aggression, attitudes and behaviour Flashcards
How can be aggression be defined?
Baron and richardson: goal of harming another human being
Baron and Byrne : intentional infliction of some form of harm on others.
What are the models/explinations of aggression?
Bio-social model (Frustration-agression hypotheiss, excitation transfer), learning theory ( operant, SLT, vicoruis reinforcemnt), agressive scripts, social information processing model, general agression model, media.
what is the bio-social model for aggression?
Explain aggression in terms of a biological drive but mixed with a psychological element.
The expression of aggression is not inevitable.
What is the Frustration-aggression hypothesis for explaining aggression?
Dollard et al: (1939): aggression arises from state of frustrations (pre-requiste).
goal striving causes arousal
when goal attainment is frustrated, agression often used to vent psychological arosual.
What are some studies that look into the aggression-frustration hypothisis?
Marcus-Newhall et al (2000): meta- analysis of 49 studies, frustration leads to displaced aggression.
Criticims: aggression can occur in absence of frustration.
Frustration-aggression model modified
frustration did not always lead to aggression
aggression is a dominant response in a hierarchy of responses
frustration leads to an action readiness
this can lead to aggression depending on presence of aggressive cues.
Weapon effect on aggression
Bekowitz and LePage (1967) : study of effect of weapon cue on frustrated participants.
Excitation transfer on aggression
Zilmann (1988) : residual arousal from an unrelated even can feed readiness to aggress in a new situation.
What is the research for excitation transfer?
ZIlmann and Bryant : group 1 (non-arousing task) grpup 2 do physical exercise (arousal). 2 minutes later half the Ps recieve loud noise. Six minutes later, Ps given opportunity to administer noise blast to the person who provoked them. More likely to in condition 2.
Social learning theory for aggression + the study.
Observing others behaviour and consequences, allows the indivudals to learn aggressive behaviour (vicaruous reinforcemnt). - Bobo doll study.
Demonstrated modelling via range of meduims: live adult, videotape, cartoon, control. All 3 conditions = increased aggression in children.
Aggrresive scripts
ambiguous situations more likely interpreted as aggressive by people with a history of aggression.
Social information processing model (SIP)
Dodge (2006) : sets out the information processing steps involved in aggressive responses.
General aggression model (GAM)
Anderson et al: brings together a range of previous approaches into a unified whole.
criticism of using bandura explination of aggression
if aggression was learnt, looking at previous defintions, where is the victim? is it realistic to allow children to aggress in exactly the same circumstances as modelled aggression? adult modelling in bobo doll set-up very unlike aggression depicted on TV.
What did Libert and Baron (1972) study show?
- children aged 5 to 9 watched a short clip
- aggressive group
- non-aggressive group
- each child presented opportunity to help or hurt another child with a task
- more likely to from aggressive clip group
- supports bobo doll study
