Aggression: An Overview Flashcards
What is Aggression?
Definition: Behavior intended to harm someone physically or psychologically.
Examples: Insulting someone, hitting others in a rage
Different Forms of Aggression
Instrumental Aggression: Inflicting harm to gain something valuable (e.g., mugging, war)
Hostile (Emotional) Aggression: Inflicting harm for its own sake; impulsive (e.g., domestic violence, mob rioting)
Indirect Aggression: Inflict harm without face-to-face conflict (e.g., gossip, rumors)
Direct Aggression: Behavior aimed to hurt face-to-face
Physical Aggression: Hitting, pushing, kicking
Verbal Aggression: Insulting, cursing, threatening
How Researchers Measure Aggression
Giving participants electric shocks
Having participants beat up dolls
Having participants blast sound at another person
Biological Factors:
Genetic predisposition?
Role of testosterone in aggression
Brain structures (Amygdala, Prefrontal Cortex)
Alcohol reduces impulse control
Frustration:
Frustration triggers readiness to aggress
Example: Road rage, shaking a vending machine
Learning Theories:
Aggression is learned through reinforcement
Social Learning Theory: Observing others
being rewarded/punished for aggression
Case Study: Columbine Shooters
Frustration: Ostracized by peers
Learning: Exposure to violent video games (Doom, Wolfenstein 3D) leading to desensitization
Aggression as Instinctive
Organisms that successfully aggress gain resources
Aggression helps survival and reproduction
Less likely to aggress against kin
Aggression in the Brain
Amygdala: Associated with aggressive behaviors
Prefrontal Cortex: Less active in violent individuals (impulse control)
Hormonal Influence on Aggression
Testosterone: Correlates with aggression (bi-directional relationship)
Men with lower testosterone are less likely to react aggressively
Sex Differences in Aggression
Boys: More directly aggressive (e.g., fighting, yelling)
Girls: More indirectly aggressive (e.g., gossip, social exclusion)
Cultural expectations influence these tendencies
Frustration-Aggression Theory
Frustration: Blocking goal-directed behavior
Berkowitz (1978): Frustration leads to anger, which increases aggression
Example: Hitting a malfunctioning computer
Learning Theories of Aggression
Positive Reinforcement: Aggression leads to desired outcomes
Negative Reinforcement: Aggression prevents/stops undesirable outcomes
Example: Aggressive hockey players score more goals
Social Learning Theory
We learn aggression by observing others
Bobo Doll Experiment: Children mimic adult aggression after exposure
Aggressive Objects as Cues
Weapons Effect: Presence of weapons increases aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
Example: Participants in a room with guns administered more shocks than those in a room with badminton rackets
Countries with stricter gun laws have lower murder rates
Reducing Aggression
Catharsis Hypothesis: Releasing aggression reduces it? (Research suggests the opposite)
Social Learning Approaches:
Reward cooperative, non-aggressive behavior
Teach conflict resolution skills
Reduce exposure to violent media
Prevalence of Media Violence
98% of households own a TV
Average person watches 3-4 hours per day
By age 18, average person has seen 200,000 acts of violence on TV
Effects of Media Violence
Weakens inhibitions against violent behavior
Desensitizes individuals to violence
Demonstrates how to perform violent acts
Increases perception of the world as a dangerous place
Studies on Media Violence and Aggression
More violent TV watching → More aggressive behavior (Kuntsche et al., 2006)
8-year-olds who watch violent TV → More criminal activity as adults (Huesman et al., 2003)
Elementary kids’ violent media exposure predicts fights 2-6 months later (Gentile et al., 2004)
Television Industry Perspective
“We are merely holding a mirror to society.” - Howard Stringer, CBS
Does TV create violence or reflect it?
Violent Video Games and Aggression
2000 Stats:
Boys: 12 hours/week
Girls: 6 hours/week
2012 Stats: Canada’s video game industry ranked #3 worldwide
Grand Theft Auto Example: Encourages criminal behavior (e.g., carjackings, violence)
Effects of Violent Video Games
Correlational Studies: More violent video game play → More aggression in real life
Experimental Studies:
Participants who played violent games gave longer noise blasts to opponents
Playing violent games → Desensitization to real-life violence
Violent gamers took longer to help injured people in staged emergencies
Long-Term Effects of Violent Video Games
Priming aggressive thoughts
Desensitization to others’ suffering
Learning aggressive scripts for real-life conflict
Conclusion
Aggression is a complex behavior influenced by biology, frustration, and learning.
Media and video games contribute to aggressive tendencies, reinforcing violent behaviors.
Social and educational interventions can reduce aggression and promote non-violent behaviors.
