PSY2001 W9 Aggression (L)

Question 1

What is aggression measured?

Answer 1

Some tools include using analogues of behaviour, self report, observation

Question 2

What is aggression?

Bandura, 1973

Answer 2

behaviour resulting in personal injury or destructution of property

Question 3

What factors contiribute to aggression?

Answer 3

Societal, situational and personal factors

Question 4

What are some societal factors that contribute to aggression?

Answer 4

disadvantaged groups, violent media

Question 5

What are some situational factors that contribute to aggression?

Answer 5

heat, crowding, alcohol

Question 6

What are some personal factors that contribute to aggression?

Answer 6

sex, gender, personality, attachment

Question 7

What are some diffierent perspectives explaining aggresive behhaviour?

Answer 7

Biological, Biosocial and Social approaches

Question 8

What is asocial approach explaining aggression?

Answer 8

social learning theory

Question 9

What is a biosocial appraoch explaining aggression?

Answer 9

frustration-aggression hypothesis

Question 10

What are two biological appraoches explaining aggression?

Answer 10

psychodynamic, evolutionary approaches

Question 11

What is the general aggression model ?

Answer 11

Outlines how person and situation factors increase or decrease the likelihood of aggression through their influence on present internal state variable and how these are appraised

Question 12

What is aggression?

Scherer, Abeles & Fischer 1975

Answer 12

Behaviour intended to harm another of the same species

Question 13

What is aggression?

Baron 1977

Answer 13

Behaviour directed towards the goal of harming or injuring another living being who is motivated to avoid such treatment

Question 14

What is aggression?

Baron & Byrne 2000

Answer 14

Intentional infliction of harm on others

Question 15

What is aggression?

Anderson & Bushman 2002

Answer 15

Behaviour directed towards another carried out with the proximate intent to cause harm

Question 16

What is aggression?

Baron & Branscombe, 2012

Answer 16

Behaviour that is designed to harm others in some way

Question 17

How is aggression measured diffirently?

Answer 17

Analogues of behavior [bobo dools, pressing a button to deliver a fake shock]
Signals of intention [expression of willingness to behave aggressively]
Ratings [self-report, reports by other, observation]
Indirect [non-physical,relational/psychological aggression]

Question 18

What is a limite of analoguing behaviour?

Measuring aggression

Answer 18

Generalisability to a real life setting

Question 19

What is a limite of singal of intention?

Measure aggression

Answer 19

intentions does not always translate to behaviour

Question 20

What are 2 limites of ratings?

Measure aggression

Answer 20

social desirability bias
observation interpret behaviour in line with prior expectations/hypotheses

Question 21

What is a limite of indirect forms of measurement?

aggression

Answer 21

May inflate the prevalence of aggression if comparing to direct/physical measures of aggression

Question 22

What is the psychodynamic appraoch ?

Freud 1920

Answer 22

We have an unconscious drive known as ‘Thanatos (death instinct)’. Over time this instinct builds up creating pressure which we cannot control and makes us do something aggressive.
We deal with this tension by redirecting it to other activities = Catharsis

Question 23

What is evolutionary psychology?

darwin 1859

Answer 23

Aggressive behaviour is used to ensure genetic survival.

Aggression is linked to living long enough to procreate ( animal behaviour: males fighting other males for mating rights, hunting for food, protecting territory and Mothers behave aggressively to protect their offspring)

Among humans -> obtain social and economic advantage to improve the survival rate of their children

Question 24

What are some strenghts of evolutionary psychology as an explanation for aggression?

Answer 24

Appeal and resonate with the idea that violence is part of human nature
Supported when comparing to animal behaviour

Question 25

What are some limitations of evolutionary psychology as an explanation for aggression?

Answer 25

X Unknowable and immeasurable – instincts can’t be studied / measured
X Supported by observational studies only, so we cannot establish causality
X Evolutionary tendencies to develop over thousands of years – difficult to measure in the lab
X Human behaviour aggressively outside of situation when we need to defend ourselves children
X Aggression towards our own relatives
X Could be argued that evolutionary approach is not informative for prevention or intervention work.

Question 26

What is the frustation-aggresion hypothesis ?

Dollard et al 1939

Answer 26

Based on the catharsis hypothesis [freud] considers frustation as an antecedent to aggression. Aggression is a cathartic release of the build-up of frustration. Cannot always challenge the direct source of aggression: sublimation and displacement

Question 27

What is frustration?

Answer 27

individual is prevented from achieving a goal by some external factor

Question 28

What is sublimation?

The Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis (Dollard et al., 1939)

Answer 28

Using aggression in acceptable activities such as sport.

Question 29

What is displacement?

The Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis (Dollard et al., 1939)

Answer 29

Directing our aggression outwards onto something or someone else.

Question 30

What is the diagram of The Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis?

Dollard et al., 1939

Answer 30

Drive to goal > obstacle to goal > frustration > aggression > punishment&raquo_space;frustration > aggresion > success (sublimation/displacement) > catharisis

Question 31

What is the excitation transfer ?

Zilmann 1979 1988

Answer 31

People experience physiological arousal in different contexts. Arousal in one context can carry over to other situations and may increase likelihood of aggressive behaviour.
Requires three conditions:
- 1st stimuli produces arousal/excitation
- 2nd stimulus occurs before the complete decay of arousal from the first stimulus
- There is misattribution of excitation to the 2nd stimulus

Question 32

What are some strenghts of biosocial appraoches?

Answer 32

provides useful opportunities for intervention to target.
Meta-analysis of displaced aggresion found participants who were provoked be unable to retaliate directly against the source oof their frustration were significantly more likely to aggress against an innocent party than people who were not provoked – displacement

Question 33

What are some limitation of biosocial appraoches?

Answer 33

Frustration being aroused does not always lead to aggression, and you can be aggressive without being frustrated/aroused – too simplistic
Some types of arousal (exercise) can also make us feel good

Question 34

What is the social learning theory?

Bandura 1971

Answer 34

Aggression can be learnt
Directly (operant conditioning) and Indirectly (observational learning and vicarious reinforcement)
If aggressive behaviour is rewarded, they learn it is socially acceptable

Question 35

What was the bobo doll experiment ?

Bandura and Walters 1963

Answer 35

Nursery school children observe adult attack a “Bobo doll” when upset:
1. in person (live)
2. videotaped
3. cartoon
4. control – saw nothing

What happens when the child is left with toys? (incl. Bobo)
Children exposed to an adult displaying aggressive behaviour demonstrated increased number of aggressive behaviours when alone.
Strongest effect for live observation

Question 36

What are some strenghts of the bobo doll experiment?

Answer 36

√ Account from how children learn aggression from other people around them as well as through th media
√ Empirical support from any studies but many studies in lab setting increase the problem of demand characteristic and external validity

Question 37

What are some limitations of the bobo doll experiment?

Answer 37

X Aggressive role model =/= aggressive behaviour does not consider individual difference
X Effect of violent media on aggressive behaviour not consistently replicated
X A consistent finding in the bobo doll experiments is that boys show more aggression than girls – maybe more biological aspects.

Question 38

Why does gender contribute to aggression?

Answer 38

Men engage in aggressive behaviour more frequently (Eagly & Steffen, 1986).
There is individual variation in testosterone levels across genders, and testosterone only has a weak positive relationship with aggression (Book et al., 2001)

We learn gender appropriate behaviours (Eagly & Steffen, 1986)
- Physical aggression socially unacceptable for women
- Indirect (relational) forms of aggression may be more socially acceptable for women

This would predict that men and women would differ not in the amount, but the type of aggressive behaviours displayed

Question 39

Are women aggressive?

literature reviex Denson et al 2018

Answer 39

women are more likely to engage in indirect forms of aggresive behaviours. In laboratory studies: women are less physically aggressive compared to men. Gender differences in aggression may be due to socialisation

Question 40

What is relational aggression?

Answer 40

indirect
spreading rumors, gossiping, manipulating, silent treatment, excluding

Question 41

What is direct aggression?

Answer 41

name-calling, threatening, hitting, fighting, shoving

Question 42

How does personality play a role in aggression?

Bartlett & Anderson 2012

Answer 42

Big five personality traits and aggression
Agreeableness: negatively associated with aggression both directly and indirectly via aggressive attitudes and emotions
Neuroticism: positive association with physical aggression both directly and indirectly via aggressive emotions

Question 43

How does attachment security affect aggression?

Ogilvie et al 2014

Answer 43

examined the relationship between attachment security and offending.
Offenders were less secure in their attachments than controls.
Insecure attachment was strongly associated with all types of criminality (i.e. sexual offending, violent offending, non-violent offending, and domestic violence)

Question 44

What are some limitations of the meta-analysis on attachement security?

Ogilvie et al 2014

Answer 44

Excluded studies involving juvenile and female offenders
Attachment not always measured in the same way

Question 45

Does alcohol contribute to aggression?

Answer 45

Yes, Alcohol present in 68% of incidents of physical aggression (Wells et al., 2000).
Bushman & Cooper (1990) meta-analysis of experimental studies: alcohol consumption increased aggressive behaviour in men

With indirect effects and dirrect effects.

Question 46

What are some direct effects of alcohol on aggression?

Answer 46

comprmises cortical control and increases activity in more primitive brain areas (impairment in cogntiive function and decision making)
Psychological arousal in line with excitation transfer model

Question 47

What are some indirect effects of alcohol on aggression?

Answer 47

placebo effect ( expectations of receiving alcohol increased aggresive behaviour)
priming effect ( activating thoughts of alcohol increased aggresive behaviour)

Question 48

What did Taylor and Sears 1988 found looking at alcohol and aggression

Answer 48

Competitive task with another ppt involving reaction time.

Loser received electric shock from opponent each time
Shock level “supposedly” set by the ppt delivering the shock (but actually kept constantly low by experimenter).

A confederate applied social pressure to the ppt, sometimes encouraging them to increase the shock level (max = level 16)

Those in the alcohol group were more susceptible to this pressure

Question 49

How does Heat contribute to aggression?

Cohn & Rotton 1997

Answer 49

Assessed links between ambient temperature and assaults. Increased ambient temperature is associated with increases in aggression. But the effect is not linear: It can be too hot to have the energy for aggression! Effects stronger in the evening. Potential interaction between heat and alcohol consumption.

Question 50

How does crowding affect aggression?

Answer 50

population density linked to crime rates, increases stress, irritation, frustration and physiological arousal.
Anonymity in crowds: disinhibition ( when the usual social forces that restrain us from acting anti-socially are reduced in some way)
Deindividuation - feeling unidentifable among many others means we think we are unlikely to face consequences (fotball hooliganism, riots, onlin ebullying)

Question 51

How does disadvantages groups relate to agggressin?

Answer 51

Socially disadvantaged groups may engage in aggression if they believe: they are unjustly disadvantaged and they cannot improve their disadvantaged position.
Rates of homicide and non-lethal violence is higher among young, urban, poor, and ethnic minority males – likely due to a mix of social and ecological factors (Tolan & Gorman-Smith, 2002)

Relative deprivation linked to vandalism, assault, burglary, riots or violent protests

Question 52

What is relative deprivation?

Answer 52

discontent coupled with feeling that chances of improving conditions through legitimate means is minimal

Question 53

How does violent media contribute to aggression?

Answer 53

Easy access to sanitised versions of aggression/ violence in the media has been argued to desensitise viewers: TV/film often depicts aggressors as unpunished heroes

Social learning theory argues that viewers will copy such reinforced acts, whereas the catharsis hypothesis argues it will release tension and reduce aggression

(Black and Bevan, 1992) viewing a violent film increases aggression scores compared to watching a non-violent film (priming effect)

(Greitmeyer & Mugge 2014) Meta-analysis suggested that violent video games increase aggression

Question 54

What is the General Aggression Model (GAM) ?

Anderson & Bushman,2002

Answer 54

Fundamental idea is the interplay between personal and situational variables

Which influence 3 internal states: cognition, affect, arousal
Affecting our appraisal/decision processes. Which influence aggressive outcomes. Applied in many contexts (media, domestic violence

Used to inform interventions to reduce aggression and violence

Question 55

GAM model summary

Answer 55

impt [person and situation] > internal state [affect, cogntiion, arousal] W appraisal [thoughtful and implusive] > Action [social encounter]

Question 56

What is the temperature effect?

Anderson, Deuser & Denever 1995

Answer 56

Increasing temperature resulted in increased hostile affect, hostile cognition, and physiological arousal.
Therefore, hot temperatures increase aggressive tendencies by 3 separate routes (internal states).
Excitation transfer processes may then increase the likelihood of biased (hostile) appraisals of ambiguous social events, resulting in increased likelihood of aggression

Question 57

What is institutionalised aggression?

Answer 57

Aggressive behaviours adopted by members of an institution; e.g. prisoners may form gangs that commit violence against other inmates/staff.
About 25% of prisoners are victimized by violence each year while 4–5% experience sexual violence and 1–2% are raped (Modvig, 2014)
Approximately 30% of all students annually experience some type of aggression at school (UNESCO, 2018)

Question 58

What are institutions ?

Answer 58

Institutions are places where there are strict rules that give little choice to members of that institution. E.g. prisons, schools.

Question 59

What are causes of institutionalised aggression?

Answer 59

Dispositional factors [personalities fo the insitution’s member (importation mode)]
Situational factors [situation in which the members find themselves (depreivation model) (crowding, uncomfortabel temperature, loss of freedom)

Question 60

What is intimate partner violence (IPV)?

WHO, 2002

Answer 60

“any behaviour within an intimate relationship that causes physical, psychological or sexual harm to those in the relationship, including acts of physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviors”

Question 61

What is a IPV stat?

Answer 61

30% of women globally aged 15 and older have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence (Devries et al. 2013). Female perpetrated IPV occurs more in societies that are modern, secular, and liberal (Archer, 2006)
=> likely reflecting changes in traditional gender roles/norms (societal influences)

Question 62

What are causes of IPV?

Answer 62

Personal/situation factors: biology, gender, stresses (financial, unemployment, illness), alcohol consumption, football.
Social: social learning theory - learned patterns of aggression (generational cycle of abuse)
Biosocial: excitation transfer (football, alcohol), frustration aggression hypothesis (stresses), general aggression model (person/situational factors)