psy 3090 exam #2 Flashcards
what are the biological perspectives and its definitions?
(nature and nurture)
Nature: refers to genetic inheritance which influences behavior
Nurture: refers to environmental factors which influence behavior
phenotype
the outward expression of a person’s genotype. (color of your eyes, color of your hair, type of hair, etc.)
genotype
the genetic material a person inherits from biological parents.
abnormalities -Physiology and anatomy
Brain tumors have been found to be causal factors of violent behavior.
Even minimal brain damage can affect behavior, emotions and memory
Neurotransmitters
-very fast chemical messengers that affect many aspects of behavior
-linked to impulsivity
what neurotransmitter is linked to aggression?
monoamine
what happens when serotonin levels are low for male and females?
males= aggression and hostility
females=no linkers
impulsivity function
what are the two hormones that affect aggression and criminality?
testosterone and cortisol
-these hormones carry messages at a slow rate
what is testosterone?
Is one of the male sex hormones called androgens. (women can have it too)
what do studies show on testosterone?
Soler et al (2000) found an association between testosterone and domestic violence
Batrinos (2012) found that testosterone levels are higher in prisoners who have committed violent behaviors.
Field studies have shown that testosterone levels increase during the aggressive phases of sports games
what is cortisol?
-regulates stress
-Low levels of cortisol affect both boys and girls who have behavioral problems like conduct disorder
what did studies find on cortisol?
Aitziber Azurmendi (2016) found just the opposite
He found that as cortisol levels increased, so did aggression in both boys and girls.
Both low and high levels of this hormone can affect aggression
Montoya (2011) found that both cortisol and testosterone jointly regulate aggressive behavior
what does genetics cause?
aggression and adult criminal violence
what is the Diathesis Stress Model?
Explains that a disorder is the result of an interaction between a person’s genes and their environment
A predisposition
what is the Psychodynamic Perspective?
-emphasizes unconscious psychological processes (for example, wishes and fears of which we’re not fully aware)
who is the founder of psychodynamic and what does he say about it?
Dr. Sigmund Frued
-says that aggression is an unconscious impulse that is repressed or hidden.
Freud said that if the aggressive impulse is very strong then some aggression can “leak” out of the unconscious.
A person may then become aggressive against a random, innocent victim.
He called this ‘displaced aggression’
what is development?
the pattern of change that takes place throughout the lifespan.
Consists of biological, cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions.
who discovered the three primary parenting styles?
Diana Baumrid in 1971
authoritarian parenting style?
-which is too hard
-A strict style
Set rigid rules
Ex: teenager must be home by 8pm, if not punished
High expectations for their children
Does not allow children to make decisions
Not allowed to express feelings
Punishment is swift and severe
Some children conform.
In adulthood they:
Tend to be pleasers
Are submissive
Have low-self esteem
Some children rebel
They become:
Defiant and oppositional
The authoritarian style can put a child at risk for violence.
what are the 3 parenting styles?
Authoritarian, which is too hard
Permissive, which is too soft
Authoritative, which is just right
permissive parenting style?
Place few limits on their children
Gives in to their children’s demands
Allows them to orchestra their own lives
In adulthood they:
May have difficulty taking direction from authority figures
authoritative parenting style?
Set boundaries and provide guidance
Freedom to make decisions and learn from their mistakes
(some also call it) Democratic parenting style
Allowed a voice -opinion
Give and take relationship
Compromise
“ You can go to the party, but get back at 10pm”
“You can go to the party, but i expect your room to be clean”
In adulthood they:
Are emotionally mature and responsible
who discussed imploding and exploding?
Daniel in 2008
imploding?
is when a person engages in self-destructive behavior.
They take their hurt, pain and anger out of themselves.
Examples would be:
isolating oneself which can lead to suicidal ideation
Self-medicating with drugs and alcohol
Binge eating
Cutting
exploding?
when a person engages in other-destructive behavior
They take their hurt, pain and anger out on others
Examples would be:
Bullying
Physical and/or verbal violence toward others
Road rage
what is authoritative parenting associated with?
mirroring
what is mirroring?
you repeat back to a person the essence of what has just been shared. (a sharer and a listener)
what are the 3 types of mirroring?
empty, broken, & healthy
how does good mirroring benefit children?
Mirroring a child’s feelings can lead to the healthy expressions of feelings
This can help minimize the need to be aggressive and violent (Rogers, 1980 and Rautalinko et al, 2007)
empty mirroring?
he listener completely ignores what was just shared
broken mirroring
The listener changes what was just shared by blaming or giving advice or comparing. (I told you to find another job) (Well this is your fault) (well that is nothing compared to other people)
healthy mirroring
The listener accurately captures the feeling essence of what was just shared
what are the steps in mirroring?
Listen to what the person is sharing (no day dreaming/looking at phone)
2. Capture the feeling essence or main feeling of what they are sharing
3. Use a short opening phrase like:
It sounds like you’re feeling (disappointed, angry, frustrated)
I can see how (devastated or upset) you are feeling
You must be feeling (so worried or excited) right now.
4. Listen for the “Uh Huh” response or “Yes”, you understand me response.
what is the social learning theory
most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions, this coded information serves as a guide for action
what are the two learning mechanisms?
- observational learning or modeling
- rewards and punishment -operant conditioning
who discovered the social learning theory?
Albert Bandura (1950’s-60’s)
- observational learning or modeling
He said that people learn by observing what others do.
Bandura called this observation learning or social learning
Bandura said that children are great imitators.
In 1961, Bandura conducted the bobo doll experiment
Observing an aggressive adult increases the likelihood of aggression in the child.
operant conditioning
Behaviors that are rewarded are more likely to reoccur again
Behaviors that are punished are less likely to reoccur
A reward is any pleasant event or feeling
A punishment is anything that makes a behavior less likely to be repeated
what other factors affect violence and aggression?
temperament and attachment
what is temperament?
The infant’s individual style and frequency of expressing needs and emotions
It is biologically and genetically based
The environment can affect temperament also
who found the 3 temperament patterns in babies? what year?
Alexander Thomas and Stella Chess (1977)
what were the 3 temperament patterns in babies?
Easy babies- are the most common
They have regular routines
Eat and sleep at predictable times
They react to new situations cheerfully
They seldom fuss
B. Slow-To-Warm-Up babies
Are shy
React to new situations with caution
They prefer watch rather than participate
C. Difficult babies
Are irregular and irritable
Cry frequently and are easily upset
They tend to be abused more often than the other styles
Studies of preschool aged children find a positive relationship between difficult temperament and aggressive behavior
what is attatchment?
-Attachment to a parent is one of the most important events in a child’s life
-Attachment is the emotional bond between a child and his or her caregiver.
This relationship between the quality of attachment and aggression works in what two ways?
A. violence in the family interferes in the formation of a strong, positive attachment
B. insecure attachment may help cause aggression in children
what did John Bowbly say?
said that a baby must attach with a significant caregiver during the first 18 months of life
If the baby does not attach, it may become withdrawn and over time, engage in aggressive behavior
what study did harry harlow do?
conducted a study on two monkeys that consisted of:
1. Attachment occurs because mothers feed their babies
2. Attachment is based on the warm, comforting contact the baby gets from the mother
what 3 attachment styles did Mary Ainsworth come up with?
- Non-Attached- this child does not feel close to his parents and may avoid or ignore them (not a good care-giver)
- Insecurely attached- this child is filled with fear and insecurity (parent is inconsistent caregiver)
Seems to lead to hostile-aggressive behavior during the preschool years - Securely attached- this child feels close and safe with his parents and shows appropriate closeness. (consistently meet the needs of a child)
what were the factors that strengthen and weaken violent behaviors
Consequences:
Realism and context
Characteristics of the viewer
what are the consequences of violence in the media?
A. Media does not highlight the pain and suffering of the victim
When the victim’s pain and suffering is ignored, aggression is more likely to follow
The victim does not seem bothered or disturbed by the violence that is done to them.
They do not seem to be in pain or to be suffering
The viewer perceives the violence as acceptable
They may repeat the violence they have just watched
B. Violent acts that are rewarded or do not have any consequences are more frequently limited
Less than 20% of aggressors featured on television are punished for their behavior
realism and context
A. media violence that imitates real life can have a profound effect on the viewer
B. media violence that contains some humor may make the audience feel that violence is not that serious
C. The main character’s violent behavior
characteristics of the viewer
Who are the most susceptible viewers?
Young children
This is because young children find it difficult to distinguish fantasy from reality
Studies show that interpretation of violence is important
When parents make negative comments about violence on television children’s level of aggression is reduced.
When parents make positive or neutral comments about the violence, children’s level of aggression increases.
One individual difference is PERSONALITY
People who generally more aggressive behave aggressively after watching media violence
what are some examples of violent content in media?
Video games
TV/movies
Music videos
Websites
what has been blamed for aggressive and violent incidents in youths?
violence in the media
in what type of genre are violent lyrics found in
rap, heavy metal, rock and country
what are the lyrics depicting?
Violent aspects of urban life
Criminal behavior
Exalt the aggressor
Condone excessive use of force
misogyny
homophobic
antisocial
when was the first violent video game released
1992
whats the difference between violence in TV vs in video games?
TV is passive, video games are more inter-active.
Violent games directly award violent behavior, by awarding points, or advancing to the next levels
how do video games display violence?
Players of violent games often identify with a violent character.
First person shooter games have the same perspective as the killer.
how many people play the MMORPG-Massively multiplayer online role playing game?
Tens of millions of youth play them.
what does MMORPG-Massively offer?
They offer opportunities for collective group violence
Can engage in cooperative or competitive game play
Users engage in text-based chat or voice chat over headsets
Players can also engage in cyberbullying
research consensus found that violence in video games causes people to?
More tolerance of violence
More aggressive thoughts after playing
More hostile feelings towards others
Less empathy towards others and a decrease in helping behavior
who included a new condition disorder and in what year?
in 2013, the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder
The DSM diagnostic features are
A. repetitive use of internet-based games with at least five of the following criteria:
1. Preoccupation or obsession with internet games
2. Withdrawal symptoms when not playing internet games
3. A build up of tolerance- more time needs to be spent playing the games.
4. The person has tried to stop of curb playing internet games, but can’t
5. The person has had a loss of interest in other life activities, such as hobbies.
6. The person lied to others about his or her Internet game usage.
7. The person uses Internet games to relieve anxiety or guilt -it’s a way to escape.
8. The person has put at risk a relationship because of Internet games.
who argued that Sony had a right under the 1st Amendment to sell mature games to minors
2005, Strickland vs. Sony- the Alabama Supreme Court
what state passed the law to ban the sale of violent video games to minors?
California
how many hours of tv does a child watch averagely and how many average violent acts
The average child watches 3 hours of TV per day.
The average children’s show has 14 violent acts per hour.
what does anime cause?
psychological torture
how are children affected by violence on TV?
Research shows that children are definitely affected by this kind of violence.
Can cause children to experience anxiety, nightmares and bedwetting.
Parents must monitor what their children watch and block channels.
what are some characteristics of the darker side of the internet?
- More websites advocate violence and aggression
Example
Donovan Nicholas and Jeff the Killer - Interactive online games include violence
- Cyber bullying
- Online sexual solicitation
- Sites that provide detailed directions on how to commit violent acts.
- Hate sites target historically persecuted groups
- Terrorist groups target youth to recruit them
Much of the exposure was inadvertent
what percentage of males and females are exposed to violent images?
A study of 13 to 16 year olds found that 77% of males and 55% of females were exposed to violent images online.
Aggressive Disinhibition is influenced/caused by?
Aggressive disinhibition theory explains how the media can influence aggressive behavior
A person’s normal restraints are loosened after exposure to media violence
Aggressive behavior becomes normalized and these norms govern a person’s behavior
what are the two main effects of Aggressive Disinhibition?
habituation and desensitization
habituation?
the diminishing of a physiological or emotional response to a frequently repeated stimulus.
what are the effects of habituation?
Youth who watch a lot of TV violence became less physiologically aroused by violent movies than other youth.
Repeated viewing of TV violence decreases the responsiveness to violent media.
desensitization?
is a habituation phenomenon
The diminished emotional responsiveness to a negative, aversive or positive stimulus after repeated exposure to it.
Repeated exposure to violence causes desensitization to real-world violence.
what are the effects of desensitization?
The diminished emotional responsiveness to a negative, aversive or positive stimulus after repeated exposure to it.
Repeated exposure to violence causes desensitization to real-world violence.
what are the Four types of media-induced desensitization have been identified?
Behavioral: a reduction in prosocial behavior when witnessing aggressive acts
Cognitive: the person thinks about real world violence in a more positive way
Emotional: a reduction in affective (emotions) responding to real life acts of violence
Physiological: a reduction in biological responsiveness to real-life
how can aggression be learned?
both direct and indirect experience
direct learning?
depends on the consequences of an aggressive act
indirect learning?
involves the observation and imitation of aggressive behavior
scripts theory?
People hold a wide range of cognitive scripts which guide their behavior.
Scripts are patterns of behavior that develop over time.
Existing scripts are stored in memory
They continue to develop as the person observes new behaviors and has new experiences
cultivation theory?
Viewers view their environment as violent due to the unrealistic frequency of violent behavior that is portrayed in the media.
The media encourages the audience to believe that the world is a mean, violent, and dangerous place.
This creates a skewed reality called the mediated reality.
what are the short and long term effects media violence?
Short-term effects- the viewer mimics the behavior displayed on the screen.
Long-term effects-habitual behavior that results from regular observation and imitation.
Huesmann and Eron (1986) do with scripts?
the media creates new scripts in a person and reinforces existing scripts.
The person will take on the role within aggressive script which can lead to real life aggression
Medved (1995) say?
says the extent to which violent crime is depicted on television in contrast with actual crime is staggering.
Desensitization
There is evidence to suggest that violence becomes less upsetting and arousing over time.
This process is known as desensitization
Desensitization works by removing barriers
Distress that prevents a person from behaving aggressively gets reduced
what is Indirect aggression?
the aggressor attempts to harm another person without a face to face encounter.
This is called cyber-bullying which is done online
examples of indirect aggression?
gossiping, spreading rumors, revealing someone’s secrets and telling others not to associate with a person
who is more likely to use indirect aggression?
girls
why do girls use indirect aggression?
- It is more socially acceptable
- Since girl groups are often more intimate, they share more private information.
- Girls realize they aren’t as strong as boys and thus will suffer less severe consequences if they do not use physical force.
