Week 11 - Aggression Flashcards by Tiegen Espetveidt

What is aggression

Any physical or verbal behaviour that is intended to HARM another person

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What is violence?

Acts of aggression with more SEVERE consequences

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What are the 2 types of aggression?

AFFECTIVE aggression: harm seeking that is elicited in response to a NEGATIVE emotion

INSTRUMENTAL aggression: ^^ that serves some other goals

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What is the “trust game” example?

Caudate activation learned trust as reward

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What is the aggressive unconscious who was involved?

What are the 3 sections?

Freud

1) EROS: human inborn instinct to create pleasure and create

2) THANATOS: human inborn instinct to aggress and to destroy

3) DISPLACEMENT & CATHARSIS: process of releasing strong/repressed emotions

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What was “Jung’s shadow”?

What does he think of projection?

The dark side of personality, CAN be +

BUT it is mostly - cause it’s HIDDEN and the UNWANTED part of ourselves

Projection = destruction of things embodying those unwanted aspects

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What is the counter to psychodynamics?

LEARNING to aggress

Aggressive action = desired attention + specific rewards + alleviate neg. = become more likely

Aggressive action = dissonance = attitude shifts that justify actions

Ex) social learning theory and Albert Bandura

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What does “awareness” mean in psychology?

Existence is a bummer

However, we are AWARE

This meaning and capability elevates/unites us

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What is existential “bad faith”

ESCAPE from the dilemma of existence

DONT worry about oneself or meaning of life

Ignoring existential questions

Ignoring moral imperative

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What does Erich Fromm/Theodor think of “bad faith”?

What are the 3 aspects?

Escape from the angst of FREEDOM

1) Impersonal identity

2) Authoritarism

3) Destruction

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What is the evolutionary argument for aggression?

Male aggressors more likely to OBTAIN resources + attract mates through higher STATUS, increasing odds of REPRODUCTIVED success

Females want to PROTECT their offspring

Social animals can coordinate against other groups

INCREASED aggression found in step families

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What is the genetic argument for aggression?

BASIS for aggression

Identical twins show greater overlap in aggression VS fraternal siblings

Meta-analysis genetic factors account for large VARIANCE in aggression

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What is the neurobiology argument for aggression?

What are the 2 brain regions involved?

Research confirms physiological mech in DETECTION of social threat, anger, and aggressive behaviour

1) Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex (dACC) —-> detect social threat

2) hypothalamus and amygdala (anger and fear, fight or flight (epinephrine, norepinephrine))

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What part of the brain is involved in impulse regulation?

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC)

Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)

Help SHARE connections w/ limbic system + contain serotonin receptors

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What is the testosterone argument for aggression?

Think of it as a _____________, increases existing behavioural tendencies.

SEX hormone

~10x higher in men

Link w/ aggression is complex

Role with inhibitor and control of sexual/aggression
————————————————————————-

Energizer

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What is the 2D:4D ratio?

What is high, equal and low ratios?

What is the typical male and female ratio?

High: Index (pointer) LONGER than ring finger

Equal: Index (pointer) and ring fingers of EQUAL length ***TYPICAL FEMALE

Low: Index (pointer) SHORTER than ring finger ***TYPICAL MALE

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The lower 2D:4D ratio seen in men correlates with what?

Good visual and spatial awareness

Athletic achievement

Dominance and masculinity

Sensation seeking and psychoticism

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What does a higher 2D:4D typically do to women?

Verbal fluency

Emotional problems

Neuroticism

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What is the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

ORIGINAL vs REVISED version

Original: aggression is ALWAYS preceded by frustration and that’s frustration leads to aggression

Revised: suggest that frustration PRODUCES an emotional READINESS to aggress

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What are some situational triggers of aggression?

Context

Priming

Culture

Physical threat

Psychological conflict

What is the “weapons effect”?

Tendency for firearms to INCREASE the likelihood of aggression

Increases when people are FRUSTRATED

What about gun ownership and aggression?

For HUNTERS, guns usually aren’t aggressive

Most Americans are not recreational hunters

Gun homicides in U.S are high compared to other places

How does culture effect aggression?

U.S?

Among (U.S) national cultures…
In U.S murder rate is DOUBLE the world average

Within (U.S) nations…
Culture is HONOR (status protection)

Threat and aggression can be __________ or ____________.

Physical:
- Physical/verbal attack (fight/flight)
———————————————————-
Psychological:
- Insult/social rejection (rejection sensitivity)

Narcissism and unstable self-esteem

Who was Kurt Lewin and what was his proposal in terms of aggression?

Push and pull forces B = (P,E) Psychological conflicts Un-freeze —> change —> freeze

What is approach-avoidance theory? How does this relate to the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

DRIVE towards things we WANT (approach) DRIVE away things we DON’T WANT (avoid) DRIVES can CONFLICT ————————————————————— DRIVES can be BLOCKED Aggression after frustration CAN have UTILITY (can remove block)

Displaced aggression VS triggered displaced aggression?

Displaced: directed toward a target OTHER than the SOURCE of one’s frustration Triggered displaced: occurs when someone does not respond to INITIAL frustration, but later responses more aggressively than would be warranted to a SECOND event

What does anger correlate with?

Left PFC Approach personality Reward sensitivity

What role does morals play in aggression?

Largely concerned with REDUCING harm and PROMOTING prosocial behaviour Moral VIOLATIONS seem to unleash aggression Morals are largely based in EMOTION

What is proximal function VS distal function in terms of aggression?

Proximal: -Aggression is emotion-driven, irrational, harmful etc.. Distal: - Aggression serves to help groups or society’s cohere

What is ‘altruistic’ punishment?

Punishment that has NO DIRECT benefit, but has significant cost for the punisher Example of anger as a PROXIMAL cause

Some evidence suggests altruistic punishment is what?

Prosocial, controlled, unselfish etc…

Morals as a cause….? Morals as a constraint…?

Cause.. as observer: - What we want is violated by another INDIVIDUAL Constraint.. as actor: - We feel guilt as our behaviour conflicts with our MORALS and VALUES - Motivates us

What is moral disengagement?

Albert Banda, recall social learning theory INTERNALIZED moral codes guide us away from aggression and violence

How is oxytocin related to aggression in animals?

Prairie voles —> oxytocin after birth —> increased aggression Mice —> increased aggression to intruders (not own pups) Squirrel monkeys —> oxytocin —> enhanced territorial aggression?

What about oxytocin and relation with partner violence?

BOTH + and - effects Hypothesized to promote relationship goals

What is the dark triad? What are the 3 components?

MORALS are largely EMOTION based Disengagement from MORAL emotions should INCREASE aggression and violence 1) narcissism 2) psychopathy 3) Machiavellianism

What is psychopathy? Give an example

Ted Bundy - serial killer Charismatic and able to determine what’s RIGHT from WRONG Absence of guilt or shame Impaired emotional system? Reduced reactivity to NEGATIVE stimuli Abnormalities in insula and amygdala

When does religion increase aggression?

Divisions b/w groups and DEHUMANIZES out groups illusions of MORAL superiority and invulnerability IRRATIONAL thinking “When god sanctions killing”

When does religion decrease aggression?

The core of religion is the GOLDEN RULE Content-free or unadultered content = region w/out CORRUPTED aspects Emphasizes god as UNIVERSAL = MORAL laws for all “God is good” “God is watching”

True or false. Does a violent family life make a person more susceptible to aggression?

TRUE It disrupts psychological security Rejected/abused children also more likely

True or false. Individualistic cultures are not any more likely to be more aggressive compared to collectivistic cultures

FALSE Individualistic cultures tend to be more aggressive

What are some personality traits that might make a person more aggressive?

1) narcissists/low self-esteem 2) high in impulsivity 3) over controlled people 4) high in sadism (enjoy causing pain on others)

How do alcohol and drugs increase aggressiveness?

Illegal business in drugs —> full of violence Drugs can cause PARANOIA and INCREASE AROUSAL Alcohol IMPAIRS higher-order thinking Hard to read social CUES when intoxicated

What are the 3 categories of domestic violence offenders?

1) psychopathic 2) overcontrolled 3) borderline

What are 4 societal interventions to REDUCE aggression?

1) improve quality of life 2) better control ACCESS to weapons 3) PUNISH aggression more effectively 4) better address MEDIA violence

What are 3 interpersonal approaches to REDUCE aggression?

1) improve parental CARE 2) strengthen social CONNECTIONS 3) promote EMPATHY

What are 2 individual approaches to REDUCE aggression?

1) improve self-awareness/self-control 2) reduce hostile attribution BIAS 3) promote STABLE bases of self-worth/competence