content area B1 - (aggression) Flashcards
Types of aggression
Hostile aggression
instrumental aggression
violent aggression
verbal aggression
Hostile aggression=
behaviour that comes from anger and frustration. Often emotional, reactive and impulsive. Not done for personal gain (example-road rage)
Instrumental aggression=
cold and calculated behaviour that often leads to personal reward.
Violent aggression=
using physical force to cause injury to others
Verbal aggression=
using words to psychologically damage another person
Hostile attribution error explaining aggression =
People with HAB interpret other people’s behavior as threatening even if it is in fact neutral.
This can lead to aggressive behavior.
(example- someone accidentally stumbles into them; they view this as deliberate are provoked and become aggressive.
. Cognitive priming for aggression=
If you encounter an aggressive stimulus (the prime), you notice a later related stimulus more quickly (or you may respond more strongly).
The aggressive stimulus primes aggressive thoughts, so any later stimulus “triggers” you to behave aggressively.
(example of aggressive prime= watching a violent film or video game) (example of aggressive stimulus= you think someone is being threatening)
Cognitive scripts and schema explaining aggression=
a cognitive script is a schema which contains our knowledge of how social situations ‘play out’.
Most people possess cognitive scripts for aggressive situations. “What to expect, how to behave, what the consequences may be” ext.
These are developed through observation and experience of aggressive situations.
An aggressive script is triggered when we encounter cues in a situation that we perceive to be aggressive
Strength= practical applications=
The cognitive approach has created practical real-world benefits. Contributed to methods that reduce aggression. For example, cognitive therapy aims to change HABS and thoughts that prime aggressive behavior.
supporting research =
Guerra and Slaby helped adolescent prison inmates to replace Hostile attribution error with positive ones.
Compared with a control group, they showed a much-reduced HAB and less aggression.
This means that using cognitive approach can help to reduce aggression.
Strength- research supports-
studies have found a link between cognitive factors and aggression.
supporting research=
Supporting research- Bram Orobio de Castro et al, reviewed studies of HAB in children. Mos to the studies confirmed there was a significant association between habs and aggressive behavior.
Supporting research- Fischer and Greitemeyer found that after listening to songs with derogatory lyrics about women, men behaved aggressively towards women confederates (example of cognitive priming)
Weakness-
correlation not causation- =
cognitive factors may not be the cause of aggression.
Studies show that aggressive scripts are associated with aggressive behaviour. But this is mostly correlational research, which cannot show that scripts cause aggression because no variables are manipulated or controlled.
Instead of people with aggressive scripts being more aggressive, it may be that being more aggressive contributes to a more aggressive script.
social approach explaining aggression
Influence of others =
gender norms
cultural norms
gender norms=
in many cultures gender norms dictate that men should use aggression to achieve status, money, or other social rewards.
Women should be nurturing and gentle rather than aggressive. (Eagly and wood).
Women may be verbally aggressive (as a gender norm is women are emotionally expressive)
cultural norms=
different cultures have different attitudes towards aggression.
For example, cases of murder are more than 12 times higher in the UA than Iceland.
stereotypes and aggression=
gender stereotypes
Ethnic stereotypes
gender sterotypes=
physical aggression is strongly associated with stereotyped masculinity.
This is dangerous because it can lead to acceptance and tolerance of sexual harassment and violence perpetrated by men against women.
ethnic sterotypes=
example=
black people (especially men) are often stereotyped as aggressive more so than any other ethnic group.
this is dangerous because it may lead to tolerance of racist opinions and aggressive behaviour towards young black men.
example= killing of Michael brown.
An 18 year old African American man was shot and killed by a white police officer. Brown was unarmed.
The police officer most likely held strong racist stereotypes of young black men (as being violent and aggressive)
His killing lead to the #blacklives matter movement becoming nationally recognised.
Influence of the media =
Role modelling
Desensitization
disinhibition
Role modelling=
influence of media
the media provides aggressive role models for people (especially children) to imitate.
Imitation is more likely when the model has characteristics the observer admires; such as fame and wealth.
Desensitization=
influence of media
Normally, when we witness aggressive behavior, we experience physiological arousal (increased heart rate).
But repeatedly viewing aggression (e.g., from a TV or video game) may mean people get used to its effects. They become desensitized.
They experience less physiological arousal and less empathy for victims. This makes individuals more likely to be violent.
disinhibition
influence of media
these are strong social and physiological inhibitions against violence.
These inhibitions are loosened after we have observed aggressive behaviour in the media.
Media depiction can make aggression appear ‘normal’.
Repeated exposure can disinhibit viewers and create new social norms that are more accepting to aggression.
who’s idea is this =
using the social approach to explain aggression
1) strength=
2) weakness=
(Funk et al)
1) understanding social influence can be applied to prisons. For example, one effective way to reduce prison aggression is for prison staff to apply rules consistently (Mcguire). This helps because it means there has to be communication between staff and inmates. When communication is good, and rules are clear, inmates are less likely to develop a sense of injustice that can motivate aggression.
2) biological factors may outweigh social influence on aggression. For example, many studies have shown a link between the male sex hormone testosterone and aggression in both men and women. For example, castrating a male animal causes reduction in both testosterone and aggression.
Behaviorist and social learning approaches explaining aggression
Operant conditioning =
what is it= Learning through consequences (behavior is learnt through obtaining rewards and avoiding punishment)
how does this relate to aggression=
According to skinner aggression can be learned directly, through operant conditioning.
Example= a child may be rewarded for an aggressive act, so will learn that this is something to be repeated in future (positive reinforcement).
. Skinner argued that behavior is especially strengthened when they are positively reinforced only occasionally (and at regular intervals)
Aggression brings 2 types of rewards what are they ?
Tangible= physically real rewards
Intangible= pleasurable feelings and social status.
how do they relate to aggression ?
they can reinforce aggressive behaviour
. tangible rewards positively reinforce up to 80% of children’s aggressive behaviour.
Example- physically taking a toy of a child
. example of how intangible rewards reinforce aggression=
bullying is reinforced by increased status in the school playground through fear
Social learning theory – bandura
what did Bandura believe =
how does this theory relate to aggression=
Learning can be learnt indirectly through observation
Bandura said that aggressive behaviour cannot be fully explained by direct forms of learning
what aspects of the social learning theory help explain aggression=
Observational learning and modelling=
Observational learning and modelling=
children learn specific aggressive behaviours through observing aggressive models (parents, siblings, peers, media figures.
A person observes how an aggressive behaviour is performed- learning how to physically carry it out)
What else is required for the observer to imitate the aggression=
vicarious reinforcement.
1) Vicarious reinforcement=
2) example=
1) observing the consequences of that behaviour. The consequences influence if you will carry out that behaviour or not.
2) Example= if you witness a model being punished for acting aggressively, they are less likely to imitate the behaviour than if they watch the model be rewarded.
Strengths = practical applications=
applications to social policy-
aggressive behaviours that cause some serious crimes are learnt through direct reinforcement and exposure to models in the family and in peer networks.
Policy makers could help reduce aggression by developing programs based on reinforcement of prosocial behaviours and on social learning.
One example is mentoring, providing at risk children with non-aggressive role models to imitate.
Strength- research supports-
Poulin and Boivin
found that the most aggressive boys between 9 and 12 became friends with each other.
These relationships were ‘training grounds’ for antisocial behaviour.
The boys gained direct (positive) reinforcement through rewards (praise).
They experienced vicarious reinforcement through observing the rewarding of each other’s aggression
Weakness- limited explanation=
operant conditioning and social learning theory cannot explain hostile aggression.
A violent outburst can easily escalate an encounter so that the individual being aggressive receives punishment in return.
These theory’s predict punishment makes future aggressive behavior less likely. However, in reality the opposite is usually true. The punished individual continue to be violent and aggressive.
Biological approach to explaining aggression in society
what biological topics explain aggression -
evolution
brain structures
biochemistry
genetics
Evolution and aggression =
Individuals in our evolutionary history who were able to survive to adulthood were more likely to reproduce
. They would pass on the genes that contributed to the behaviors that made survival possible. (one of these may have been aggressive)
. Aggressive individuals may have been more successful in competition for limited resources such as food and mates.
Limbic system=
= a collection of several structures within the brain that regulates our emotional behaviour. One of these structures is the amygdala
how does the amygdala cause aggression=
The sensitivity of the amygdala is an important predictor of aggressive behavior. The more sensitive your amygdala is the more aggressive you are.
. Aggressive people tend to have amygdala’s that react quickly and strongly to threatening stimuli.
Testosterone =
Male sex hormone. Responsible for the development of masculine features. It is linked to aggression because men tend to be more aggressive ten women and have higher testosterone levels.
Serotonin=
A neurotransmitter that regulates mood and behaviour. Low levels can disrupt the activity of neurons, producing emotional instability and reduced behavioural self-control; leading to aggression
Dopamine=
a neurotransmitter that influences aggression when people are in competition over resources. It is the brains own “reward” chemical. It motivates the use of aggression to gain victory and out beat competition.
Cortisol=
a stress hormone. High levels of testosterone cause aggression but only when it is paired with low cortisol levels. When cortisol is high testosterones influence on aggression is blocked.
Genetics
What gene is linked to aggression =
monoamine oxidase A (MAOA gene)
