Aggression Flashcards
Define ‘aggression’
Physical or verbal behaviour INTENDED to hurt someone. Even if harm does not occur.
Hostile aggression
Hurting someone else because we are angry
Instrumental aggression
Hurting someone else to achieve some other purpose
Problems with interpreting non-experimental findings on aggression
Reverse causality and spurious correlations (third variables)
Nature perspective on aggression
Evolutionary advantages to those who were more aggressive, testosterone, serotonin
Violent criminals have ______ serotonin levels
lower
Nurture perspective on aggression
Social learning theory (Bandura) and parental mistreatment
Tendency to physically aggress is more pronounced in _____
males
Why are men more physically aggressive from an evolutionary perspective?
Men were more likely to be hunters and protectors because they were bigger and stronger
Why are men more physically aggressive from a sociocultural perspective?
Boys are given toys that are more aggressive and less likely to be punished for aggressive behaviour in relation to girls
Relational aggression is more pronounced in _____
females
When individuals are provoked the typical gender difference ________
decreases
Violence within _____ is one exception to the tendency that men are more aggressive than women
romantic relationships
Culture of honour
Belief that one’s honour needs to be protected.
- Strong concerns about reputation
- Sensitivity to insults
- Use violence to avenge perceived wrongs
_______ states are classified as cultures of honour
southern
Frustration-aggression theory
Frustration is the best determinant of aggression. When our goals are blocked we will react aggressively
Critique of the frustration-aggression theory
When our goals are blocked we can also respond by giving up (learned helplessness theory)
Neo-associationistic account of aggression
Revised frustration-aggression theory. When we have an aversive event, we become angered, and are likely to aggress
Relative deprivation theory
Perception that individuals (or their social group) have less than they deserve. Can lead to aggression
People have a strong need to belong and when they are rejected they can react ______
aggressively
Correlation between heat and aggression
Increased hostility and arousal. Misattribution of arousal
The weapons effect
The presence of weapons can act as a cue that can cause violence
Catharsis effect
Original hypothesis that watching violent T.V lets people indirectly act out their violent impulses which makes them less aggressive in real life
Selection effects
Watching violent media increases aggression VS being aggressive increases the likelihood of watching violent media
Experimental evidence on media violence and behaviour
Watching violent media affects behaviour - causal relationship
“Numbing effect” of media violence
Watching many instances of violence in the media causes people to believe it is normal - desensitization
4 ways in which we can reduce aggression
Problem solving and communication skills
Defusing anger through apology
Modelling nonaggressive behaviour
Building empathy
