Aggression

Question 1

2 determinants of categories:
1) person centred
2) situation centred
disinhibition ?

Answer 1

1= characteristics of aggressor
2= situation and how it can provoke agg
process by which people ignore societal norms of non-violence

Question 2

Evolutionary approach

Theory of aggression

Answer 2

social behaviour has evolved -> exists to ensure genes survive eg.males fighting for food, to gain social and economic adv.
limitation = hard to test due to timescale
= to protect ourselves isn’t only function of agg

Question 3

Cathartic approach

Theory of aggression

Answer 3

psychodynamic theory
People have 2 opposing innate instincts:
1)eros = instinct for life
2) thanatos = instinct for death
build up of tensions in body needs to be released
Dollard - aggression results from frustartion at a particular event or person. If we can’t take aggression out on target = redirect it
(frustration-aggression hypothsis)

Question 4

The social approach

Theory of aggression

Answer 4

context in which we exist can explain aggressive behaviour

-focuses on how evolutionary and cathartic contributors can be shaped by social envrionment

Question 5

Cognitive Neoassociationalist Model (Berkowitz)

Theory of aggression

Answer 5

takes into account environmental conditions/cues that are generated by a frustrating situation (classical conditioning)
-any person or object can be a cue if it has been linked repeatedly with anger in the past
Berkowitz and LePage study - weapon in room (situational cue) or no weapon. P’s asked to return shocks given to them after talk. Weapon in room = more shocks given
(weapon acted as an aggressive situational cue = the weapons effect)

Question 6

The excitation-transfer model

Theory of aggression

Answer 6

non-specific arousal can inadvertently influence agg
physiological reactions we get from anger, attraction, exhileration are all similar and we differentiate with labels depending on external cues
arousal in one situation can carry over to a completely different situation = residual arousal

Question 7

Learning theories of aggression

Theory of aggression

Answer 7

operant conditioning (skinner) - stimulus-response pattern positively reinforced = link strengthend
social learning theory (Bandura) - ‘observational learning’ or ‘modelling’
people decide whether to be aggresive based on their previous direct/indirect experience of success with agg
Coyne et al conducted study and found:
physical and relational agg groups showed more physical and relational agg showing ‘cross-over’ effect
limitations = individual diffs not accounted for
= effects haven’t been replicated in other studies

Question 8

Gender Differences
(person-centred determinants of aggression)

hormone associated?

gender socialisation causes men and women to use more of which type of agg?
(diffrerent for each gender)

men use aggression to realise 3 goals?

women view it as? (2 things)

Answer 8

men more likely to engage in physical aggression(due to higher testosterone levels)
hormones aren’t the full explanation, some social influences
- gender socialisation - males and females treated differently
we learn gender appropriate behaviours (if aggression is down to socialisation, should see diff types of agg)
Study found:
males higher physical agg
women higher indirect agg
both same level of verbal agg
-men view agg as instrument to realise goals eg
1)exert power
2)maintaining power
3)achieving positive self-esteem
Women view it as:
1)negative 2)anti-social

Question 9

Personality
(person-centred determinants of aggression)
traits consistent with aggression?
2 types of personality?

self esteem links?

Answer 9

traits consistent with aggression:
irritability, rumination, emotional susceptibility
Also, a link between aggression and agreeableness
low agreeableness, high self-interest,irritability and rude = high direct and indirect aggression.
Type A personality: (Friedman et al)
ambition, high-achieving, perfectionist, competitive (high risk of CHD)
Type B personality:
relaxed, uncompetitive and creatice
Self-Esteem: low= high agg - we aggress to try and boost SE
high = high agg- feeling little guilt about treating peopl badly. Also, more confident in use of agg (ego threatened = increase agg)

Question 10

Alcohol
(person-centred determinants of aggression)
alcohol expectancy theory?

Answer 10

different degrees of consumption can cause individual differences
high alcohol and drug use = high agg
blood alcohol conc study found:
as blood alcohol conc increased = increased agg/ higher shock (due to: excitement, stimulation)
as it decreased = less agg, feeling relaxed and fatigued
why alcohol increase agg?
increases physiological arousal and impairment in neuropsychological function (diminished self-awareness and rely on automatic responses)
Alcohol expectancy theory:
people blame alcohol rather than the individual= people may become more aggressive as they know they can blame the alcohol
–placebo effect showed people who thought they had consumed alcohol were more aggressive

Question 11

Physical environment: Temperature

situation-centred determinant of aggression

Answer 11

high temp= high agg because heat leads to physiological arousal, irritation and discomfort

• curvilinear relationship found: above 24c=no.of assaults decreases(energy drained by heat)
• relationship is stronger in the evening
• heat doesn’t affect all types of agg- likely to be stronger for affective agg(purpose to cause harm)
• priming people with hot words, resulted in them answering word-stem completion tasks with more aggressive words
  limitation: doesn’t focus on actual aggression

Question 12

Physical environment: Crowding

situation-centred determinant of aggression

Answer 12

high density of people = aggression (again due to increase in physiological arousal, stress, irritation)so, threshold for aggression outburst lowered

• deindividuation
• in prisons crowding = increase arousal
• reciprocity principle - people more likely to behave aggressive if they feel provoked

Question 13

Physical environment: Noise

situation-centred determinant of aggression

Answer 13

presence of unwanted sound = increase physiological arousal and stress
-social disadvantage = SD groups may react in society by being aggressive. depends on sense of relative deprivation = unjustly disadvantaged and believe they can’t improve position = become aggressive

Question 14

Cultural influences
(situation-centred determinant of aggression)
culture of honour?
minority groups with a mainstream culture?

Answer 14

USA - northern states = less violent than southern (historically southern states had assets more vulnerable to theft = protective)
‘culture of honour’ - general set of norms or values that are associated with higher levels of aggression in certain regions
minority groups with a mainstream culture can show increased agg –> may see agg as way to improve status and power = ‘subculture of violence’

Question 15

Disinhibition

Answer 15

weakening of normative constraints which usually leads to avoidance of aggressive behaviour

Question 16

Deindividuation

Answer 16

in a group = less likely to see self as idiosyncratic individual (less identifiable and less accountable)

Question 17

Collective aggression

Answer 17

act of aggression commited by a group regardless of whether individuals know each other or not
Crowd baiting - Mann 98
further away crowd were and darker = more baiting due to being more anonymous
also warm weather increased likelihood

Question 18

Emergent norm theory

Answer 18

(against deindividuation) people behave aggressively in group due to adhering to group norm of aggression in a particular circumstance

Question 19

Domestic violence
define
factors
most likely to commit offence
victims of abuse

Answer 19

only 40.2% cases reported to police
= a verbal or physical aggression towards any member of family
-people more likely to be killed by own family(due to more time spent together, more self-disclosure)
factors: stress, alcohol
victims of abuse = more likely to aggress against family member = cycle of abuse

Question 20

Sexual Harrassment
define
how many victims are women
why do men do it?
consequences for victim?
factors that predict it?

Answer 20

form of sex discrimination = unwelcome verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe or pervasive + affects working conditions or creates a hostile environment
40-50% women victim
men thought to do it to exercise control
consequences for victim: emotional and physical damage. can limit career/finance
Factors that predict it:
media - stereotype application eg women in media promiscuous = assume all women are
video games - increase mens tolerance to sexual harrassment

Question 21

Sexual Aggression
2 factors that increases likelihood?
what is the rape myth?
What is ‘token resistance’?

Answer 21

1 factor = pornographic material = increase tolerance for sexual aggression (can also increase actual violence)
why??
rape myth = inaccurate belief women secretly enjoy being sexually assaulted
2nd factor: role of women compared to men in society(particularly for acquaintance rape)
men applauded for sexual promiscuity, women aren’t
(double standard may lead women to engage in ‘token resistance’ = saying no, but meaning yes) –> this can be dangerous as it can confirm rape myth for men

Question 22

Terrorism

5 stages?

Answer 22

staircase to terrorism: psychological model to explain how and why certain individuals come to commit such atrocities (narrowing staircase leading to terror act)
Stages:
0- perceptions of relative deprivation = believe not receiving benefits and perceive injustice in social groups
1 - perceptions of procedural injustice = search for solution, believe they can’t voice their own opinion
2 - displacement of aggression = can’t publicly voice opinion so displace aggression
3- adoption of an alternative moral code = recruited into terrorist organisation martyring for just goal (emergent norm theory - adhere to group)
4 - categorical thinking and perceived legitimacy
become part of a smaller cell and highlight them and us groups
5 - terrorist act = 2 mechanisms operate:
1)civilians categorised as outgroup
2) psychological distance exaggerated between them and us
(only by changing conditions on ground floor can they be stopped)