Chapter 10 - Aggression Flashcards
Physical aggression
Hurting someone’s body.
Social aggression
Bullying, insults, gossip.
Hostile aggression
Aggression that springs from anger and aims to injure.
Instrumental aggression
Aggression that also aims to injure, but is committed in the pursuit of another goal.
Aggression related to: Evolution
Evolutionary psychology is flawed in some of the ways it comes to conclusions (circular thinking) but there is evidence to suggest that when men are in conflict with each other it is for evolutionary reasons, to avoid genetic annihilation.
Aggression related to: Neural
Activation of the emotional part of the brain accompanied by less activation in the inhibitory part of the brain is associated with aggressive behavior. However, having a mental illness is not.
Aggression related to: Genetics
Genetics plays a strong role. Of identical twins in prison, 50% of them also have their twin in prison, but only 20% of fraternal twins. The gene MAOA-L is associated strongly with aggression.
Aggression related to: Biochemical
Alcohol and a poor or fatty diet can both serve to reduce inhibitions and increase emotionality, leading to more aggression. High testosterone is also related to aggression. Culture and situations affect these factors. Heat (weather/climate) is related to high tempers.
Aggression related to: Group influence
Group influence intensifies aggression, and is greater than the sum of the aggression of individuals. Group influence can also teach aggression to begin with.
Frustration-aggression theory
Frustration is anything that blocks us from attaining our goal. Aggression (physical and social) may stem from frustration.
Displacement
Displaced aggression is the notion of taking out ones aggression on something other than what triggered the aggressive feelings initially due to experiencing a smaller trigger. For example, the boss chews out the employee who then hits his wife.
Relative deprivation
The perception that one is relatively deprived compared to others can lead to acts of aggression. For example, poor children in poor neighborhoods may not be as aggressive as for children in wealthy neighborhoods.
Social Learning theory
Children learn aggression by observing and imitating the aggressive actions of parents and other adults.
Arousal
The state of heightened attention and heart-rate which the brain my attribute to a variety of emotions and mental states depending on the situation.
Contributions of pain and heat
Heat is related to more acts of aggression because it is an environmental irritant. Pain has a similar effect of heightening aggression.
Media influences
Men who view pornography are more likely to be sexually aggressive. Men are often shown forcing themselves on women in pornography. This type of pornography has been proven to increase aggression. Children have also been shown to imitate violence seen on TV.
Imitation
Children imitate what they see, whether it’s on TV or in person, prosocial or antisocial.
Desensitization
The extinguishing of the emotional response to a stimulus upon repeated exposure.
Social scripts
Codes of conduct for certain situations, typically learned by example or through media.
Cognitive priming
Viewing violence primes others to assume violent motives in each other.
Catharsis
The theory that violent games help people to “get their anger out.” Some say this may actually backfire and produce more violence.
