Lecture 11 - Aggression

Question 1

Aggression

Answer 1

• Any behavior that is intended to inflict physical or psychological harm on an organism or object
• *Key aspects:
  1. Requires intent
  2. Incl phys/psych harm inflicted

Question 2

Types of aggression

Answer 2

1. Instrumental

2. Hostile

Question 3

Instrumental aggression

Answer 3

Aggressive acts carried out to achieve a goal (to obtain material, psychological, or social benefits)

• Generally deliberative in nature
• Motivated by rewards or avoidance of punishment
• Behavioral principle of reinforcement

Question 4

Hostile aggression

Answer 4

Aggressive behavior, stemming from anger, with the goal to injure or cause death

• Often impulsive and irrational
• May not be deliberated upon

Question 5

Biological factors/ theories of aggression

Answer 5

1. Physiological Theories (brain structures, hormones)
2. Ethological Theories (instincts, genetic factors)
3. Sociobiological Theories: Role of aggression in survival (sexual competition and resource competition)

Question 6

External/social factors/theories of aggression

Answer 6

1. Frustration-aggression theory

2. Social learning theories

Question 7

Biology of aggression - influences

Answer 7

1. Genetic
   - Identical twins have more similar aggressive tendencies than fraternal twins
2. Hormonal
   - testosterone
3. Brain
   - Amygdala
   - Hypothalamus

Question 8

Frustration-aggression hypothesis

Answer 8

According to this hypothesis, frustration leads to aggression

• Frustration always elicits aggression
• Every act of (hostile) aggression could be traced to an act of frustration
• Aggression causes catharsis, a reduction in the aggressive drive

Question 9

Displaced aggression

Answer 9

Aggression against a safe, lower power target rather than the source of frustration

Question 10

Social learning theory of aggression

Answer 10

• People are not born with a repertoire of aggressive responses
• People learn aggressive responses through experience or observation of others
  E.g., Bobo Doll Studies

Question 11

Social factors that increase aggression

Answer 11

• Frustration (can lead to increased aggression)
• Heat
• Alcohol
• Aggressive Cues
• Media Violence
• Video Games

Question 12

General Affective Aggression Model (GAAM)

Answer 12

Repeated violent video game playing leads to: aggressive beliefs and attitudes, aggressive perceptions and expectations, aggressive desensitization, and to an increase in aggressive behavior

Question 13

Why do violent video games increase aggression?

Answer 13

• Social learning
• Formation of aggressive schemas
• May form an automatic association between the self and aggression

Question 14

Uhlmann and Swanson, 2004 - video games and aggression

Answer 14

• Playing violent video games causes the self to be associated with aggression (at least temporarily)
• Also found a relationship between IAT scores and long-term exposure to violent video games (r = 0.28)
• Suggests the effect of violent games on the implicit self-concept may be long-lasting