9 - aggression Flashcards
what is the definition of aggression according to Baron & Branscombe?
behaviour that is designed to harm others in some way
how do researchers measure aggression?
analogues of behaviour -bandura bobo dolls, pressing button to deliver shock
signals of intention - willingness to behave aggressively
ratings - self-report, report by others, observation
indirect - non-physical, psychological aggression
critiques of studying aggression
analogues of behaviour - not generalisable to real life settings
signals of intention - int-beh gap
ratings - social desirability bias, observers may interpret behaviours in line with prior expectations
indirect - may inflate prevalence of aggression compared to direct aggression
what are theoretical perspectives explaining aggressive behaviour?
biological:
- psychodynamic
- evolutionary
biosocial:
- frustration and aggression
- excitation transfer
social:
- social learning theory
what is the psychodynamic explanation for aggressive behaviour?
(freud)
- we have an unconscious drive known as ‘Thanatos (death instinct)’
- over time it builds up creating uncontrollable pressure making us so something aggressive
- we deal with this tension by redirecting it to other activities = catharsis
what is the evolutionary explanation for aggressive behaviour?
Darwin
- aggressive behaviour ensures genetic survival
- so aggression linked to living long enough to procreate
- among humans - obtain social and economic advantage to improve survival rate of children
what are strengths of the biological approach?
- resonate with idea that violence is part of human nature
- supported when comparing to animal behaviour
what are limitations of the biological approach?
- unknowable and immeasurable ‘instincts’
- only supported by observational studies
- evolution develops over many years, can’t be measured in lab
- humans are aggressive outside of situations we need to defend ourselves/children
- not information for prevention or intervention work
how does the frustration-aggression hypothesis explain aggressive behaviour?
Dollard et al
- based on catharsis hypothesis
- frustration = individual prevented from achieving goal by external factor
- aggression is a cathartic release of build-up of frustration
cannot always challenge direct source of aggression:
- sublimation - using aggression in acceptable activities e.g. sport
- displacement - direct aggression outwards onto something or someone else
how does excitation transfer explain aggressive behaviour?
Zillmann
- people experience physiological arousal in different contexts
- arousal in one context can carry over to other situations and increase likelihood of aggressive behaviour
what are the conditions required for excitation transfer?
- 1st stimuli produces arousal/excitation
- 2nd stimulus occurs before complete decay of arousal from first stimulus
- misattribution of excitation to 2nd stimulus
what are strengths of biosocial approaches?
provides useful opportunities for interventions target
meta-analysis of 49 studies found support for displacement
what are limitations of biosocial approaches?
- frustration/arousal doesn’t always lead to aggression, and aggression doesn’t always stem from frustration
- some types of arousal (e.g. exercise) can make us feel good and reduce aggression
- participants who vented anger by hitting punchbag became more aggressive
how does the social learning theory explain aggressive behaviour?
Bandura
- aggression can be learnt
- directly (operant conditioning)
- indirectly (observational learning and vicarious reinforcement)
if aggressive behaviour is rewarded, they learn it is social acceptable
how does gender affect aggression?
men engage in aggressive behaviour more frequently than women
individual variation in testosterone levels across genders, and testosterone has weak positive relationship with aggression
we learn gender appropriate behaviours, physical aggression unacceptable for women
genders may differ in type of aggression displayed
how does personality affect aggression?
agreeableness: negatively associated with aggression
neuroticism: positive association with aggression
(Barlett & Anderson)
how does attachment affect aggression?
meta-analysis found offenders were less secure in their attachments than controls
insecure attachment strongly associated with all types of criminality
limitations of attachment meta-analysis
excluded studies involving juvenile and female offenders
attachment not always measured in the same way
what are personal factors that can affect aggression?
- gender
- attachment
- personality
how does alcohol affect aggression?
alcohol present in 68% of incidents of physical aggression
- meta-analyses found alcohol consumption increases aggressive behaviour in men
what are the direct effects of alcohol?
compromises cortical control and increases activity in primitive brain areas (impaired cognitive function & decision making)
physiological arousal - in line with excitation transfer model
what are the indirect effects of alcohol?
placebo effect - expectations of receiving alcohol increased aggressive behaviour
priming effect - activating thoughts of alcohol increases aggressive behaviour
what are the effects of heat on aggression?
increased ambient temperatures associated with increases in aggression
effect not linear - can be too hot to have energy for aggression
what are the effects of crowding on aggression?
population density linked to crime rates - increases stress, frustration physiological arousal
anonymity in crowds:
disinhibition - social forces that restrain us from acting anti-social are reduced
deindividuation - feeling unidentifiable so unlikely to face consequences
