinforcement.
What was Bandura’s study and what did it show
Study of the bobo doll showed that when children observed an adult playing aggressively with the bobo doll, they copied that behaviour
What were the results of the bobo doll study
Found that if the adult was rewarded they were more likely to copy. If the adult was punished they were less likely to copy. Found that boys were more likely to copy male adults than female adults.
What are two strengths of SLT
Study is supported with evidence from Bandura’s bobo doll studies because he showed that children’s copy behaviour.
There are many real life aggressive incidents that have been linked to to and video games.
What are two weaknesses of SLT
Not all children who observe aggressive behaviour copy it. But Bandura’s study was a lab experiment this means it’s not valid.
It may be that aggressive children watch aggressive TV rather than the other way round.
Compare SLT and the biological theory of aggression about their explanation on why we are aggressive
B- sees aggression as something that comes from our body, something we are born with.
SLT- believes that we learn aggression from the people around us.
Compare the SLT and the biological theory of aggression for the explanation of why we can be motivated to be aggressive
SLT says we are motivated to be aggressive through vicarious learning from observing other people whereas in the biological theory it says we are driven to be aggressive through the levels of testosterone in our body or damage to the amygdala.
How are SLT and the biological theory similar
They are both difficult to study. We cannot opens people’s brains to study the amygdalas, and we cannot easily test the effects of observational learning over a long period of time.
They are both difficult to test due to ethical reasons of testing on people.
They have both be criticised as it may be that the reverse of each theory might be true.
What was the aim of resmierez’s study
Wanted to investigate whether aggression varied between cultures. They were also interested in the different aggression levels between males and females.
What was the procedure for Ramirez’s study
400 psychology students who volunteered to participate. Half were at university in Japan and the half in Spain. All students were asked to complete a questionnaire that measured different types of aggression: verbal, physical, anger and hostility. Questionnaires included likert questions, where participants had to say to what extent they agreed with the question.
What were the findings of Ramirez’s study
Found that Japanese students showed more physical aggression than Spanish students. Spanish students showed more verbal aggression and anger than Japanese. Males showed more physical and verbal aggression and hostility than females in both cultures. Males and females in both cultures shows the same level of anger.
What was the conclusion of Ramirez’s study
concluded that despite the stereotype of Japanese culture being shy and not showing emotion, they were more physically aggressive than Spanish. The findings that Spanish students are more verbally aggressive is consistent with the stereotype of spaniards being expressive. Study supports previous theories that makes are more aggressive than females.
What are two strengths of Ramirez’s study
The questions produced quanta tube data so cannot be interpreted differently by researchers.
All students had volunteered and were fully aware that the results would be published. It was an ethical study.
What were two weaknesses of Ramirez’s study
Some questionnaires are critiques because the answers can be interpreted in such a way that they meet the expectations of the researcher.
All participants were psychology students- they may have guessed the aim of the study and answered questions in a socially desirable way.
What is content analysis
A research method used to measure the number of times something comes up in a book newspaper article television programme ect.
What is a tally
A single mark on a chart to show that a behaviour/category has been found during content analysis.
What does unrepresentative mean
Limited so that it might not apply to everyone.
What does reliability mean
Refers to whether findings from a study would be found again if the study was repeated.
If researchers wanted to use content analysis to see how much aggression occurred on TV how would they do it?
- Decide what aggressive behaviour is
- Develop a list of behaviours that could be measured as aggressive.
- Decide on the sample they need to study, times of day
- Tally the times aggression occurred
- Asses the reliability of their results.
- Add up total number of aggressive acts to assess how aggressive it was.
What needs to be considered when using content analysis
List of behaviours need to be a good example of what is being measured.
Must look at a good sample of media at different times of the day.
a researcher might record a tally which another researcher wouldn’t find as that behaviour. Each researcher has their own views meaning the study might not be reliable.
In content analysis what is a poor sample
The study’s findings will be unrepresentative, the programmes in the sample cannot be said to be similar to all TV programming or media forms being analyses
How could you overcome the difficulty with content analysis of having different opinions of what certain behaviour is represented by
By getting two or more researchers to do the same study. Everyone’s results can be compared and only those that are agreed upon are used as results.
Name 6 ethical guidelines
Informed Consent Right to withdraw Deception Debrief Competence Protection of participants
What is informed consent as an ethical guideline
Participants show give their consent to taking part in a study, and if possible psychologists should try to inform participants about the nature and aim of the study.
What is right to withdraw as an ethical guideline
Participants should be able to withdraw their consent at any point of the study. If they feel stressed, distressed or embarrassed they should be able to leave the study so they are not harmed.
What is deception as an ethical guideline
Participants should not be lied to unless it is absolutely necessary, as it can make them feel humiliated when they eventually find out.
What is debriefing as an ethical guideline
Participants should be told the real aim of the study when it is over. This is to ensure that are left in the same state as when they started.
What is competence as an ethical guideline
A researcher must be qualified to conduct a study and if charted they need approval from the BPS.
What is protection of participants as an ethical guideline
Participants of psychological research should not experience any physical or psychological harm psychologists have to consider the rights and welfare of the participants and weigh this up against the benefited or gains of the research.
Name some steps psychologists can take to make sure they protect their participants in a study
Before research is carried out they should make sure that all the risk of harm has been identified and musicians where possible.
Researchers should inform participants where possible about risks involved.
Participants should always be given the right to withdraw.
What is the independent and dependent variable
IV = the factor which is changed by the researcher in an experiment to make two or more conditions. DV = the factor which is measured in an experiment.
What is the aim of Anderson and dills study
They wanted to see whether people who played violent video games become aggressive.
What is the IV and DV of Anderson and dills study
IV = the type of video game played, conditions= non violent and violent. DV = level of aggression shown after playing the video game.
What is the procedure of Anderson and dills study
Participants were told the study was about the development of motor skills so they would not know the true aims. They were instructed to play a competitive game against their opponents and the winner would give out a punishment of a loud noise - they could chose how loud the noise was. The experimenter measured how loud and long a punishment each participant have to their opponent.
What were the findings of Anderson and dills study
The longest and loudest punishments were given by the participants who played the violent video game. Women gave larger punishments than men.
What was the conclusion of Anderson and dills study
Playing violent video games affected the level of aggression. Video games made the participants think in an aggressive way. Long term use of violent video games could result in a permanent change to aggressive though patterns.
Name two strengths of Anderson and dills study
It was a lab experiment so researchers had a lot of control over participants and their experiences. Made sure all participants received the same instructions and procedure.
Findings of the study have useful applications in the real world. Proves that we are right to have age restrictions on video games.
What are two weaknesses of Anderson and dills study
Even though participants were told this was a study about motor skills, they may have guessed the aim of the study anyway.
People normally play bio doe games at home, for the study they were in cubicles and knew they were being watched. So it was not a very realistic study and participants may not have acted naturally.
What is a natural experiment
An experiment where the independent variable is naturally occurring and not set up by the researchers.
What is the aim of Charltons: St. Helena study
To investigate the effects of television on children’s behaviour.
What was the IV and DV for Charltons: St. Helena study and what was the type of experiment
Natural experiment
IV = television before and after its introduction
DV= the children’s behaviour on the island
What was the procedure Charltons: St. Helena study
He collected data using different methods: Using questionnaires and asking parents and teachers to find out about children’s behaviour.
Observations of the children’s behaviour were made in playground, particularly the level of aggression.
They content analysed what and how much the children watched on TV.
Video cameras were placed in the school playgrounds to watch children’s aggression.
What were the findings of Charltons: St. Helena study
He found very little difference in children’s behaviour before and free the introduction of TV. The island had a very low rate of behavioural problems with children before the study and this did not significantly increase because of TV. Because he population of St Helena is so small and parents have a high control over their children’s behaviour, the effect of TV seems to have reduced.
What was the conclusion of Charltons: St. Helena study
TV did not have a significant impact on the children’s behaviour. Even if violence was watched it was not copied.
What were two strengths of Charltons: St. Helena study
It’s a natural experiment, which means it has a greater realism than a lab or field experiment because the researcher does not set up the situation.
Discreet cameras were used so children would have acted naturally because they did not know they were being watched.
What were two weaknesses of Charltons: St. Helena study
Because of the close nature of the community it might be that the children were more aggressive after watching TV but that parents and teachers were unwilling to report it because of the negative view researchers would have of the island.
Other psychologists have reported that the programmes watched were less violent than the programmes watched by mainland children.
What was the aim of Williams study
Wanted to measure children’s behaviour before and after TV had been introduced to the town and also to compare the children’s behaviour with that of other towns that did have TV.
What was the IV, DV of Williams study and what type of experiment was it.
Natural experiment
DV= the children’s behaviour
IV= TV before and after its introduction
What range of behaviours did Williams study measure
Aggression of children in the playground and classroom.
Leisure activities the community were involved in.
Intelligence level of children.
Creativity and reading ability of children.
What was the procedure of Williams study.
Two observers watched children in the playground and classrooms but they didn’t start recording until the children were used to their presence, to make sure the children didn’t behave differently. They measured the no. Of physically aggressive and verbally aggressive acts.
In Williams study what did he call the three towns
Called the town Notel and also studied two neighbouring towns with a similar population and economy- Unitel and multitel. All three towns were studied before TV was introduced in Notel and for two years after.
What were the findings of Williams study
The children were twice as aggressive after TV was introduced to Notel.
Children began to see increased gender differences between boys and girls after watching TV. Children became less creative. IQ scores dropped slightly after the introduction of TV. Although aggression increases in all 3 towns, but Notel increased the most.
What was the conclusion of Williams study
Notel showed increased level of aggression because of the introduction of TV. TV also reduced time spent on leisure activities, lowered creativity and intelligence slightly.
What are two strengths of Williams study
Conducted in a real place and TV was introduced naturally, greater realism than other experiments.
Same children were followed over a 2 year period, their behaviour before and after could be directly observed.
What were two weaknesses of Williams study.
Researchers did not control what or how much TV the children watched, or the adult supervision and control of viewing.
Observations might be biased because the researchers see what they want to see. They might have reported higher levels of aggression because they expected it to happen after children started to watch TV.
Name 4 similarities between Charlton and Williams studies.
Both were natural experiments. Both conducted in real life communities.
Both conducted observations to measure the amount of aggression displayed.
Both used questionnaires to ask teachers and parents about their children’s behaviour and viewing habitats.
Name 4 differences between charlton and Williams study
St Helena was so remote that it had developed a unique culture of parental control. Notel was not unique in this way as it was a mainland town.
On St Helena most people knew each other, Notel was a normal town where not everyone knew each other.
Notel had access to popular culture, whereas St Helena didn’t.
Adults in St Helena may have been reluctant to admit their children were acting aggressive, the same reluctance would be unlikely of a mainland town.
What can you conclude from the charlton and Williams study
Children are affected by watching TV. But parents and community can lessen the influence of TV by controlling what their children watch and how they behave. Living in smaller neighbourhoods with a strong community helps. However friendship groups, biological factors and triggers in environment can also play a part in aggression.
What is emphatic listening
A way of listening to another person so that there is real understanding. It also involves responding in a way that shows you have listened.
Name the features of a educational psychologists job
Legal assessments with children with special needs - to ensure their needs are met - children and parents are involved. Consultations with various schools they are attached to, talk to teachers ect. Carry out individual assessments and tests. Communicate with child. Plan intervention.
Who can an educational psychologist work with
The local education authority.
Private schools.
Or themselves - self employed.
What skills are needed to be an educational psychologist
Communication skills and emphatic listening, to be able to talk with a range of people.
What qualifications are needed to become an educational psychologist
Degree in psychology, experience in education, a doctorate in educational psychology.
How does an educational psychologist achieve a charted status
They must prove they are continuing professional development - doing courses to keep up to date in their area of specialism.
How would an educational psychologist help a child with anger management
The ed psych will observe the child in classrooms to watch what triggers the child’s behaviour. The teacher is also asked to observe. The aim is to find out what causes the anger and how to identify an incident before it happens. Ed psych needs to gather as much info as possible. Parents are invited in to discuss the issues and the ed psych will view child’s behaviour at home too. Parents are asked questions to see if the child might have modelled someone’s behaviour. Ed psych will talk to the child to see if they can get to the bottom of the problem.
Why would an educational psychologist help a teacher to deal with a difficult child.
So that the teachers can identify when an incident is going to happen so that they can stop the incident before it happens. Teachers can then react appropriately.
Why is it good for a child to talk to an educational psychologist
The child can learn what feelings and emotions come before an outburst and be taught techniques to calm down or relax, breathing exercises to bring them down.
What is the watershed
When applied to TV programming it is the 9pm deadline before which programmes that contain certain levels of violence and/or sex cannot be broadcast.
What is censorship
Preventing information from being circulated in some way.
What is moral censorship
Deciding what’s retail is suitable for broadcasting or publishing and what material is not considered moral or suitable.
What is authoritarian
A style of government where society’s members have little input and have to accept the government’s decisions.
What is paternalistic
A style of government where it’s decisions are made for the good of everybody else. This rests on the idea of th head of the household knowing what is best for everybody else in that household.
What is the role of the watershed
To protect young children from viewing unsuitable material.
What are 2 arguments for censorship and the watershed
Censorship protects children from acts hey aren’t ready to see.
Studies show the majority of people are in favour of the watershed.
What 2 arguments against the watershed and censorship
Takes away freedom to choose, restricts freedom of speech, took of government control.
Might not be necessary as there are fewer violent and sexual acts on British TV anyway.
