Weel 8: Agression

Question 1

What is aggression? What is violence?

Answer 1

Any physical or verbal behavior that is aimed at harming someone who does not want to be harmed. What matters is the aim- still counts as aggression if you do not succede in harming other.
Violence is the extreme version of aggression. All violence is aggression but not all aggression is violence.

Question 2

What are the two types of aggression? Direct/Indirect

Answer 2

• Direct: Observable physical and verbal and is intended to cause immediate harm. it is more common in boys 🍆 and it is associated with externalising problems 🤜
• Indirect: relational, socially manipulative behavior aimed at damaging relationships or social standings (gossip/exclusion). Not one gender and is linked to internalizing problems. linked to causing anxiety and depression

Question 3

What is the difference between instrumental and affective aggression? How can they be reoslved?

Answer 3

• Instrumental💣🔪: direct and strategic. In psychopathic individuals (driven by goal not emotions) with low empathy and low empathy. Fixed by altering cognitive-behavioral patterns (changing the way one thinks and acts)
• Affective ❤️: reactive and emotionally driven, immediate/not planned and triggered by environment (irritability and sadness). Fixed by emotional regulation

Question 4

What is evolutionary background of aggression?

Answer 4

• Evolved to address survival challenges (competing for mates/protection of offspring)
• Animals exhibit aggression too to prevent severe physical harm, assert dominance and maintain social order

Question 5

What physiological changes are at the source of aggression? (Ethological perspective)

Answer 5

• Dorsal anterior cingulate cortex: activated when conflict/interference (when individual si challenged) with goals in a social context or when rejection.
  -Hypothalamus + amygdala: work together for physiological stress regulation and emotional processing. Fight (anger) or flight (fear) response. amygdala causes aggressive response when perceives danger
  -Testosterone: hormone associated with with aggressive as well as risk taking behavior especially in males - provocation + conflict

Question 6

What are the main differences in human and animal aggression? What aspects of aggression are uniquely human?

Answer 6

• humans are more influenced by cultural and enviornmental factors
• humans have access to technological tools 🔫💣 which escalates and intensities conflict
• humans have self control that are affected by cognitive load: under a high cognitive load humans are more likely to act with little self control: impulsively and agressively. Prefrontal cortex doesn’t suppress instincts
• role of neurotransmitters: low levels of seratonin are linked with higher agression especially when facing stress
• humans have sophisticated abilities to stop, think and find alternatives to aggression

Question 7

Describe the cognitive neoassociation theory?

Answer 7

Theory describes how enviornmental cues can spark aggressive behavior.
Based on the idea that there is a network that connects memories, emotions and beliefs.
1) enviornment triggers an emotional or physical response
2) the network of agression, anger and frusturation is activated
3) the activated network influences how you behave, potentially increasing the likelihood of being aggressive.
Theory focuses on short-term causes/immediate of aggression

Question 8

What is the excitation transfer theory?

Answer 8

Excitation transfer theory suggests that arousal (physical) from one event can be transferred to another event, potentially leading to aggressive behavior

Question 9

What is the general aggression model?

Answer 9

A more complex model that helps provide understanding of the short and long term causes of aggression. Studies the interaction of personal, cognitive and enviornmental factors.

Stage 1: personal (personality, mood) and situational (getting insulted) variables
Stage 2: Present internal state (3 internal routes): Cognition:Aggressive thoughts or scripts activated by the situation. Affect: Emotional state, such as anger or frustration. Arousal: Physiological response, such as increased heart rate or adrenaline
Stage 3: After the inputs have altered the routes ‘appraisal and decisions area’ must decide whether the change of internal state is going to trigger a behavior
Stage 4: Behavior

Question 10

What are 3 biases that can occur at the appraisal stage of the general aggresion model?

Answer 10

Hostile attribution bias: interpreting other’s ambiguous actions as intentionally aggressive
Hostile perception bias: seeing ambiguous social environment and interaction as hostile or aggressive
Hostile expectation bias: expecting others will respond aggressively to potential conflicts

Question 11

What is the priming of aggressive cognitions?

Answer 11

Idea that refers to the process by which exposure to certain stimuli increasing the likelihood of aggressive behavior. This process occurs because of the activation of mental associations in memory that are linked to aggression. Individuals are NOT provoked or frustrated ( no affective arousal).
The weapon effect:
1) seeing weapons activates memories and cognitions (pimes aggressive mindset)
2) being primed with aggressive mindset influences appraisal and decisions area process leading to 3 biases
3) Weapons enhance physiological arousal (increased testosterone) which prepares individuals to responding aggressivly

Question 12

What is the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Answer 12

Idea that aggression is a result of frustration when an individual’s goal is blocked.
The level of frustration varies (arbitrary) - different levels of frustration will lead to different levels of aggression.
Attacks, insults and social rejection will make you more vulnerable/prone to feeling frustrated and lead to aggression
However the aggression may get displaced on not always be directed to the source of frustration. (The one drop that makes the container spill)

Question 13

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 13

Operant conditioning is a type of learning where behaviors are shaped by their consequences (reward/punishment). For example if a child always gets what they want by being aggressive they will think that aggression is the way to go.
Family life/media exposure will have a large effect

Question 14

What are methods that justify aggression?

Answer 14

Psyhchological justification: once people begin doing something they will continue doinging it because if they do not they will exprience cognitive dissonance. It is used to justify aggression
Kill bugs once, always kill bugs

Question 15

What is the influence of media on aggression?

Answer 15

• creates schemas through SLT in whatcher’s minds
• shapes perception of reality making it seem more dangerous 🗺️
• normalizes violence and aggression by decreasing sensitivity to it
• media influences individual’s internal state

Question 16

What are factors that mediate the degree to which the media influences aggressive behavior (mediators/ mediating factors)?

Answer 16

-hostile attribution style: how likely it is for an individual to interpret normal behavior as aggressive
- the degree to which the individual sees aggression as the answer - increased normative acceptance of aggression
-emotional desensitization: the empathy one feels towards others
- rumination: whether on is dwelling on past experiences

Question 17

In what way does the family enviornment influence aggression?

Answer 17

• genetics, usually if associated with enviornmental triggers may contribute to aggression
• contextual stressors (poverty and conflict) may lead children to use aggression as a coping mechanism
  -exposure to violence increases aggression: causes emotional stress and disrupts psychological functioning (emotional regulation and social interactions)
• intergenerational transmission: learning through parents SLT

Question 18

How does culture influence aggression?

Answer 18

-individualistic societies will exhibit higher levels of aggression as assertiveness (expressing personal thoughts) is viewed as a powerful trait
-collectivist cultures: emphasize cohesiveness, group harmony so aggression is discouraged
- in cultures that value honor (code of the street) aggression may be viewed as essential for protecting livelihood, status and self worth =aggression is accepted +expected

Question 19

What is the role of alcohol in facilitating aggression?

Answer 19

Alcohol 🍷
-decreases cognitive control and lowers inhibition making individuals more prone to aggressive behavior, especially those that are already prone to aggression
- disrupts neurobiological pathways of serotonin and GABA neurotransmitters decreasing positive mood and inhibition of impulsive behavior
- increases aggression towards partners
- being aggressive whilst being drunk has been ‘normalized’ and almost ‘expected’
- alcohol myopia is idea that alcohol consumption reduces one’s awareness to enviornmental cues (social and facial expressions) -people focus on immediate cues- hostile perception bias

Question 20

How does substance use affect aggression?

Answer 20

💊💉🍃 cannabis and metanphetamines may (depending on personality traits and on environment) cause rise in aggression. Certain drugs reduce impulse control and higher order control and amplify feelings of being threatened

Question 21

What did Caprara’s model of personality influence on aggression suggest?

Answer 21

3 main factors that would cause aggresion
1) basic personality traits: irritability (tendency to react to frustration), hostility (perceiving others as dangerous), emotional susceptibility (susceptibility to negative feelings)
2) processes like cognitive appraisal (hostile attribution bias), self regulation (how well person can control themselves) and social influences
3) Exposure to stimuli

Combo of SLT, neo-association and frustration-aggression model

Question 22

Do different genders have different levels of aggression?

Answer 22

Men>women to be physically aggressive - more testosterone, stronger and more likely to be hostile
Women>men to be verbally aggressive
Aggression levels same overall
Difference caused by socialization of genders

Question 23

What is trait aggressiveness? What causes it?

Answer 23

Trait aggressivness: someone who is more likely to be aggressive over time and across situations: they are more susceptible to hostile thoughts, more likely to express andger and engage in verbal and physical aggressio. Uno materiale
Cuases:
-bad parenting: SLT
-genetic factors: perhaps a gender linked with serotonin production BUT trigger from enviornment

Question 24

What is link between intelligence and aggression?

Answer 24

• poor intellectual functioning 🥸 = higher aggressiveness
• ‘stupid’ people aren’t as good at understanding and interpreting social situations - they will feel frustrated more often because they aren’t able to understand things others can

Question 25

What is domestic violence? What are 3 different types of abusers?

Answer 25

Domestic violence: abuse of current or former romantic partner- over time victims allow themselves to get abused more and more
Type of abusers:
- psychopathic abuser 🤪: will show aggression inside and outside relationship. Just a fucking bully with no slef control and a history of violence
-overcontrolled abuser 🥲: no history of violence but violent due to buildup of resentment in various life aspects and uses relationship to blow off steam- displaced aggression
- borderline abuser 😫: narcissistic, insecure, anger and impulsive and tends to have experienced childhood traumas

Question 26

What is sexual coercion and rape? Why does it happen?

Answer 26

Sexual coercion: when an individual forces sexual behaviors on another person. Worse case in rape.
Men>women likelihood of raping
Why:
- associate sex with power, authority and control. get it in bed 🛌
- hostile masculinity syndrome: a pattern of attitudes and behaviors characterized by hostility, aggression, and dominance in men, often driven by rigid adherence to traditional masculine norms and negative attitudes toward women.
- cultural and social (media) environment has promoted rape and women objectification

Question 27

What is catharsis?

Answer 27

Process of releasing or expressing 💨 strong or repressed emotions to reduce tention and emotional distress. Can be used to reduce aggression

Question 28

What societal interventions can be implemented to reduce aggression? Aka what a government could do

Answer 28

1) reducing frustruation by improving quality do life, decreaisng triggering factors and teaching ways how to problem solve, communicate effectively 👧
2) better control people’s access to weapons 🔫
3) More effectively punishing aggression: severe, delivered promptly, perceieved as justified and administered consistently
4) reduce or reframe medias depiction of aggression: no vicarious reinforcement, and instruct on how media should be interpretated.

Question 29

What are smaller scale interventions for reducing aggression (interpersonal interventions)?

Answer 29

1) improve parental care:
2) strengthen social connections: create a sense of community, cooperation (reduce competition and social rejection)
3)enhance empthy

Question 30

What are some individual interventions (1 2 1)? (What a psychologist would advise you to do)

Answer 30

1) improve emotional self awareness: make moral standards salient
2)increase strength of self regulation to control impulsive actions
3) teach to minimize or recognize hostile attributions
4)improve peoples sense of self worth: self esteem acts as a buffer to threats

Question 31

What are the personality traits more closely associated with aggression?

Answer 31

Agreeableness: umbrella ☂️ term for empathy, cooperation and concern for other’s wellbeing. Low agreeableness leads to impulsive, confrontational and manipulative behaviors
Emotional stability: An individuals ability to manage emotions to maintain a calm relaxed state. Low emotional stability (neuroticism) causes anxiety, sadness and causes people to behave more aggressively under stress.
Conscientiousness: being aware of one’s internal state is studied little but is linked to deviance and aggression in the workplace.
Irritability: Tendency to respond impulsively and angrily to minor provocations and setbacks. (Frustration-aggression model)
irritability + emotional instability=strong predictor of aggressiveness.

Question 32

What is hostile rumination?

Answer 32

tendency to dwell on and mentally revisit past provocations, grievances or personal injustices magnifying desire for revenge 🐜–> 🌎
- high levels of hostile rumination are likely to increase hostility biases.

Question 33

What is moral disengagement?

Answer 33

Moral mechanism that allows individuals to justify harmful behavior or aggression without feeling guilt - increases acceptance
There is 4 moments at which the individual can disengage:
1) the action itself: thinking of behavior as beneficial (bullying is good for growth)
2) responsability: blaming others
3) Consequences: downplaying consequences
4) Dehumanizing victim

Question 34

how are other traits like narcissism, impulsivity and sadism linked to aggressive behavior?

Answer 34

Narcissism: selfishness; Low self esteem + selfish (fragile self worth)= volatile emotions and more likely to act aggressively under stress (eg social rejection.

Question 35

What are the economic, health and societal costs of violence against women and girls?

Answer 35

Economic: healthcare, reduced productivity, legal and social services
Health costs: physical injuries, mental health, reproductive and sexual health 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨
Societal: generational transmission, erosion of social cohesion, gender norms and inequality reinforcement
Specific statistics in presentation of week 8 notes

Question 36

What gender is violence happen more on? What are the differences

Answer 36

Against women and girls 👩:
-more prevalent and rooted in cross cultural power and social imbalances:
-More direct aggression
-caused by men with strong traditional masculinity ideologies and impaired emotional competence
Against men and boys 🧑:
-acknowledged, linked to stigma and masculinity.
-more indirect aggression (relational).
- includes physical aggression, psychological abuse, sexual abuse and financial abuse.

Question 37

In the social power model, what is at the basis of coercive power?

Answer 37

Coercive power is based on the target’s beliefs of what the consequences there will be if they do not comply, takes advantage of fear and intimidation.
Target feels observed surveillance). has a cognitive (threat appraisal), emotional (fear) and behavioral response (compliance, resistance or combo of 2)

Question 38

What is gender symmetry argument?

Answer 38

Gender symmetry= idea that men and women are equally likely to cause/be the person responsabile for Intimate partner violence
Gender asymmetry= idea that intimate parter violence is an issue of men being violent against women

Question 39

What is the feminist perspective on intimate partner violence? (IVP)

Answer 39

The feminist perspective:
- IVP is rooted in power imbalance./ assert dominance
- any form of women violence is simply a response to male viloence

Question 40

What is the Family violence perspective on intimate parter violence (IVP)?

Answer 40

• there is similar rate of violence for both men and women perpetrators
• IVP is an issue of conflict and poor conflict resolution not an attempt of power and control

Question 41

How can IVP be studied?

Answer 41

• Using implicit association test to assess implicit attitudes towards gender and violence
  -Identify risk factors and cognitive, behavioral and emotional domains
• not focus on what gender is more responsible - blame is getting us nowhere

Question 42

What mental health problems are linked with increased IVP?

Answer 42

• borderline personality disorder, ptsd, depression (x4 more likely), emotional regulation are closely associated with women violence against partners
• there is not sex differences in the role of anger hostility, and internalizing negative emotions
• men with ptsd symptoms are 3 times more likely to exhibit IVP
• demographic factors (age, marital status and education) are NOT correlated