CHAPTER NINE: AGGRESSION

Question 1

what is aggression?

Answer 1

• physical or verbal behaviour intended to hurt someone

Question 2

hostile aggression

Answer 2

aggression driven by anger and performed as an end in itself (ie. most murders)

Question 3

instrumental aggression

Answer 3

aggression that is a means to some end (ie. most wars or acts of terrorism)

Question 4

aggression as a biological phenomenon

Answer 4

• instinct theory and evolutionary psychology: aggression as an innate, unlearned behaviour; must be released or it will explode
• neural influences
• genetic influences
• biochemical influences (alcohol, testosterone, poor diet)

Question 5

aggression as a response to frustration

Answer 5

• frustration-aggression theory
• displacement
• relative deprivation

Question 6

frustration-aggression theory

Answer 6

theory that frustration (the blocking of a goal-directed behaviour) triggers a readiness to aggress

Question 7

displacement

Answer 7

redirection of aggression onto a target other than the source of the frustration; generally safer / more socially acceptable

Question 8

relative deprivation

Answer 8

the perception that one is less well off than others to whom one compares oneself

Question 9

aggression as a learned social behaviour

Answer 9

• the rewards of aggression
• observational learning (social learning theory)

Question 10

social learning theory

Answer 10

theory that we learn social behaviour by observing and imitating and being rewarded or punished

Question 11

how can aggression be reduced

Answer 11

• catharsis: releasing the aggressive feelings
• a social learning approach: reward non-aggressive behaviour, teach conflict-resolution, reduce media influence, reduce aggression triggers
• culture change and world violence: war is becoming less common

Question 12

influences on aggression

Answer 12

• aversive (uncomfortable) incidents: pain, heat, attacks
• arousal: a given state of bodily arousal feeds one emotion or another, depending on how the person interprets/labels the arousal
• frustration itself
• crowding

Question 13

media influences on aggression: porn and sexual violence

Answer 13

• distorted perceptions of sexual reality
• aggression against women

Question 14

media influences on aggression: television and internet

Answer 14

• one type of arousal manifests in other behaviours
• viewing violence disinhibits our aversion to aggression
• evoke imitation
• densitization
• social scripts
• altered perceptions
• cognitive priming

Question 15

media influences on aggression: video games

Answer 15

• identify with violent character
• actively rehearse violence
• engage in whole violent sequence
• engage in consistent violence
• get rewards for violent acts
• games are made to be addictive

Question 16

group influences on aggression

Answer 16

• diffusion of responsibility
• social contagion
• social identity
• moral imperatives (guide what is right/wrong)
• amplifications of aggressive tendencies (“everyone’s doing it”)
• group polarization