Aggression BS Flashcards
1
Q
Lorenz and Aggression being Ritualistic
A
- Aggression in animals is ritualistic
- This is more adaptive than direct aggression as symbolic aggression would help ensure the organism was not harmed
- Ritualistic aggression such as ‘teeth baring’ deters physical harm as a physical injury due to aggression could impair their ability to reproduce or even result in death
2
Q
FAP’s 6 Features
A
- Stereotypical, unchanging sequence of behaviours
- Universal, same behaviour is found in every individual of its species
- Unaffected by learning, same behaviour for all regardless of experience
- ‘Ballistic’, an inevitable course of actions that cannot be altered until it is completed
- Single purpose, the behaviour only occurs in a specific situation
- It is a response to an identifiable sign stimulus
3
Q
Rhee and Waldman
A
- Carried out a meta-analysis of adoption studies of direct aggression and antisocial behaviour
- They found that genetic influences accounted for 41%, suggesting the role of genetics to be important in aggressive behaviour
4
Q
MAOA Gene
A
- The MAOA gene, which is responsible for the protein monoamine oxidase
- This allows the metabolising of noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine and dysfunction in this gene means the neurotransmitters are not broken down properly
5
Q
Gader et al - MAOA in mice Eval
A
- Selective Breeding was done in mice, knocking out the MAOA gene
- The MAOA knockout mice showed increased aggression and lower levels of serotonin, showing relationship between genes and neurotransmitters
- Mice were given fluexotine to raise serotonin levels and their behaviour returned to normal
- Shows the role of the MAOA gene in aggression
6
Q
Male Bullying
A
- Characteristics associated with bullying are attractive to females, dominance, acquisition of resources and strength
- Also fight off potential rivals, allowing them greater reproductive success
- Bullies are also seen as ‘tough’ and no one challenges them, making them have a higher survivability
7
Q
Strength of Evolutionary Explanation
A
- Campbell (1999) - Explains Gender Differences
- Can be argued Evolutionary Explanations explain gender differences through the idea of adaptive strategies
- It is not adaptive for a female for example to be physically aggressive as it puts her and her child at risk, being maladaptive to reproductive success
- Therefore it is more adaptive for the female to be verbally aggressive and for a male to be physically aggressive
- Has real life application to understand bullying
8
Q
Weakness of Evolutionary Explanation
A
- Thomas - Does not explain cultural differences
- The Kung San people of Western Botswana in Africa were deemed ‘harmless people’ as they look down on aggression
- They had a negative attitude to aggression and anyone who showed aggression lost respect in the community, showing how cultural and social norms are more powerful in shaping aggression rather than evolution
- Biological Determinism
9
Q
Strength and Weakness of Ethological Explanations
A
- Tinbergen (+)
- Nisbett, Cultural Relativism (-)
- Goodall, Chimpanzees (-)
- FAPS not fixed (-)
10
Q
Models of Aggression in SLT
A
- Bandura believes parents act as a prominent source of behaviour modelling, e.g if a boy watches his father be abusive is more likely to act as an abusive parent
- Bandura proposed that models in the media provide a source of vicarious reinforcement which can lead to replicated aggressive behaviour as they see the rewards
11
Q
Deinidividuated State
A
- During individuation we are easily identified by others and our behaviour is constrained by social norms, where aggression is discouraged
- When we become part of a crowd however we lose restraint and gain freedom to act in a way we wouldn’t otherwise
- Norms are ignored and responsibility is spread throughout the group so we experience less guilt for displaying aggressive behaviour
12
Q
Strength of Deindividuation
A
- Diener (1976) - Halloween trick or treaters
- 1300 child trick or treated were given three conditions; anonymity, non-anonymity and conditions of being alone or in a group
- Children given the chance to steal money and sweets
- Anonymous and in a group stole 57% compared to 21% of the non-anonymous, showing anonymous and group is when kids act most socially deviant (deindividuated)
- Malmouth and Check (1981) - Anonymous Rape
- Asked university students in North America ‘Would you rape if you could not be caught?’
- 35% of students said yes, showing deindividuation and anonymity breeds aggressive behaviour
- Johnson and Downing (1979) - KKK and Electric Shocks
- KKK conidtion the worst
13
Q
McCorkle et al eval for situational exp of aggression in prisons
A
- Investigated aggression in 371 state prisons in the US and found little evidence to support link between violence and overcrowding
- He argues stress is experienced by many individuals in prison, but only some resort to aggression
- Assumption that stress and frustration always leads to aggression is wrong
14
Q
Weisz and Earls Strength of Desensitisation AND Weakness
A
- Showed 86 males and 106 females one of four films depicting violence; sexual aggression against a male, sexual aggression against a female, physical aggression and one neutral film
- After viewing all subjects were asked to complete a 252 item questionnaire measuring acceptance of interpersonal violence, rape myths, attraction to aggression and empathy levels
- They then had to view a re-enactment of a rape trial and completed a 23 item questionnaire
- Males were more accepting of interpersonal violence, rape myths, more attracted to aggression and less sympathetic towards the rape victim
- LACK OF ECOLOGICAL VALIDITY
15
Q
Cognitive Priming
A
- Explanation that proposes the influence of aggression in the media and in computer games provides individuals with a ‘script’ for their responses to environmental stimulus they deem aggressive
- Maintains there is a priming effect of media images on previously learnt behaviour or cognitive schema which can activate memories and make aggression more likely
- Violent media and computer games may cause aggression to be rewarded, and when the child is in an aggressive situation their internal script may believe that the way to win is through aggression
- This process of cognitive priming can be unconscious and cause automatic responses to cues in the environment
