Aggression Flashcards
What is aggression?
Intent to harm, injure another living being
who is motivated to avoid such treatment.
- hurt, destroy somebody or yourself
What are the types of aggression
- Direct aggression (e.g. hitting)
- Out-group hostile - Indirect Aggression
-intention but no direct consequence
(e.g. refusing to help in an emergency - showing kind of aggression)
-In-group Favoritism - Hostile aggression (e.g. bloddy nose =physical harm)
- instrumental aggression ( passive aggression; superordinate goal, manipulation threat)
- Proactive aggression
(e.g before you hit us, we will hit you) - Reactive aggression
-reaction respond
-self-defend
-legitimate
(Hostile +Instrumental)
Classes of Explanations for aggression
- Biological
- Evolutionary
- Social Explanation
Biological Explanation of aggression
- nature-nurture controversy
- innate action tendency
aggression as an instinct
- pattern of response that is predetermined genetically
- driven by impulse
Characteristics of an instinct
- Goal-directed = has a specific consequence (e.g. attack)
- beneficial= for the individual and the whole species
- adapted= to a normal environment
- shared = by all members of the species
- Developed= clear way as the individual matures
- unlearned= made out of personal experience
nature-nurture controversy
discussion if some behavior is learned by environmental factors or genetically predetermined
Psychodynamic self theory
- Freud aggression builds up naturally through bodily tension - self-destruction - redirection to someone else - need for release = one factor theory - innate death instinct (Thanatos)
Ethnology
study of instincts of a species in its natural social environment
(how people act in their natural environment)
What is Ethnology about?
- behavior is genetically determined
- control through natural selection
- aggression triggered by environmental factor = releaser
- survival value
releasers
specific stimuli in the environment that triggers aggressive behavior
Two factor- conditional theory
- innate urge to aggress
2. response depends on environmental stimulus (releasers )
Evolutionary social psychology
complex social behavior = adaptive + function to help individuals, kin and the whole species to survive
-innate basis of aggression
= all social behavior has an biological basis
-Darwinian theory: “survival of the fittest” transferring genes
Biosocial explanation
emphasis on innate component of behavior but not a fully instinct that influences the behavior
Frustration-aggression hypothesis
all frustration leads to aggression
all aggression comes from frustration
Problem with Frustration aggression hypothesis
- what is really frustration
2. what kind of frustration does really lead to aggression
Excitation-transfer model
- mostly that you transfer any produced emotional arousal (i.e. aggression) by an experience to another situation (gym - parking space)
Function of aggression expression =
- learnt aggressive behavior
- arousal from another source
- interpretation of the arousal state (appropriate)
- arousal can transfer from a previous situation to another that can trigger aggression (if you tend to be more aggressive) +
- lossing control over the arousal
Social learning theory (Bandura)
human social behavior can be learned from appropriate models
- not innate
- learning form direct experience
- learning from vicarious experience
- learning by modeling
Process of social learning
- Acquiring behavior patterns
- practicing the behavior in public
- keeping the behavior in long term
learning by direct experience
reward and punishment for a specific behavior
-learning through socialization
- reward =higher likelihood that you will do the behavior again
- modelling and imitation
Learning by modeling
- you act and behave like your role model = observational learning
- aggressive models = leads to imitation of behavior
- learning a script (cognitive schema)
- result: internalizing aggressive behavior
Is it possible to modify or remove behavior ?
yes if it is an learned behavior
Individual differences for aggression
- Personality
- Hormones
- Gender
- Catharsis
- Alcohol
- Disinhibition
- Deindividuation
- dehumanisation
Personality factors
age, gender,
- self-esteem
- frustration tolerance
situational context
- previous experience with others aggressive behavior
- success of own aggressive behavior in the past
- likelihood of reward and punishment
Type A- personality
Coronary-prone personality
characterized by the heart disease
- over-activeness
- ambition to achieve things
- excessively competitiveness
- preference to work alone
Catharsis
release of aggressive emotion when you act against an object
replacement of the aggression to an object
Catharsis hypothesis
acting aggressively or only view aggressive material = reduction of aggressive emotion
Characteristics of narcissistic people
- inflated self-esteem
- feel that they are more entitled to things
- prone to aggression
Disinhibition hypothesis
that learnt control mechanisms against acting antisocially, impulsively are weakened
e. g. alcohol impairs cortical control
- increase in more primitive brain areas
Deindividuation
losing sense of having a socialized individual identity
- more unsocialized, antisocial behavior
Collective aggression
group acts together against an individual or another group
Problem with catharsis
- if you place your aggression on to another object you are more likely to act more aggressively afterwards
General Aggression model
combination of situational and personal factors + cognitive and affective processes for explaining aggression
-activation of internal states (affect, cognitive, arousal)
What are Sociotal Influence/Factors?
- disadvantaged groups
- relative deprivation
- fraternalistic deprivation - Cultural norms
- culture of honor
Culture of honor
culture that allows men to use violent behavior when they feel that they are threatened in their status or ego
What is the role of the media related to aggression ?
Desensitization
- social learning theory connected to children’s habits
- promotion of violence and aggression through reading or simple exposure to aggressive content
- automatic reaction process
Desensitization
you are less likely to respond to a presented material/scene that would usually provoke strong emotional feelings against it like violence or sexuality
neo-associationist- analysis
provided violent material by mass media my provoke/promote antisocial behavior later on
Priming
when you activate existing/accessible categories or schemas in your memory - influences how we behave when you get new information
- mostly automatic process
- arise of similar feelings linked to aggressive emotions
Institutionalized aggression
if the aggression is formally/informally accepted and recognized by the the government
- integrated into the social structure (rules/norms)
- Authoritarianism
Agentic State
state of mind that when you follow any given instructions without questioning them
transfer personal responsibility to the person who gives the orders
-distance yourself from responsibility
What promotes collective group based aggression ?
= consequence of societal uncertainty
-uncertainty about one’s identity as a group member –> leads to extreme violent protection behavior in favor of the the in-group
What can you do to reduce aggression?
- not rewarding violent acts
- avoiding physical punishment
interpersonal level:
- increasing optimism = behavior modification( skills training
- Peace studies
- educational promotion of non- violent behavior
