agression Flashcards
what are the two explanations of institutional aggression
-importation model (dispositional)
-deprivation model (situational)
what is the dispositional explanation of institutional aggression
the importation model
-suggests that aggression is a result of the individuals characteristics that they bring into the prison
-all prisoners have there own social histories and traits that influence behaviour
-e.g beliefs, values, norms, attitudes and learning experiences along with personal characteristics such as race, gender, class
How does the importation model suggest anger occurs in institutional settings
-suggests prisoners imports characteristics and traits as a way to negotiate through the unfamiliar and frightening environment of prisons
-they use aggression as a way to establish power, status and access to resources
-suggests that those predisposed to using violence outside of prisons would be likely to do so in any setting
-not the situation but the personal characterises
what research has been done into the importation model
DeLisi
procedure- studied 813 juvenile delinquents in institutions in california
group 1: had many negative dispositional features such as childhood trauma, anger, substance abuse and violent behaviour
control: no negative features
Findings
-the ‘negative’ inmates are more likely to engage in suicidal activity, sexual misconduct and physical aggression
-supports the idea that those already predisposed to these characteristics were more likely to use them again
what is the situational expiation into institutional aggression
Deprivation model suggests aggression is due to the stress created by the prison environment
-the harsh conditions of prisons create a stressful environment and prisoners may turn to aggression as a way to cope
how does the deprivation model suggest aggression occurs in institutional setting ? what factors contribute to this ?
-unpredictable regime in prisons
-prisons often use ‘lock ups’ as a way to control behaviour
-aggression often becomes an adaptive solution
Psychological factors: deprived from freedom, independence, intimacy
Physical factors: material good can increase aggressive competition
Describe and explain research into the deprivation model
Steiner: investigated factors predicting aggression in line with the deprivation modelling 512 prisoners
Results:
inmate-on-inmate aggression was higher when:
-higher proportion of female staff (could create ‘competition’ for attention
-overcrowding (inmates likely to have less freedom as a way of controlling)
-more inmates in protective history (aggression is pre existing within the prison)
These are prison-level factors that reliably predicted aggressive behaviour
evaluate a strength of the dispositional explanation for institutional aggression
Supporting evidence : Poole
-found in 4 institutions, pre-institutional violence was the best predictor of aggression regardless of features of the prison
-supports importation model as it suggests aggression is brought into the prison by offenders whom have existing aggression
evaluate a limitation of of the dispositional expiation of institutional aggression
-ignores situational factors
-lack of freedom, choice, family could lead to frustration
-ignores factors such as racism that could act as a trigger
-aggression could be shown as an attempt to ward off others in order to feel secure
-these triggers for aggression should be considered, those who were aggressive originally may be more likely react to such factors
evaluate a strength of the situational explanation for institutional aggression
Supporting evidence : McCorkle
-studied 371 Us prisoners and found situational factors such as overcrowding, lack of privacy and meaningful activity all had an influence on inmate-on-inmate and inmate-on-staff assaults
Franklin:
-found relationship between age of inmate and crowding
-meta-analysis found aggressive behaviour increased with crowding in younger inmates compared to older inmates
-older inmates are more likely to have wider experiences and have developed better coping mechanisms
-highlights effect of situational and dispositional factors interacting
evaluate the real life applications of research into institutional aggression
David Wilson has shown changes to noisy, over crowded and overheated environments can significantly decrease violent behaviour.
Demonstrated at HMP Woodhill, assaults on inmates and staff was pretty much eradicated
-provides powerful support for situational variables
Real life applications in relation to dispositional factors:
-the more aggressive inmates could be offered therapy or counselling in an attempt to lessen the effects of predisposed violence
what is cognitive priming and what is its role in aggression
Repeated experience of aggressive media and violent images can provide a schema/’script’ about how violent situations may play out
-its used to define situations and to guide behaviour
-violent scripts are accessible due to TV and video games
-the process is mostly automatic and can unconsciously guide behaviour when triggered
explain evidence to support cognitive priming
fMRI used to compare brain activity in 8 kids watching either violent or non-violent programmes
-violent programme : right hemisphere was activated -regulates emotion, arousal and attention, is also responsible for storing episodic memory
-implys scripts are stored for later use
What is the role of desensitisation in aggression
when repeatedly watching violent media results in a decrease in physiological effects that would usually be expected when witnessing violence/aggression
-usually experience symptoms associated with the sympathetic nervous system such as increased heart rate and blood pressure (fight or flight)
-they become habituated to its effect so an aversive stimulus has lesser effects
-diminished response
explain research done into the role of desensitisation
Weisz and Earls
-showed some ps a film that contained a graphic rape scene and some ps a non violent film
results:
-showed grater acceptance to rape myths after watching a mock rape trail
-showed less sympathy towards the victim
-were less likely to find the defendant guilty
compared to the viewers of non violent media
-shows the effects of being desensitisation as they were less shocked/effected after watching
how does the media influence aggression
-role of cognitive priming
-role of desensitisation
-role of disinhibition
what is the role of disinhibition in aggression
inhibitions(such as social and psychological restraints) usually prevent aggression as people believe it to be antisocial and harmful
-exposure to aggression through media weakens inhibitions = disinhibited
-alters an individuals social norms
how can aggressive media lead to disinhibition
-in the virtual world of computer games individuals will act in a non-typical way as there are no social constraints
-for example displaying exaggerated aggressive behaviour as inhibitions are weakened
-this could be transferred to real life and may incite violence in someone who is otherwise passive
-additionally video games often reward violence as consequences are justified or lessened
describe research done into the role of disinhibition
-Alioto:
-found ps who saw a film depicting violence as justified gave more electric shocks for a prolonged period of time to a confederate
-suggests violent media may disinhibit aggression when presented as justified
-justified violence is more likely to be seen as sociably acceptable
-increases validity as demonstrates the removal of social constraints and aggressive behaviour
what is the neural influence in aggression
what is it made up of, how does it influence
the limbic system
-a network of subcortical structures including the hypothalamus, hippocampus, thalamus and the amygdala
-this area is associated with emotional behavior
what is the amygdala associated with within the limbic system
-plays a key role in how organisms assess and respond to threats (fight or flight responce)
-reactivity is believed to be a good predictor of aggressive behaviour
describe research into the role of the limbic system in aggression
-Gospic - ‘the ultamatum game’
-used a lab exp in which a ‘prosperer’ offeres to split money with the ‘responder’
-the ‘responders’ were participants being scanned by fMRIs
-found that amygdalas responce was fast and heightened when ps rejected an unfair offer (seen as an aggressive reaction to social provocation)
-found fewer rejections when benxodiazepine drugs were given first (reduce activity of ANS)
-strong evidence for association between reactive aggression and brain structures
what role does serotonin play in aggression
neural explanation
-serotonin has inhibitory effect, it slows down and dampens activity
-normal levels in the OFC linked to reduced firing of neurons, involved in the ability to control behaviour
-decreased serotonin may distirb self regulation mechanisms leading to reduced self control and more impulsive behaviour
describe research into the influence of serotonin
virkkunen
-took cerebrospinal fluid from violent offenders and found low serotonin levels
-those with low levels were more likely to commit further violent crimes
Chen
-mutated mice with reduced release of serotonin were more aggressive
Berman
-gave ps either paroxetine (increases serotonin activity) or placebo
-took part in a game that involved giving or reciving electric shocks at varying intensities in responce to provocation
-those who took the drug gave fewer and lower intensity shocks (only true for those with a previous history of aggression)
contradictory from MAO-A gene
discuss the hormonal influence in aggression
testosterone
-male sex hormone
-thought to have influence due to its action on brain areas controlling aggression
-evidence comes from a number of sources and the obsravatiob that males as a whole tend to be aggressive tha females
describe research into the influence of testosterone in aggression
wagner
-castrated male mice and found overall levelsof aggression decreased
-if they then recieved testosterone injections, aggression increased
(correlational and extrapolation)
Dolan
-found a positive correlation between male offenders aggression levels and testosterone levels (offenders had demonstrated impulsively aggressive behaviour)
contradictory evidence
-reciprocal model of testosterone effect suggests testosterone levels vary with dominance
-mazur found that testosterone levels varied over 4 medicsal examinations in a 10 year span of 2000 air veterans
-reduced when married and incteased when divorced
-demonstartes there is arelationship but cause and effectcannot be established
Pope
-administered either testosterone or a placcebo for 6 weeks
-those who recieved testosterione were more aggressive
-evidence for testosterone inceasing aggression
evaluate neural influences in aggression
amygdala
supporting evidence from gospic
-supports roleof amyfgdala in reactive aggresion
-caution shouldbe applied when drawing conclusions as this is correlational research
evaluate hormonal influences in aggression
supporting evidence from mehta when 73% of ps testosterone rised when they decided to rechallenege opponents
-supports that changes totestosterone levels caused by a loss of status can effect subsequent aggressive behaviour
reasearch that suggests other hormones interect (mehta 2011)
-dual hormone hypothesis claims increaseed testosterone only leads to aggression when cortisol levels are low
-we should investigate the effect of combined hormones
evaluate anussue when researching th neural and hormonal influences into psychology
-the data produced is correlational
-difficult to find appropriate and ethical methods with humans
-using animals leads to the issue of generalisabilty
-research may risk being oversimplistic as it does not consider other factords that may have an influence
describe genetic factors in aggression
-aggression could be inherited
-twin studies: found 50% concordance in mz twins compared to 19% of dz twins (aggressive behavioir operationalised by direct physical assualt)
-adoption studies aim to untangle genetic and environmentalinfluences (positive correlation between adopted and bio parents suggests genetic basis compared to adopted and rearing family suggests environmental)
-study of over 14000 denmark adoptees found significant amount of boys witg criminal convictions had bio parents (esp fathers) with criminalconvictions
describe the MAO-A genes role in aggression
the MAO-A gene contols the production of the enzyme MOA whuch metabolises serotonin after a nerve impulse has been sent
-the MAO-A low variant leads tolow MAOA activity resulting in an increase of serotonin in the synaptic gap
-this has been associated with various forms of aggression
-this genetic mutation causes increased aggression and has been nicknames the ‘warrior gene’
-supported by brunners study into an aggresive dutch family whom obtained the low varint mutation of the MAOA gene
evaluate the genetic influeneces into aggression
supporting evidence from twin studies found concordance rates of:
-physical aggression: mz=50% dz=19%
-verbal aggression: mz=28% dz=7%
those with greater geentic simarlarity had greater concordance rates but as concordance is not 100% there must be other factors
methodological issues with measure of aggression
-a meta analysis of 51 twin and adoption studies showed genetic contributions were only found whenusig self-report techniques rather than parent/teacher reports
-difficult to draw valid conclusion as many variables could effect acuracy
difficulty separaring genetic and environmental influences
-found people with low MAO-A gene behaved aggressivly ina lab task but only when provoked
-lab studies lack eco validity
-circumstance also plays a role
what are the key concepts of the ethological explanation
-aggresion is instinctive in all species and is adaptive
-survival advantage as a defeated animal is not killed yet forced to find teritory elsewhere - reduces competiton
-used to establish dominance giving access to teriotory, mates (reproductive success)
-aggression is naturally selected for
why do ethologists argue we can generalise findings
Lorenz: we are governed by the same laws of natural selection so direct comparisons can be made
describe ritualistic aggression
-a ritual is a set of behaviours carried out in a set order
-observations of fights between same species showed little physical damage was done
-ritualistic signals used instead such as threat displays and apeasment gestures
-these behaviours are adaptive as if aggressive encounters always ended in death it would threaten the existence of a species
what are threat displays
-showing teeth
-ears pushed back
-spiking back
-growls
what are appeasment gestures
gestures that show admittence of defeat/backing off
-lieing on back
-getting low
-avoiding eyecontact
what is an innate releasing mechanism
a built in physiological structure or process
-for example it could be a network of neurons in the brain that monitor drives such as aggression
-environmental stimulus trigger the IRM which triggers the release/production of a specific sequence or pattern of behaviours (fixed action pattern)
fixed action pattern:stereotyped
all members of a species behave/react the same way
fixed action patterns:universal
all members of the species will express it
fixed action patterns:independent of individual experience
repeated exactly the same each time, experiences do not change the behaviour
fixed action patterns:ballistic
once a FAD has begun it will continue untill an outcome has been reached
fixed action patterns: sepcific triggers
for every FAD there is a specific trigger/threat gesture
what are the 5 characteristics of fixed action patterns
-stereotyped
-universal
-independ to individual experience
-ballistic
-specific triggers
describe tinbergans research into IRMs and FADs
(male sticklebacks show a red belly during mating season)
-presented wooden ‘sticklebacks’ ina range of shapes either with or without a red belly
-regardless of shape,if they showed red they were aggressively attacked (seen as a threat to territory)
-FADs were unchanging (independent to individual experience) and always ran the course of its compretiton (ballistic)
-the red colour triggered the IRM which triggered a FAD resulting in an aggressive attack
key concepts of the evolutionary explanations of aggression
-aim to understand how aggression developed
-male aggression has been linked to infedelity (cheating) as it can result in ‘paternal uncertainty’ (unable to be sure a child is ones own)
-this provokes jealousy (as they feel threatened) which can result in aggression
-cuckoldry (raising a child that is not ones own) is viwed as a waste of time as they are not investing timein passing on there own genes
-suggests aggression is adaptive as it is a reproductiveadvantage to use aggression to prevent infedility/cuckoldry
what are mate retention strategies
behaviours used to help prevent infedality
-evolutionary advantage as this ensures males are passing on there own genes
what is direct guarding
mate retention strategy
-over vigilance
-keeping tabs on partners whereabouts
-aims to prevent interactions with males
what are negative inducements
male retention strategies
-verbal/phsysical threats as the consequnces for infedelity
what research supports male retention strategies resulting in aggression
wilson
-used survey technique
-women who reported jealous partners were twice as likely to be a victim of domestic violence
-73% of women had to seek medical attention
what reaesrch supports mate retention strategies resulting in aggression
shackleford
-studied intimate partner violence in 107 couple
-males carried out ‘mate retention inventory’ (assessed frequency and likliness of mate retention strategies)
-females carried out ‘spouse influence report’ assessed how violent partners were
-found a positive correlation between males retentive behaviours and females reports of violence
-retention behaviours can be used to predict husbands violent behaviour
-evolutionary stretegies can be used to explain aggression
evolutionary explanations of bullying
-stronger more aggressive presenting males may appear more attractive/appealing to females therefore increasing reporductive success
-could therefore be argued as an evolutionary advantage
describe research into the evolutionary explanation of bullying
