Lecture 6: Aggression Flashcards
Biological theories
argue we are predetermined to aggress and can be subdivided into psychodynamic theory and evolutionary theory
Psychodynamic theory
- Two instincts: Eros – life; Thanatos – death
- Death instinct redirected from the self towards others
- Tension builds in the body which needs to be released (as aggression) to restore balance
- Life and death instinct need to be kept in balance, death can come too powerful and lead to self destructive
- This is the tension that needs to be released
Evolutionary theory
- We have evolved aggression as a means of ensuring the survival of the species – an instinct
- Males fight other males for mating rights (and dominance)
- Mothers fight off predators
- Adaptive
- Problem – why then are humans sometimes aggressive towards their offspring?
- Social theories argue that social environment can influence likelihood to aggress (besides biology). There are many approaches – here we focus on a few…
Berkowitz and LePage (1967)
• Male college students given shocks by a confederate
• The more shocks they received the angrier they reported being
• Participants then evaluated the confederate’s performance by giving shocks in return
• Situational cue condition – shotgun and revolver on nearby table; nothing in control condition
1. The weapons effect
Results:
Gun: returning more shocks to the confederate
=the weapons effect
Excitation Transfer model
Zilmann, 1984
Situation 1 -> physiological arousal-> residual arousal->situation 2 (eg flatmate moans about washing up-> anger/aggression
Learning theories: Operate conditioning
Behaviours are reinforced through reward/punishment
Learning theories: Social Learning theory
as operant conditioning -however, behaviour can also be learned through observation vicariously Bandura(1961) Bobo doll experiment
Individual differences in aggression
- gender
- personality
- alcohol
- men tend to be more aggressive than women: hormonal explanations-testosterone
- personality
- (Friedman & colleagues) – Type A and Type B personalities
• Type A – ambitious, high achieving, perfectionists
• Type B – relaxed, uncompetitive, creative
• Theory criticized – traits defining Type B are not highly correlated within individuals - alcohol
• Bachman and Peralta (2002) heavy drinking in school students increased likelihood of violent offending
• Giancola and Zeichner (1997)
• RT competitive task against someone in another room
• Ascending blood alcohol concentration (rose above .08%) vs. Descendingblood alcohol concentration (falling below .08%)
• Wining on a trial allowed delivery of shock to ‘opponent’
• DV: intensity of shock
• Men delivered more electric shocks to an ‘opponent’ after heavy drinking and ascending blood alcohol
Situated determinants of aggression
- Physical environment
• Temperature – physiological arousal leading to stress. More assaults in hot weather (Harries & Stadler, 1983)
• Cohn and Rotton (1997) argue this is curvilinier (75F; 24oc peak) - Physical environment
• Noise - again physiological arousal leading to stress
• Crowding – two processes:
1) Physiological arousal leading to stress
2) Deindividuation, more anonymous, less identifiable
Aggression in groups: Deindividuation
- in groups people may view themselves as less as an individual and more as a group member
- To lose oneself in the crowd…
• Therefore, less accountable for behaviour as an individual
• Anti-aggressive behaviour norm is removed = aggression
Aggression in groups: Dehumanization
victims of aggression are viewed as anonymous, less human
“..people or collectives of them, are depicted as less than human, as non comparable in humanity or personal dignity to those who do the labeling”.
Philip Zimbardo
• Viewing an out group as less human and more animal legitimizes aggressive actions in the minds of in group members
