Exam 3- Lecture 10

Question 1

Aggression

Answer 1

Any physical or verbal behavior INTENDED to hurt someone or something
-distinct from assertiveness

Types:
Hostile
-aggression driven by ANGER and performed as an END IN ITSELF
->goal is to injure or inflict pain
Instrumental
-aggression that is a means to achieve ANOTHER GOAL (someone attacks you, hurt them to escape)
->goal is not necessarily to cause pain
->e.g., act of war (typically), hitman

Question 2

Situational Causes of Aggression

Answer 2

Certain people may be aggression-prone (genes, personality), but CIRCUMSTANCE triggers aggression
-true, but RARE that no trigger is needed

Heat:
More violence in
-hotter places (culture)
-during hotter months (no school)
-on hotter days (outside)
*remember two factor theory*

Social rejections:

• consistent with sociometer theory (self esteem)
• rejection is literally painful (doesn’t take much e.g., cyberball)

Question 3

Media Violence

Answer 3

Situational Causes of Aggression

Correlational research shows

• violence is on TV
• violent children watch violent TV
• children who watch violent TV grow up to be violent adults (opposite is not as strong)

Experimental studies

• show kids violent TV or not
• watching violence DOES have an effect on behavior
• HOWEVER the effect is small and short-lived

WHY?
Increases arousal in viewers
Provides a cue to violence
Leads to imitation (social learning)
Gies an inaccurate view of the world (norms)
-desensitizes people through repeated exposure (habituation)
-people overestimate the frequency of violence

Question 4

Frustration-aggression theory (Dollard et al., 1939)

Answer 4

Frustration: blocking of a goal-directed behavior (e.g., traffic jam, failing grade, romantic competitor)

Assumptions of theory

• frustration ALWAYS leads to aggression
• aggression is ALWAYS the result of frustration

What increases frustration (and thus, aggression)?
Greater anticipated satisfaction from original goal
Proximity to goal completion PRIOR to frustration
More COMPLETE goal blocking
More FREQUENT goal blocking

Criticisms of the theory:
Aggression can occur WITHOUT frustration (heat, pain, etc.)
Frustration can, but does not always, lead to aggression
->learned helplessness (when an animal is repeatedly exposed to inescapable adverse stimuli, they will eventually give up trying to avoid it)

Question 5

Neo-associationistic Account of aggression (Berkowitz)

Answer 5

Bad thing happens, might get angry (if don’t, won’t lead to aggression)

People have unpleasant experiences (not just frustration)
Unpleasant experiences MIGHT produce anger
-physiological arousal- fight or flight
-event-related cues- blame-worthiness, injustice
-unrelated cues (e.g., weapons)
-social learning- Bandura’s bo-bo doll studies
-culture- culture of honor
-> more violent acts particularly in South East as opposed to NE (assumed because heat, reality because of culture of honor- concerned about own and loved ones’ reputation)

If people respond to the unpleasant experience with anger, aggression is more likely