Lecture 3: Experiencing online aggression Flashcards
What is the definition of online aggression / cyber aggression (Grigg, 2010)
- Intentional harm…
- … delivered by the use of electronic means…
- … to a person or a group of people…
- … who perceive(s) such acts as offensive, derogatory, harmful, or unwanted
What is the definition of (cyber)bullying (Olweus, 1993)
- Bullying is an aggressive, intentional or behavior…
- … that is carried out by a group or an individual…
- … repeatedly…
- … and overtime against a victim who cannot easily defend him-or herself
What are Dark triads?
set of three personalities
What are dark personalities?
Those characterized by socially offensive traits:
- Narcissism
- Machiavellianism
- Psychopathy
What do we know about Machiavellianism and (cyber-) aggression? - Dark triad
Associated with offline aggression among adolescents
What doe we know about Narcissim and (cyber-) aggression? - Dark triad
- Associated with offline aggression among adolescents
- Narcissists function well in online environments (e.g., due to the controllability of online self-presentation
- Narcissistic exploitativeness (exploitative of others, only your own interest in mind, no moral compassion), a sub-construct of narcissism, is associated with cyber-aggression among adolescents
What do we know about Psychopathy and (cyber-) aggression? - Dark triad
- Associated with offline aggression among adolescents
- Associated with cyber-aggression among adolescents
What were the results from the study ‘Dark triad’? (Pabian et al.)
- Machiavellianism & narcissism was not connected to cyber-aggression
- Psychopathy was connected to cyber-aggression
- Facebook intensity was connected to cyber-aggresison
- Facebook intensity was not a mediating factor
What were the implications from the study ‘Dark triad’? (Pabian et al.)
As personality traits are fairly stabilized in this age group, cyber-
aggression may be used as an indicator of psychopathy in adolescent individuals.
What advise (prevention) can we give based on the study? - ‘Dark triad’? (Pabian et al.)
- Social perspective-taking skills have been proven successful in overcoming egocentrism and antisocial behavior
- Include training of these skills in prevention programs
What are the limitations of the study?
- Short Dark Triad instrument did not allow to investigate sub-constructs of Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy
- More recently: Dark Tetrad: Sadism as fourth triat
- Self-reports: Solutions: Social desirability scale
- Convenience sample (more girls than boys)
Explain the theory of planned behavior…:
- The TPB (Ajzen, 1991) posits that people’s intention to perform a certain
behavior is the best predictor of their actual behavior. - The behavioral intention, in turn, is determined by three belief-based concepts:
1. Attitude
2. Subjective norm
3. Perceived behavioral control
Why is the study of Pabian & Vandebosch (2014) about ‘the theory of planned behavior’ relevant?
- Shortcomings proximal determinants
* Received few attention in previous research
* Studied in isolation from other proximal determinants - Importance of studying proximal determinants
* Modifiable by interventions
What are the RQ’s of the study? - ‘the theory of planned behavior’ (Pabian & Vandebosch, 2014)
- Is the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) a good framework for explaining cyberbullying perpetration?
- Which are the underlying beliefs of the attitude, subjective norm and perceived
behavioral control?
What did previous research found about profiling perpetrators and ‘attitudes, values’?
More favorable attitude with regard to cyberbullying
What did previous research found about profiling perpetrators and ‘Subjective norms, normative beliefs’?
Normative beliefs that peers approve cyberbullying
What did previous research found about profiling perpetrators and ‘Risk perception’?
Having less concerns about being caught and socially punished
Which studies used ‘The theory of planned behavior’ and what was it about?
- Adolescents’ offline and online (risk) behavior
* Gambling, (un)safe sex, fighting
* Sexting - Heirman & Walrave (2012): Cyberbullying
* Shortcoming: Only use of DIRECT measures, not underlying beliefs of A, SN, PBC
What is the focus of the study? - ‘the theory of planned behavior’ (Pabian & Vandebosch, 2014)
Adding underlying beliefs
1. Attitudes: Why are attitudes positive or negative? Which are the expected positive and negative outcomes of CB?
2. Subjective norm: Which reference groups ultimately generate a positive or negative
influence?
3. Perceived behavioral control: What makes CB easy or difficult to perform
What are the implications that the study found? - ‘the theory of planned behavior’ (Pabian & Vandebosch, 2014)
- The theoretical model (TPB) = applicable
- Evidence & importance proximal determinants
* Some are more important than others
* Evidence-based intervention and prevention studies can make an informed selection - Importance of peers
What are the limitations of the study? - ‘the theory of planned behavior’ (Pabian & Vandebosch, 2014)
- Large proportion of self-reported behavior unexplained
- Cyberbullying is not always a ‘planned behavior’
- Background characteristics and other behaviors not added to the model (e.g., gender, age, past behavior)
Why is cyberbullying not always a ‘planned behavior’?
- Impulsive action
- Willingness could be better prediction than intention (research debate)
Why is large proportion of self-reported behavior unexplained a limitation?
- General measurement CB, concrete behaviors might have varied considerably
- Temporal distance (six months) between intention and behavior
