Lecture_10_Aggression Flashcards
Aggression
Any form of behavior directed toward the goal of harming or injuring another living being who is motivated to avoid such treatment
Types of Aggression
- Hostile aggression
- Instrumental aggression
- Relational aggression
Hostile Aggression
Aggression stemming from feelings of anger and aimed at inflicting pain or injury
Instrumental Aggression
Aggression as a means to some goal other than causing pain
Relational Aggression
To deteriorate other people’s relationship
- e.g. gossip, spread rumors
Aggression Questionnaire
- Anger
- Physical aggression
- Hostility
- Verbal aggression
Gender and Aggression
- Males behave aggressively to secure status (culture of honor) -> Female chooses male who offers greatest protection and resources
- Females are more verbally aggressive by using sarcastic remarks
Cultures of Honor
Cultures that value individuals’ capability
- In the western culture, self-esteem is build on one’s capabilities
Emotional Responses as a Function of Groups’ Perceived Warmth and Competence
- Warm + Competent = Admiration
- Warm + Incompetent = Pity
- Cold + Competent = Envy
- Cold + Incompetent = Contempt
Biological Factors of Aggression
- Testosterone: Only correlation, no causation
- Mirror neurons
Culture and Aggression
Cultures embedded with cooperative, collectivist values lower levels of aggression than European societies
The Evolutionary View of Aggression
Natural selection
Psychoanalytic Theory of Aggression
Sex and Aggression
Social-Cognitive Learning Theory of Aggression
Role model
Learning Theory of Aggression
Reinforcement & Punishment
The General Aggression Model (GAM) Important
Integrative theoretical framework explaining how PERSONAL and SITUATIONAL input variables lead to aggressive behavior via
- Cognitive appraisal
- Negative affect
- Physiological arousal
Changes in Aggression Across Time and Cultures
Changing social conditions can change behavior
- Competition -> increases aggression
- Conflict -> learn aggression
Physiological Influences on Agression
- Alcohol
- Pain and heat
Alcohol and Aggression
Alcohol reduces anxiety and lowers social inhibitions
Think-Drink Effect
When people expect alcohol to have certain effects on them
-> more aggressive
Pain, Heat, and Aggression
Bodily discomfort: heat, humidity, air pollution, crowds, and offensive odors
-> Lower the threshold for aggressive behavior
Social Situations and Aggression
- Frustration-Aggression Theory
- ## Provocation and reciprocation
Frustration-Aggression Theory
Frustration-the perception that you are being prevented from attaining a goal-increases the probability of an aggressive response
- Not absolute deprivation
- But relative deprivation: A discrepancy between what they have and what they expect to have
Weapons Effect
The increase in aggression (heightened testosterone) that can occur because of the mere presence of a gun or other weapon
Sexual Assault
Lack of consent remains the key criterion
Sexual Scripts
Sets of implicit rules that specify proper sexual behavior for a person in a given situation, varying with the person’s gender, age, religion, social status, and peer group
Violence and the Media
More violent after watching violent media
- Especially, games that reward violence, awarding points or moving the player to the next level after a “kill”
- Both violent video games and prosocial video games have direct effects on their players
Desensitization
Psychic numbing or indifference to real victims
The reasons behind Violence Media Induced Aggression
- Increase physiological arousal and excitement: an automatic tendency to imitate the hostile or violent characters
- They prime existing aggressive ideas and expectations: approved ways of behaving when we are frustrated, angry, or hurt
Punishing Aggression
- Extreme punishment (physical abuse) is a risk factor in children for the development of depression, low self- esteem, violent behavior, and many other problems
- Consistency and certainty of punishment are more effective deterrents of violent behavior than severe punishment or death penalty
Catharsis and Aggression
“Blowing off steam”
Behaving aggressively or watching others to do so- relieves built-up anger and aggressive energy, reduces the likelihood of further aggressive behavior
-DISCONFIRMED: Expressing anger often makes people angrier
Blaming the victim of our aggression?
Cognitive dissonance: Justifying our action (He/She deserves it.)
Why some people are more aggressive than others?
- Hostile Attributional Bias
- Narcissism
Hostile Attributional Bias/Style
Tendency to attribute hostile intentions to a person who has caused harm when it is unclear whether or not the harm was caused accidentally or on purpose
Narcissism
Personality trait denoting a grandiose view of the self and strong sense of entitlement
What are we supposed to do with our anger?
- Venting versus self-awareness/self-control/self-regulation
- Training in communication and problem-solving skills
- Countering dehumanization by building empathy
- Disrupting the rejection-rage cycle
- Social rejection is the most significant risk factor for teenage suicide, despair, and violence
Toxic Relationships: Blame-shifting & Gaslighting
Psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically
-> confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator
Discussion: Examples of toxic relationships and how to handle them
Discussion: What makes you aggressive?
3. Discuss how to decrease or handle aggression
(both towards and from others) in general and in
daily life.
Discuss how to decrease or handle aggression (both towards and from others) in general and in daily life.
