lecture 9 slides *

Question 1

what is aggression?

Answer 1

• aggression: actions where there is intent to harm another
• target must want to avoid harm
• not just physical violence

Question 2

what motivates us to be aggressive?

Answer 2

• aggression as instinct
• frustration-aggression hypothesis
• aversive emotional arousal
• social learning and aggression

Question 3

aggression as instinctual

Answer 3

• it is inherent

- essential to our species’ survival

Question 4

frustration-aggression hypothesis

Answer 4

• frustrating circumstances lead to aggression
• this theory posits that 1) every frustration leads to an aggressive act and 2) every aggressive act is a result of some past frustration

Question 5

aversive emotional arousal

Answer 5

• aversive emotion as the cause of aggression
• negative emotion such as anger, discomfort
• aggression reduces or eliminates the negative emotion

Question 6

social learning and aggression

Answer 6

-learned through imitation or reinforcement

Question 7

targets of aggression

Answer 7

• gender
• race
• whether there was intent
• whether there might be retaliation

Question 8

situational factors

Answer 8

• potential rewards (material benefits, social approval, attention)
• modeling (an aggressive model)
• norms (negative norm of reciprocity, eye for an eye)
• stress
• aggressive cues (being provoked…)

Question 9

aggression in society- sexual assault

Answer 9

• rape prone societies

- harry weinstein case

Question 10

reducing aggressive behaviour

Answer 10

• reducing frustration (ensuring access to life’s necessities)
• catharsis (one can reduce aggressive behaviour through aggressive/hostile acts)
• punishment (anticipated punishment needs to be severe and likely to occur, actual punishment needs to be prompt, be a logical outcome, and cannot violate social norms)

Question 11

pro social behaviour

Answer 11

• actions that are considered to be beneficial to others and have positive outcomes
• helping
• philanthropy
• altruism
• volunteering

Question 12

altruism

Answer 12

• the belief that the well being of others is equal to or greater than your own
• selfless acts that put the welfare of others before yourself
• ex. woman trying to get ticket to florida and officers pay for it

Question 13

what motivates us to help?

Answer 13

• egoism
• altruism and empathetic concern
• evolutionary perspectives

Question 14

egoism

Answer 14

• self serving motives

- cost benefit of helping others

Question 15

altruistic and empathetic concern

Answer 15

• people as generous, unselfish

- empathy drives our need to help

Question 16

evolutionary perspective

Answer 16

• prosocial behaviour as beneficial for survival

- genetic trait passed down from generation to generation

Question 17

characteristics of those we help

Answer 17

• a number of factors
• known the person
• like the person
• similarity to us
• deserving of help

Question 18

the impact of norms

Answer 18

• cultural norms dictate when it is appropriate and inappropriate to help
• norm of reciprocity (should help those that help us and not help those who don’t help us)
• social responsibility norm (people should help those who are dependent on them)
• personal norms

Question 19

bystander intervention and effect

Answer 19

• what determines whether we will help a stranger in need?

- numerous witnesses didn’t help woman being attacked

Question 20

bystander intervention

Answer 20

• a number of factors determine whether we intervene:
• notice the situation
• interpreted as an emergency
• feeling of personal responsibility
• belief that we can provide help
• the decision to act

Question 21

bystander effect

Answer 21

• the more people in the crowd, the less likely one is to help
• ambiguity of the situation
• what others will think
• diffusion of responsibility