Psychology B1 - cognitive approach to explaining aggression

Question 1

cognitive priming for aggression

Answer 1

-if you notice an aggressive stimulus, will notice a related stimulus more quickly (later)
-aggressive stimulus primes aggressive thoughts, any later stimulus ‘triggers’ you to behave aggressive = cognitive priming

Question 2

cognitive priming for aggression: aggressive prime/stimulus

Answer 2

-example, watching a violent film, game or watching others be aggressive
-priming of aggression can occur over a period of time, isn’t a ‘one-off’ event

Question 3

cognitive priming for aggression: below awareness

Answer 3

-priming occurs without us being aware
-we can be primed in one social situations and behave aggressively in another situation
-example, observe a character’s aggression in TV, and later are rude to a worker, might not have been rude if you hadn’t watched the TV
-unaware of connection, don’t realise you’ve been influenced

Question 4

Hostile attribution bias (HAB)

Answer 4

-interpret other people’s behaviour as threatening even though it is neutral
-can lead to aggressive behaviour
-someone with HAB pays extra attention to people’s behaviour, expecting to be threatening
-example, if someone accidentally pushes into them, this may feel provoked and become aggressive
-people around them respond aggressively, confirms to the person with HAB that their belief = correct, justified behaviour

Question 5

cognitive scripts and schema

Answer 5

-cognitive script = a schema, contains knowledge of how a social situation ‘plays out’, what to expect
-developed through observing and experiencing aggressive situations
-aggressive scripts are stored in memory and prime us to be ‘ready’ for aggression
-aggressive script is triggered when we encounter cues in a situation we perceive to be aggressive
-some people are more aggressive than others as some have a wider range of aggressive cognitive scripts that are retrieved

Question 6

evaluation: practical applications (+)

Answer 6

-cognitive approach has created practical real-world benefits
-has contributed to methods to reduce aggressive behaviours
-example, cognitive therapy aims to change HABs and thoughts that prime aggressive behaviour
-Guerra and Slaby (1990) helped adolescent prison inmates to replace hostile attributions with positive ones
-compared with a control group, they showed a much-reduced HAB and less aggression
-means that using the cognitive approach can help reduce aggression and the social costs associated with it

Question 7

evaluation: research support (+)

Answer 7

-many studies have found a link between cognitive factors and aggression
-example, de Castro et al. (2002) reviewed studies of HAB in children
-most studies confirmed there was an association between HABs and aggressive behaviour
-Fischer and Greitemeyer (2006) found that after listening to songs with derogatory lyrics about women, men behaved aggressively towards a woman confederate (cognitive priming)
-there is some research evidence that cognitive factors are centrally involved in aggressive behaviour

Question 8

evaluation: correlation not causation (-)

Answer 8

-cognitive factors may not be causes of aggressive behaviour
-studies show that aggressive scripts are associated with aggressive behaviour
-mostly correlational research, which cannot show that scripts cause aggression
-because no variables are manipulated or controlled
-Instead of people with aggressive scripts being more aggressive, it may be that being more aggressive contributes to a more aggressive script
-or a third non-cognitive factor is responsible for both the aggressive script and the aggressive behaviour
-means the cognitive approach is limited because correlations don’t allow us to identify the true causes of aggression