Aggression

Question 1

What are the 3 types of aggression?

Answer 1

1) Hostile = when an individual purposefully goes to injury or inflict pain on another player. It’s outside the rules and anger is usually shown eg too footed tackle
2) Instrumental = when an individual purposefully harms or injures another but not to inflict pain but to gain an advantage so anger isn’t involved eg in hockey clipping the ankles of a quick forward to slow her down instead of making her suffer
3) Assertion = plays hard but within the rules and puts in more effort than usual and there is no intention to harm to opponent eg a crunching but fair tackle in rugby or football

Question 2

Name some causes of aggression..

Answer 2

• losing
• unfair play from the officials
• team mates playing badly/not trying
• provoked by opponent or the crowd

Question 3

What are the 4 theories of aggression?

Answer 3

• Instinct theory
• Frustration-aggression hypothesis
• Aggressive cue hypothesis
• Social Learning Theory

Question 4

What is the instinct theory?

Answer 4

• We develop a natural instinct to act aggressive when provoked
• Catharsis affect states that we release aggression by acting aggressively
• Eg if you are anger in a football match, by performing a bad tackle releases the aggression

Question 5

What are the drawbacks of the instinct theory?

Answer 5

• Doesn’t consider the effects of environment or social learning on aggression
• Individuals usually experience an increase in aggression during sporting comps rather than experiencing the catharsis affect
• Different social groups experience different levels of aggression with some showing none at all but it suggests that we are all determined to behave aggressivley

Question 6

What is the frustration aggression hypothesis?

Answer 6

• Drive to a goal eg stop attacker from scoring
• Obstacle (prevents them) eg attacker is too fast
• Created frustration
• Leads to an aggressive response eg bad tackle to take them down to stop scoring
• If they get away with it, it produces the catharsis affect and their aggression is released
• But if they are punished, it leads to further frustration

Question 7

What are the drawbacks to the frustration aggression hypothesis?

Answer 7

• Doesn’t explain why performers experience aggression and frustration even when goals haven’t been blocked
• Doesn’t explain why performers who have their goals blocked and experience frustration do not react aggressively

Question 8

What is the aggressive cue hypothesis?

Answer 8

• Update of the frustration aggression hypothesis
• When the performer’s goals become blocked, their arousal levels increase and experience frustration
• This leads them to be ready for an aggressive act, rather than aggression being inevitable
• An aggressive acts will only happen if learned cues or triggers are present eg aggressive sports such as rugby are more likely to produce an aggressive response

Question 9

How does Social Learning Theory cause someone to be aggressive?

Answer 9

• Watching and learning the behavior’s off significant others
• If an aggressive acts is reinforced or is successful, it is more likely to be copied
• Eg a young rugby fan watches their idol do an illegal tackle and the crowd cheers and the opponent is prevented from scoring the try. Therefore the young player copies this behaviour
• Can also be aggressive due to socialisation eg the captain being aggressive and arguing with the ref, another player might join in to fit in with the team mates
• more likely to be copied if the role model has similar characteristics to the player
• DRAWBACK = doesn’t take into account the trait theory

Question 10

What can the player do to reduce aggression?

Answer 10

1) Cognitive techniques - mental rehearsal, negative though stopping, positive self talks, selective attention
2) Somatic techniques - relaxation techniques, deep breathing, biofeedback
3) General techniques - walk away, count to 10, displace aggressive by playing hard

Question 11

What can the coach do to help reduce aggression?

Answer 11

• Praise non-aggressive acts
• Highlight non aggressive role models
• Punish aggression eg sub/fines/cards
• Consistent application of rules
• Warn players that aggressive acts won’t be tolerated eg threat to starting 11
• Set performance goals rather than outcome goals