Aggression Flashcards
What is aggression?
Behaviour done with the intent to harm another living being who is motivated to avoid the harm.
Types of Aggression
Physical (hit, kick, stab, shoot etc.)
Verbal (yelling, screaming, name calling)
Relational (harming a person’s social relationships)
Other types of aggression (Cold, direct etc)
Instrumental: Cold, calculated, a means to an end (e.g. the hit man who wants 1000 dollars)
Hostile: Hot, angry behaviour – harm is the goal (jealous husband goes berserk)
Direct: Target physically present
Indirect: Target is absent
Destroy a person’s property when they are not there
Spread rumors behind their back
what is Violence and how is it different from normal aggression?
More extreme forms of physical aggression that pose a significant risk of injury to the victim
What causes aggressive behavior?
PROTECTIVE FACTOR- PROSOCIAL MEDIA USE
Risk factors:
Genetic predispositions, poor parenting, poverty, bullying & victimisation, violent media use etc.
Protective factors:
Positive family environment, high trait empathy, prosocial media use etc.
What is the Catharsis Hypothesis? IT IS WRONG, violent media actually increases aggression!
the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions
relevance to media? Idea that watching violent media or playing violent video games allows people to “blow off steam” and makes them less likely to act aggressively in the real world
Why does violent media increase aggression?
Social learning theory BANDURA
Observational learning, modeling Children can learn behavioral responses by observing behaviors of others: Violent parents Teachers Peers Violence in the media
Evidence for social learning theory?
Bobo doll study.
72 children, 3 conditions, violent model, non-violent and no model (control)
Aggressive model is shown to 24 children watched a male or female model behaving aggressively towards a toy called a ‘Bobo doll’.
Non-aggressive model is shown to 24 children non-aggressive model who played in a quiet and subdued manner for 10 minutes (playing with a tinker toy set and ignoring the bobo-doll).
No model shown (control condition) - 24 children
24 children (12 boys and 12 girls) watched a male or female model behaving aggressively towards a toy called a ‘Bobo doll’. The adults attacked the Bobo doll in a distinctive manner - they used a hammer in some cases, and in others threw the doll in the air and shouted “Pow, Boom.” Experimenter brought adult model into the playroom.
All the children (including the control group) were subjected to ‘mild aggression arousal.’ STAGE 2. As soon as the child started to play with the toys, the experimenter told the child that these were the experimenter’s very best toys and she had decided to reserve them for the other children.
Stage 3- delayed imitation- The next room contained some aggressive toys and some non-aggressive toys. The non-aggressive toys included a tea set, crayons, three bears and plastic farm animals. The aggressive toys included a mallet and peg board, dart guns, and a 3 foot Bobo doll.
RESULTS:
Children who observed the aggressive model made far more imitative aggressive responses than those who were in the non-aggressive or control groups.
Boys were more likely to imitate same-sex models than girls. The evidence for girls imitating same-sex models is not strong.
Boys imitated more physically aggressive acts than girls. There was little difference in the verbal aggression between boys and girls.
This study has important implications for the effects of media violence on children.
SAME FOR MODEL REWARDED AND NO CONSEQUENCE
Media Violence Effects: Ideas for Prevention and Intervention Strategies
Educating children about media effects
Educating parents about media effects
Science informing public policy
Deindividuation- Zimbardo extreme example
Loss of self-awareness and restraint when people can’t be identified (e.g. part of a crowd, wearing a mask)
