aggression Flashcards
define aggression?
behaviour with the primary intent of harming another individual of the same species
what is important to the definition?
motives, target, context
overt attention?
intends to cause physical harm or inflict injury
social/relational aggression?
intends to harm emotional well-being, such as gossip/insults
multiple definitions of aggression means….
multiple measures of aggression
give examples of how to measure aggression?
1) observational learning , 2)verbal expression of willingness to act violently (researchers just asking about your aggressive tendencies) , 3) self reports, teacher reports 5) milgrams obedience study / hot sauce paradigm (modern day equivalent of milgrams study)
john Dalton theorised the….
frustration-aggression hypothesis
explain the frustration-aggression hypothesis?
the concept that all aggression is the product of frustration and that frustration invariably leads to aggression
chronic frustration has what impact on society?
leads to violence
when people do not get what they want it leads to
frustration
identify problems with the frustration aggression hypotheses?
doesn’t really provide a good explanation of truly spontaneous aggression, fails to explain how aggression can be learned, or explain sex differences in aggression
albert bandura developed which theory?
social learning theory
social learning theory argues that
behaviour is learned through observation of others and through direct rewards and punishments
BOBO doll experiment?
those who had previously seen someone act aggressively towards the doll were more aggressive when they subsequently played with the doll
key point of the BOBO doll experiment….
aggressive models elicit aggressive imitations
people develop more poisitve attitudes towards aggression after viewing models and develop?
scripts for aggressive reactions, these scripts are then elicited spontaneously in future situations
an example of a script?
witnessing parents behave aggressively influences childrens subsequent aggressive behavior
is learning restricted to family modelling…
no, learning from witnessing violence on tv ect
identify 3 biological approaches to aggression?
psychodynamic theory, ethology and evolutionary psychology
briefly explain the psychodynamic theory?
freud argued that humans possess a death instinct (Thanatos) which functions in opposition to the life instinct (eros - survival, reproduction) < argues that aggressive urges are innate and that they build up in the body and must be expressed
with reference to psychodynamic theory, how are these aggressive urges expressed
through CATHARSIS < release of pent up aggression through often symbolic acts of aggression
identify problems of the psychodynamic theory?
over simple, one track, cannot explain many nuacances of observed behaviour, what are these instincts?
ethology is
study of animal behaviour and is a field led by KONRAD LORENZ
early ethology focused on certain behaviors such as
imprinting, releaser stimuli
basic idea of ethology =
innate behaviours have survival value
releasers =
specific stimuli in the social environment
fixed action patterns =
releasers elicit specific behaviours
innate instinct that is elicited by releasers =
aggression
releasers elicit aggression because
aggression in that context provides a survival value
aggression is then?
inevitable (fixed action pattern) and controlled biologically by hormones.
problems with ethology?
overly simplistic, unclear what the releasers are, behaviour seems more flexible and conditional (eg: linked with social status)
fitness is
the ability to survive and reproduce
central idea =
context-sensitive solutions to particular adaptive problems of social living
evolutionary psychology
the idea that particular aggressive behaviour has evolved because they enhance the fitness of the possesor
animals and humans aggress when?
it is benefitical to their survival and reproduction ( including inclusive fitness)
these approaches share in common the arguments that?
aggression is linked to a clear evolutionary benefit and aggressiveness can be heritable ( NOT DETERMINISTIC, NOT A PRECONDITION FOR THE APPROACH)
these approaches vary in the way they are expressed:
ethological = fixed action pattern in response to releaser (limited evidence)
evolutionary psychology = context-sensitive, flexible (humans, most animals)
genetic evidence, aggression is
heritable, REFER TO NOTES
Humans rely on what to study heritability?
twin studies
what hormone is directly linked to aggression
testosterone
testosterone increases
prior to competition, change after competition depends on the outcome
do hormones/genes cause behaviour?
no, they predispose us to aggression
aggression is elicited by
social and environmental triggers, shaped by both our upbringing (social learning) and social context.
girls tend to be
less aggressive than boys but tend to divulge more in relational aggression compared to boys
what perpetuates sex differences in aggression?
different rewards and punishments for aggressive behaviours between the sexes
direct aggression may be an important way for boys to achieve
status - but also likely underpinned by differences in T ( especially after puberty)
narcissim and high self esteem positively related to
aggression
Type A personality Is strongly linked with
aggressive behavior
the tendency to aggress develops
from a young age and tends to be stable over time
how alcohol triggers aggression?
Alcohol interacts with testosterone levels and inhibits higher order cognitive function
Promotes changes that result in threatening situations appearing less dangerous, through disinhibition: the breakdown of learned controls (eg: to behave impulsively, how to behave in a particular context)
BUT: there is a placebo effect too. If people think they drink alcohol they also behave more aggressively. This suggests a SOCIAL LEARNING EFFECT (IE: CULTURAL AND PERSONAL BELIEFS ABOUT ALCOHOL MAY CONTRIBUTE TO AGGRESSION EFFECTS)
statistics for crimes commited under the influence of alcohol?
a least a half of sexual offences
2/3 of murders
½ of offences against spouses
how situation triggers aggression?
aspects of our environment influence how we aggress
Two aspects of the physical environment that trigger aggression are HEAT/TEMPERATURE and CROWDING.
Two aspects of the social environment that contribute to aggression are CULTURAL VARIATION and MASS MEDIA.
temperature and aggression?
Assaults are more common in the summer/warmer months
People report more negative moods on very hot days, even in places that are generally warm
Ethological experiment about road rage/honking.
crowding and aggression?
Crowding in animals is associated with fighting
In prisons and psychiatric settings crowing has been shown to increase aggressive behaviour
Personal space, also more opportunity
Crowding due to competition for limited resource?
cultural influences and aggression?
Norms differ between cultural groups, these differences have been shaped from unique histories. The result is groups who differ in aggressive expression and tendency.
Culture of honor = some cultures endorse male violence as a way to address threats to social or economic position.
media exposure and aggression?
Desensitization > reduction in responsiveness to material that would normally elicit a strong emotional reaction.
Long term changes in proclivity to aggression
Short and long term effects.
key final comments?
SOCIAL AND BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR AGGRESSIVE (OR ANY) BEHAVIOUR ARE RARELY MUTALLY EXCLUSIVE. in other words, both social learning and condition-dependent fitness benefits may be important in shaping how people behave.
Beware that if aggression (or any behaviour) is shaped by hormones and genes, this DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEY CAUSE THE BEHAVIOUR, though they likely do PREDISPOSE us to it.
