Aggression and Antisocial Behavior

Question 1

Definitions. Any action that delivers noxious stimuli to another organism vs any action intended to harm or injure another living being who is motivated to avoid such treatment.

Answer 1

Behavioral Definition of Aggression vs Intentional Definition of Aggression

Question 2

Types. Aggressive acts for which the perpetrator’s main goal is to gain access to objects, space, or privileges (I want to get something from you, I’m going to use aggression to get that) VS Aggressive acts in which the perpetrator’s main goal is to harm or injure a victim
(I want to be aggressive)

Answer 2

Instrumental Aggression vs Hostile Aggression

Question 3

Instinct theory. we all have aggression inside of us.
Need to discharge aggressive energy before it builds up too much, healthy people will discharge in a healthy way, unhealthy people will discharge the aggression in an unhealthy way (fighting)
Aggressive drives are adaptive - help satisfy basic needs and promote life

Answer 3

Psychoanalytic Instinct Theory of Aggression (Freud)

Question 4

Instinct theory. Aggression ensures the survival of the individual and the species

• Disperse population - better for all of us to survive if we spread out more - Protect young: mother animals aggressively protect their babies
• Stronger males fight and win females: produce strong babies
• Humans kill each other because their aggression is poorly controlled

Answer 4

Lorenz’s Ethological Instinct Theory of Aggression

Question 5

Critique of — Theories. Peaceful tribes of people, empathy (a powerful inhibitor of aggression.. can use language to end disputes), Children end disputes w/o aggression, aggression can be wiped out

Answer 5

Instinct Theories

Question 6

Type of theory of aggression - Dollard et al. (1939): Frustration/Aggression Hypothesis -
Frustration triggers aggression and all aggressive acts can be traced to frustration AND Berkowitz’s (1965) Revised Frustration/Agression Hypothesis-
Frustration make us angry and creates a readiness for aggressive acts. There must be an aggressive cue to trigger aggression

Answer 6

Goal-Driven Theories of Aggression (Learning Theories)

Question 7

Goal-Driven Theory of Aggression (Learning Theory). Frustration triggers aggression and all aggressive acts can be traced to frustration. Dollard et al. (1939)

Answer 7

Frustration/Aggression Hypothesis

Question 8

A Goal-Driven Theory of Aggression (Learning Theory). Frustration make us angry and creates a readiness for aggressive acts. There must be an aggressive cue to trigger aggression. Berkowitz’s (1965)

Answer 8

Revised Frustration/Agression Hypothesis

Question 9

Theory. Aggression responses are acquired in two ways: Observational Learning and Direct experience. Bobo dolls - all groups learned the behaviors, but model-punshied were much less aggressive

Answer 9

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory of Aggression

Question 10

Theory. Maintains aggression: to satisfy other goals, terminate other noxious behaviors, socially sanctioned to be aggressive to peers, intrinsically rewarding for aggressors

Answer 10

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory of Aggression

Question 11

Types of aggressive children: Highly aggressive children
Think aggressive acts are easy to perform
Rely on aggression as means of solving social problems or achieving personal objectives

High levels of hostile, retaliatory aggression
reaction, defensive mechanism, most people can come up with non-aggressive strategies but these kids jump to aggression

Answer 11

Proactive and Reactive

Question 12

Part of Social Information Processing Model. - - Bias. View harm done under ambiguous circumstances as having stemmed from a hostile intent on the part of the harm-doer
- Characteristic of reactive aggressors

Answer 12

Hostile Attribution Bias

Question 13

Hostile Attribution Bias - show in this - - - Model

1. Encoding: take in information
2. Interpretation: make sense of information and decide what caused other person’s behavior
3. Clarification of Goals: decide what you want to achieve in situation
4. Response Search: think of possible actions to achieve goal
5. Response Decision: weigh pros and cons of each alternative
6. Behavioral Enactment: Do it!

Answer 13

Social Information Processing Model

Question 14

Aggression in - Not aggressive, occasionally try to overpower peer for attractive peer

Answer 14

Aggression in Infancy

Question 15

Aggression in - Unfocused temper tantrums diminish and are uncommon after age 4. Aggression peaks between 2-3 and gradually declines over preschool period. 2-3 year olds are more likely to be physically aggressive - instrumentally in nature

Answer 15

Aggression in Preschool

Question 16

Aggression in - Physical aggression declines, better able to interpret other’ behavioral intention, retaliatory aggression (aggressive acts elicited by real or imagined provocations. More likely to view this type of aggression as normal or acceptable)

Answer 16

Aggression in Grade School

Question 17

Prevalence of - in the US. 29.9% involved in bullying. 12% as the - and 10% as the -. More found in males more than females (males are physical and verbal, females are verbal-taunting)

Answer 17

Bullying

Question 18

Characteristics of -

• More trouble making friends
• Poor relationships with others
• Greater loneliness
• Socially isolated and lack social skills
• Greater parental involvement in school
• Less frequency in alcohol and cigarette use

Answer 18

Bullying Victims

Question 19

Characteristics of -
-More likely to be involved in problem behaviors (drinking, smoking etc.)
-Poor school adjustment (poor achievement) often struggling in school
-no motivation to achieve
Greater was of making friends (not socially isolated)
Birds of a feather flock together - gangs of bullies that are all friends

Answer 19

Characteristics of Bullies

Question 20

Characteristics of -

• Especially high risk group
• shows the most problems in developmental outcomes
• Socially isolated
• passive and shy
• Poor school achievement
• Involved in problem behaviors

Answer 20

Characteristics of teens who report being both bullies and victims

Question 21

• • Offenders: No antisocial problems prior to adolescence, and none continue into adulthood, Minor crimes (truancy, vandalism, shoplifting ect)

– Offenders Problems in childhood, and problems continue into adulthood, Major crimes (rape, robbery, murder, etc), Make up a large portion of the major crimes committed

Answer 21

Adolescence-Limited Offenders, Lifecourse-Persistent Offenders

Question 22

• • of Gender Differences. 4 reasons: 1. Males are more aggressive in almost every society 2. Reliables differences are found early (2-2.5 years), so its hard to say it is learned/socialized 3. Great Apes also show more aggressive males 4. More aggression can be attributed to more testosterone

Answer 22

Biological View of Gender Differnces

Question 23

• • • of Gender Differences. Parents play rougher with boys than girls, encourage aggression in boys and talk about feelings with girls. Parents react more negatively to aggression from girls, toys for boys tend to have more aggressive themes

Answer 23

Social Learning viewpoint of gender differences

Question 24

• • • of Gender Differences. Sex-linked constitutional factors (biology) interact with social-environmental influences to promote sex differences in aggression. Biological predispositions affect the behaviors of caregivers, which elicit reactions from the child (evocative effects)

Answer 24

Interactive (Biosocial) Viewpoint

Question 25

Disruptive behavior disorders - Pattern of opposition, disobedience, and defiance that usually leads to conflicts with parents, siblings, teachers, and peers
Requires presence of 4 negative or hostile behaviors

Answer 25

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Question 26

Disruptive behavior disorders - Encompasses other disorder’s behaviors but also includes repeated violations of basic rights of others and of social norms, standards, and rules
Includes: aggression to people/animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, serious violation of rules
Biologically based - body doesn’t respond to threat of harm physiologically don’t have the response, easier for them to do these terrible things - no empathy, no taking on the pain of others

Answer 26

Conduct Disorder

Question 27

Reasons — children exhibit more aggression: parents more likely to rely on physical punishment, more stress in the family, few community support structures

Answer 27

Lower Socioeconomic Status children exhibit more aggression

Question 28

-‘s relation to Aggression. Cold/rejection or power-asserive discipline (physical) result in more aggressive children. Willingness to tolerate children’s aggressiveness, temperamental impulsivitiy, because of the - that they receive

Answer 28

Parenting’s relation to Aggression.

Question 29

Controlling agression Techniques. Vent your anger on a inanimate object, create play areas that minimize likeness of conflict

Answer 29

Controlling aggression: does not work

Question 30

Controlling aggression techniques. Incompatible-response: adults ignore undesirable conduct while reinforcing acts that are incompatible with these responses. Child doesn’t act out for attention, they get attention for being good. Time out technique

Answer 30

Controlling Aggression: actually works