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Aggression Flashcards

1
Q

Name and outline the two types of aggression

A

-Proactive aggression: cold blooded, aggression is planned to achieve a desired outcome
-Reactive aggression: warm blooded, impulsive aggression with physiological arousal

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2
Q

What is aggression

A

Behaviour that is intended to harm another individual who does not wish to be harmed

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3
Q

What is the limbic system

A

-Maclean defined the limbic system as the hypothalamus amygdala and the hippocampus
-Reactivity of amygdala linked to how aggressive someone is
-a benzodiazepine drug which decreases the activity of the amygdala found to be effective in reducing aggression
-other structures regulating emotional behaviour

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4
Q

What is seratonin

A

A neurotransmitter with widespread inhibitory effects throughout the brain. it has a key role in aggressive behaviour

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5
Q

What is the role of the orbitofrontal cortex and seratonin as a neural mechanism in aggression

A

-Seratonin slows down and calms neuronal activity
-Normal levels of seratonin in the orbitofrontal cortex associated with fewer neutron firing so greater self control
-decreasing levels of seratonin associated with an increased impulsive aggression
-Violent offenders found to have lower seratonin levels then control group

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6
Q

What is the role of testosterone as a hormonal mechanism in aggression

A

-Hormone from the androgen gland produced mainly in the male testes (smaller amounts in ovaries)
-aggression highest when testosterone levels are the highest

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7
Q

What is the role of the prefrontal cortex and aggression

A

-Prefrontla cortex linked to regulation of emotions so inactivity will cause higher levels of aggression
-Phineas gage who had his prefrontal cortex damaged by an iron rod shown to be aggressive frequently getting into fights

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8
Q

What is the role of progesterone and aggression

A

-Lowest levels of progesterone just after menstruation
-Low levels of progesterone linked to increased aggression in women

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9
Q

Evaluate the role of hormonal mechanisms in aggression

A

-Animal research as a researcher found that monkeys who had an increase in testosterone from mating season were most aggressive COUNTERPOINT: lacks genersability to humans
-Cortisol levels may is also be involved in aggression: dual hormone hypothesis

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10
Q

what is the role of twin studies and aggression

A

-Researchers found concordance rates of 50% for MZ twins and 19% for DVs
-Verbal aggression 28% MZs and 7% DVs

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11
Q

What is the role of adoption studies and genetic factors of aggression

A

-Meta analysis of adoption studies found that genetic influences accounted for 41% of variance in aggression

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12
Q

What is the role of the MAOA gene

A

-Regulates seratonin
-MAOA-L linked with high levels of aggression as it cannot regulate seratonin
-Dutch family studies showed that men from the family involved in aggressive violent criminal behaviour had the MAOA-L variant

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13
Q

What is the role of gene environment interactions

A

-MAOA L gene activity only related to adult aggression when combined with early traumatic life experiences

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14
Q

Evaluate the role of genetic factors in aggression

A

-Several lines of evidence point to genes as a direct causes of aggression shown by twin and adoption studies COUNTERPOINT: considerably undervalued the role of non genetic factors
-Twin studies lack valid duty as they both share the same environment as MZ twins so there may not be as large of a genetic influence from twin studies
-Ignores the roles of female aggression so possible gender bias

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15
Q

What is the ethological explanation of aggression

A

-Aggression is adaptive
-Aggression benefits the survival of a species because a defeated animal is rarely killed but is forced to find territory elsewhere
-In social animals aggression established dominance hierarchies such as in male chimpanzees

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16
Q

What is ritualistic aggression

A

Appeasement displays by loser inhibit physical damage from victor, adaptive for the survival of species

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17
Q

What are innate releasing mechanisms

A

A biological structure or process which is activated by an external stimulus that in turn triggers a fixed action pattern

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18
Q

What is a fixed action pattern

A

-A sequence of steryotypes preprogrammed behaviours triggered by an innate releasing mechanism

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19
Q

Outline the six features of fixed action patterns

A

-Stereotyped or unchanging sequences of behaviours
-Universal because the same behaviour is found in every individual of the species
-Unaffected by learning as the same for every single every individual regardless of experience
-Ballistic as once the behaviour is triggered it follows an inevitable course and cannot be altered before it’s completed
-Single purpose the behaviour only occurs in a specific situation and not in any other
-A response to identifiable specific with stimulus or releaser

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20
Q

What is tinbergens research

A

-Male sticklebacks are highly territorial during mating season and develop a red spot on underbelly
-If another male enters their territory a FAP is triggered
-Tinbergen found that regardless of shape if the model had a red spot the stickleback would attack no matter the realism

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21
Q

Evaluate the ethological explanation to aggression

A

-Evidence against aggression being too the ritualistic: Psychopaths are capable of pre mediated and cold blooded violence which is not triggered by IRMs or FAP suggesting ethological explanation is incomplete
-Research support as twin and adoption studies showed that there is a significant basis of genetics on aggression therefore ethological approach is correct in claiming aggression is genetically determined COUNTERPOINT: twin and adoption studies ignore the role of enviromental factors
-Does not explain cultural differences as killings are far more common in southern states then northern states suggesting it is not evolutionary

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22
Q

What is the evolutionary explanation of sexual jealousy

A

Sexual jealousy is greater in men because it evolved as a defence against cuckoldry driving aggressive strategies to retain mates mainly nate retention strategies

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23
Q

What are mate retention strategies

A

-Direct guarding and negative inducements
-Physical violence against partner which is more likely when men use mate retention strategies

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24
Q

Outline the evolutionary explanation of bullying

A

-Adaptive for bullies increasing reproductive success
-Different in men and women

25
What is male bullying
-Adaptive -Signals desireable characteristics for females eg dominance -Improves bully’s health
26
What is female bullying
-Adaptive -Secures partners fidelity and resources for offspring
27
Evaluate the evolutionary explanation of aggression
-Gender differences: women using physical aggression risks offspring survival so use of verbal aggression is better to retain resources from a partner -Cultural differences: !Kung San people in africa had very negative attitudes towards depression discouraged in childhood COUNTERPOINT: !kung san people despite this have a abnormally high homocide rate so observer may be biased limiting the validity -Evolutionary argument is biologically determinists which is an issue for the justice system as it provide an alibi for violent crimes
28
What is the original frustration aggression hypothesis
If a goal is blocked this creates distracting which is relieved by aggression which may be displaced onto an innocent target, a cathartic experience
29
What is the weapon effect
-Fustration alone may not be enough -Students given electric shocks (fustation) gave stronger (fake) electric shocks to confederate when guns present (Berloeitz and Lapage)
30
Outline a study on frustration aggression
-Students doing jigsaw that was impossible or confederate annoyed or insulted them -Most frustrated students have strongest electric shocks (Geen)
31
Evaluate the frustration aggression hypothesis
-Meta analysis showed aggression is displaced against weaker and more available targets -Fustration does not always lead to aggression, aggression can occur without fustration (not automatic) -People who hit a punchbag became more aggressive not less even doing nothing reduced aggression more than venting
32
What is social learning theory
-A way of explaining behaviour that includes both direct and indirect reinforcement combining learning theory with the role of cognitive factors -Operant conditioning is direct and observational learning is indirect -Children learn that aggression is effective when they observe models being rewarded for behaving aggressively
33
What are the cognitive conditions for learning in SLT
-Attention -Retention -Reproduction -Motivation
34
What is self efficacy
-Aggression successful in the past therefore expect it to continue to be rewarding
35
Outline banduras research
-Young children observed adult model with bobo doll -Very close imitation of models aggression -boys more likely to imitate physical aggression of same sex model
36
Evaluate social learning theory as an explanation of agression
-Real world application in reducing aggression through friendships with children rewarded for non aggression and media characters -Bandura recognised biology but SLT emphasises nurture and underplays genetic and hormonal influences -SLT is enviromentally determinist
37
How does crowd behaviour change in relation to aggression
-Losd of self identify and responsibility in crowd ignoring social norms against aggression
38
What is de individuation
A psychological state in which an individual loses their personal identity and takes on the identity of a social group when for example in a crowd or wearing a uniform. The result may be decreased concern about the evaluation of others
39
What does de individuation result in
Private and public self awareness teduced in crowds eg less attention to own feelings and less affountable for aggressive acts
40
Outline a study on de individuation
-200 students to list what they would do if they never could be found out -36% responses were antisocial -26% criminal acts -9% pro social
41
Evaluate de individuation as an explanation of aggression
-Research on de individuation suffers due to demand characteristics -Undervalues the importance of biological factors on aggression -Most aggressive messages posted online by people hiding identities
42
What is institutional aggression
Aggressive or violent behaviour that takes place within the social context of a prison or or their formal organised setting
43
What is the dispositional explanation to aggression in prisons
-An explanation of behaviour that highlights the importance of the individuals personality -Contrasts with the situational explanation -Created the importation model
44
What is the situational explanation for aggression within prisons
-Identifies the causes of behaviour as existing within the environment which may include other people -Contrasted with dospositional explanations -Created the deprivation model
45
What is the importation model
-Prisoners bring their criminal attitudes and aggressive behaviours into the prison -They would be aggressive in any situation -Offenders imprinted negative characteristics like trauma and anger into prisons the more likely they are to be physically aggressive -The dispositional explanation
46
Evaluate the dispositional explanation for aggression within prisons
-Research support: No difference between high and low security prisons, 33% aggressive versus 36% -Ignores key factors on how prisons are run such as weak leadership and unofficial rules that effect aggression
47
What is the deprivation model
-Aggression is caused by psychological (freedom) and physical (goods) deprivation worst with unpredictable regimes -Situational explanation
48
Evaluate the situational explanation to aggression in prisons
-Real world evidence in the development of norwegian prisons followed a significant reduction in the number of aggressive cases -Contradictory research as a study of mississippi prisons conjugal visits not linked to reduced aggression
49
What is the effect of excessive TV viewing on aggression
Time watching TV in childhood reliably predicts aggressive adult criminal convictions (Robertson et al)
50
What is the effect of violent film content
Children closely imitated filmed adult models beating Bobo doll, social learning (Bandura et al)
51
Outline a study on the strength of TV and film on aggression
Post uu eve correlation but only 1-10% variance in children’s aggrsssion due to media
52
Outline two studies on the effects of computer games
-Lab experiments: white noise volumes higher after playing violent computer game -Correlational studies: Positive correlation between time spent playing violent games and aggression making a serious public health issue
53
Evaluate the research on the effects of TV and computer on aggression
-Defining aggression difficult as white noise not a true reflection of aggressive behaviour -Confounding variables in that the person may already be aggressive and it is not the media causing them to be -Lab studies well controlled COUNTERPOINT: lacks generisability to the real world
54
What is desensitisation
Repeatedly viewing or playing violent media leads to reduced arousal less empathy and acceptance of violence
55
Evaluate desensitisation
-Krahe et al shoes participants non violent and violent films and found that those who watched violent film clips gave louder bursts of white noise to a confederate without being provoked -Study however failed to linked media viewer to provoked aggression therefore making it an incomplete explanation
56
What is disinhibition
Learned social inhibitions against aggression loosened by repressed exposure to rewarded violent media creating new social norms
57
Evaluate disinhibition
-Research support as film shows aggression as fentanyl leading to more shocks given -Cartoon violence leads to aggression becoming socially normative if unpunished
58
What is cognitive priming
Exposure to violent media provides a script stored in memory triggered when we perceive aggressive cues eg song lyrics
59
Evaluate cognitive priming
-Real world application in providing researchers the ability to challenge the hostile cognitive biases in patients -Confounding variables in research as priming in violent video games is complex therefore the studies may be at risk of confounding variables

psychology (12 decks)

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