lecture 9 slides * Flashcards
what is aggression?
- aggression: actions where there is intent to harm another
- target must want to avoid harm
- not just physical violence
what motivates us to be aggressive?
- aggression as instinct
- frustration-aggression hypothesis
- aversive emotional arousal
- social learning and aggression
aggression as instinctual
- it is inherent
- essential to our species’ survival
frustration-aggression hypothesis
- 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
aversive emotional arousal
- aversive emotion as the cause of aggression
- negative emotion such as anger, discomfort
- aggression reduces or eliminates the negative emotion
social learning and aggression
-learned through imitation or reinforcement
targets of aggression
- gender
- race
- whether there was intent
- whether there might be retaliation
situational factors
- 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…)
aggression in society- sexual assault
- rape prone societies
- harry weinstein case
reducing aggressive behaviour
- 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)
pro social behaviour
- actions that are considered to be beneficial to others and have positive outcomes
- helping
- philanthropy
- altruism
- volunteering
altruism
- 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
what motivates us to help?
- egoism
- altruism and empathetic concern
- evolutionary perspectives
egoism
- self serving motives
- cost benefit of helping others
altruistic and empathetic concern
- people as generous, unselfish
- empathy drives our need to help
evolutionary perspective
- prosocial behaviour as beneficial for survival
- genetic trait passed down from generation to generation
characteristics of those we help
- a number of factors
- known the person
- like the person
- similarity to us
- deserving of help
the impact of norms
- 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
bystander intervention and effect
- what determines whether we will help a stranger in need?
- numerous witnesses didn’t help woman being attacked
bystander intervention
- 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
bystander effect
- the more people in the crowd, the less likely one is to help
- ambiguity of the situation
- what others will think
- diffusion of responsibility
