Case study 1: Human aggression Flashcards
What is the difference between anger and aggression?
anger- emotion
aggression- behaviour
What is aggression?
‘any behavior directed toward another individual that is carried out with the immediate intent to cause harm’
-the target must be motivated to avoid the behaviour
What is violence?
violence is aggression that has extreme harm as its goal
-all violence is aggression, but not all aggression is violence
Discuss aggression in animal behaviour
- male animals more aggressive, more likely to attack/fight
- Hydraulic hypothesis
What did Lorenz say about aggression?
- studied in animals
- aggression instinctual
- not caused by the environment but released or unlocked in certain circumstances
- according to the hydraulic model it needs to be released or it pents up
What is a problem with studying animals re aggression?
problems with generalizing it to humans
What are some disorders associated with aggression?
anti-social, narcissism, borderline, psychosis
intermittent explosive disorder
adjustment disorder with conduct disturbance
Discuss Len’s theory cognitive neo-association theory re aggression
- the person has developed a neural network re aggression
- when one part of this network is activated (the part of the brain that registers frustration), the linked parts also become activates
Discuss what happens in unpleasant or threatening situations cognitive neo-association theory
arouse negative feelings, which stimulates various thoughts, memories and physiological responses
What emotions are aroused during fight and flight tendencies
fight- anger
flight- fear
What is the script theory?
aggressive episodes run like a movie script
- when a situation is very familiar we tend to play things out in a similar way most times until the response becomes automatic whenever the situation arises
Discuss aggression re developmental psych
-development of aggression over the lifespan
large longtintudinal studies
-constancy of trait aggression across lifespan
influence of parents, media, environment
-gene-environment interactions
-hostile attribution basis
What generally happens across the lifespan re aggression- developmental psych?
aggression generally goes down across the lifespan
What are some feelings that are often associated with aggression?
- anger and aggression
- shame and aggression
- humiliation and aggression
- jealousy and aggression
What is the frustration-aggression hypothesis and who came up with it?
- Dollard et al (1938)
- All frustration leads to aggression
- frustration > anger > aggression
Discuss aggression re evolutionary psychology
- aggression ‘hard wired’
- strong links with animal work
- reproductive success/survival of the fittest- getting a mate, defending territory, getting food
Discuss aggression re health psychology
- concerned with links b/w physical health and psychological phenomena
- anger and hypertension
What are the three explanations of aggression re learning psychology
- classical conditioning
- instrumental learning
- social learning
Discuss aggression re social learning theory
- Bandura
- people acquire aggressive tendencies through direct experience (being rewarded for aggressive behavior) or through observing and copying the behavior of aggressive role models
- bobo doll
Discuss neurological/biological approaches to aggression
`-16/17 genes linked to aggressive behavior, but not directly
- serotonin deficits linked to aggression (impulse control)
- dopamine
- high gaba levels
Discuss hormones and aggression
-high testosterone linked to aggression
What does the general model of aggression always start off with?
person variables- increase/decrease the need to aggress re trigger in the environment
In the general model of aggression, what three things can be activated upon a trigger?
cognitions (scripts, beliefs, attitudes, biases), feelings or physiological arousal
In the general model of aggression, what are the ways that some people might react?
-reappraisal (controlled evaluation), but if they don’t have the resources to do this it may result in an impulsive action (aggressive response)
