Group display aggression (evolutionary) Flashcards
What is the main evolutionary consideration for group display aggression?
Warfare.
What are the four evolutionary reasons for warfare?
- Securing access to scarce resources.
- Reducing overpopulation.
- Aggressors forcing their own genes onto a vanquished group.
- Acquiring status and access to females.
Identify the named analysis and two examples which support the explanation of ‘securing access to scarce resources.’
Diamond (1991), Germany’s Lebensraum and the war in the Middle-East.
What did Diamond find in 1991 supporting ‘securing access to scarce resources’?
By 1991, 63% of countries involved in 20th century wars did so for reasons that included land disputes due to insufficient space and resources.
Identify the named analysis and an example which supports the explanation of ‘reducing overpopulation.’
Diamond (1991) and the Native American genocide.
What did Diamond find in 1991 supporting ‘reducing overpopulation’?
Gaining land through war is immediately followed by the partial or total killing of the defeated original inhabitants of the territory.
Give two named analyses which support the explanation of ‘aggressors forcing their own genes onto a vanquished group’.
Bullock (1981) and Thornhill & Thornhill (1983).
What did Bullock find in 1981?
American soldiers, apart from killing, were commonly found to have raped young women in the towns they were stationed, creating a generation of Ameriasians in Vietnam.
What did Thornhill & Thornhill find in 1983?
War rape is nearly universal.
Give one study, one named analysis, and an example in support of ‘acquiring status and access to females.’
Griskevicius (2009), Chagnon and the Yanomamo people (1968) and the Bosnian genocide.
Outline Griskevicius’ findings from 2009.
Men are more inclined to act aggressively when motivated by competition and status. Men are less inclined to aggress when motivated by courtship.
Outline Chagnon’s observations (2 points) from 1968.
- One of the most frequent causes of conflict for the Yanomamo people was the abduction of women.
- Most men who had killed were married. Most who had not killed were not married.
What are the two alternative theories for group displays of aggression (and their founders).
Convergence theory, Le Bon (1896).
Emergent norm theory, Turner & Killian (1957).
What does convergence norm theory suggest?
Norms are adopted by individuals within a group due to members of the group being highly suggestible. The adoption of a group norm can lead to aggression. This aggression is then heightened following a cycle of increasing aggression.
What does emergent norm theory suggest?
Crowd behaviour is normless. As the situation is unique individuals look towards others for instruction on how to act. If one person’s behaviour is distinctive this is adopted by the group, who become one “logically thinking mass of individuals.”
