aggression Flashcards
(32 cards)
1
Q
define aggression
A
-behaviour resulting in injury or destruction of property
-behaviour intended to harm another of same species
hard to define
2
Q
how do we measure aggression?
A
- analogues of behaviour - (Bobo dolls)
- signals of intention - willingness to aggress
- ratings - self-report, reports by others
- indirect - non-physical, relational/psychological aggression
3
Q
psychodynamic approach
A
- conflicting human drives: eros (love) and thanatos (death)
- thanatos energy builds up, needs to be released to maintain personal well-being
- aggressive impulses directed outwards (can be displaced)
4
Q
ethology + evolutionary approach
A
- ethology = specific environmental stimuli are the releasers
- releasers might be influenced by evolution
- evolution = spreading genes to next gen - removing individual component by using knives/guns
5
Q
limitations of biological approaches
A
- instincts can’t be measured
- supported by observational studies only
- not that useful at preventing it
6
Q
frustration-aggression hypothesis
A
- considers frustration before aggression: job loss, deprivation, terrorism
- how to define frustration?
7
Q
excitation transfer model
A
aggression comes from:
- learnt behaviour
- arousal
- interpretation of arousal in a way that makes an aggressive response seem appropriate - arousal displaced
8
Q
social learning theory
A
- learning is strengthened by reinforcement or punishment
- bandura: operant conditioning
9
Q
personality theory
A
- aggression proneness seems to develop early: children aggressive at 8 were likely to be aggressive later on
- aggression is a trait affected by age, gender, experience
- other traits linked to aggression: low self-esteem, narcissistic, attachment insecurity, type A personality (competitive, hostile etc.)
10
Q
hormones
A
- dopamine, oxytocin, norepinephrine, serotonin
- sex differences: males more aggressive
- ps with more testosterone and/or type A personality delivered higher shocks
- different hormones for different types of aggression?
11
Q
gender
A
- socialisation of different gender characteristics - sociocultural theory
- men tend to be more physically aggressive and women more indirectly aggressive
12
Q
catharsis
A
- deliberately ‘let out’ pent up emotions to feel better H/E doesn’t work for aggression - when someone hit a punching bag, they were later more likely to punish someone
- songs with violent lyrics had effect on aggressive feelings
13
Q
alcohol
A
- makes people more aggressive
- disinhibition hypothesis: when drunk, behaviour isn’t inhibited
- alcohol group were more susceptible to pressure of shocking ps
- higher alcohol blood levels –> sexual aggression
- priming effect: activating thoughts of alcohol –> increased aggression
14
Q
disinhibition
A
usual social forces restraining us from acting anti-socially are reduced
15
Q
deindividualisation
A
feeling unidentifiable among many others, we think we are unlikely to face consequences
16
Q
dehumanisation
A
perceiving victim as less than human
- aggressor cannot easily see pain
- baiting crowds - potential suicide jumpers egged on by onlookers/online forums
17
Q
heat
A
- higher ambient temperature –> increased aggression
- researchers don’t generally control for temp
18
Q
crowding
A
- population density –> crime rates
- household density and household type should be considered
- H/E London - don’t see fighting on busy tubes everyday
19
Q
general aggression model (GAM)
A
- idea that interplay between personal and situational variables
- cognition, affect, arousal
- evidence for cognition mediating the link between input and action in the GAM
20
Q
disadvantaged groups
A
- social disadvantage can lead to aggression but also more likely to be victims of aggression
- homocide and non-lethal violence higher in poor, young, urban men - mix of social and ecological factors
- relative deprivation: lack of resources to improve
21
Q
criminality and demographics
A
- stereotype men are more aggressive, women may become more aggressive as gender roles change and increase in alcohol/drug abuse in women
- males 3 times more likely to be homicide victims than females and 9 times more likely to be offenders
- blacks 6 times more likely to be victims and 8 times more likely to be offenders
22
Q
culture of honour
A
- some societies endorse male violence as a way to address threats to men’s reputation as dominant strong protectors
- female infidelity damages man’s reputation
- cultural values of female loyalty and male honour work together to validate abuse in relationship
23
Q
honour killings
A
-people with patriarchal and collectivist views, poorer, less educated, more traditional backgrounds, males with harsh parental discipline, valuing norm of female chastity were more likely to approve of honour killings
24
Q
subculture of violence
A
- minority subgroups e.g. gangs rewarded for violence
- Sicilian mafia initiation involves murder
25
mass media
- desensitisation to aggression/violence from media
- bandura
- tv depicts aggressors as unpunished heroes
26
war
societies with more war have more severe punishment for crime, higher rates of homicide and assault
27
role of state
- warfare only possible with supporting psychological structures involving beliefs of population
- legitimised prejudice can result in genocide
28
role of person
- obedience to authority - milgram found ordinary people would obey destructive orders
- agentic state
29
sexual aggression
- link between violent pornography and aggression
- when ps exposed to violent porn and irritated, more likely to be lenient with prison sentences, more callous, viewed rape tolerantly
- violent porn: desensitises men to aggression against women, when women are depicted as enjoying acts-->reinforces rape myths
- men express less positivity to #METOO campaign
30
intimate partner violence
- women more likely to use physical aggression in heterosexual relationships but do less harm than men
- 1/4 homicides where killer knows victim --> spousal
- women in cohabiting relationships 9x more likely to be murdered than married
- females who are violent occurs more in modern, liberal societies
- ps viewed man battering wife as more violent than wife to husband or gay man to partner
31
intimate partner violence + football
- increases during FIFA world cup
| - h/e alcohol likely to have a role
32
what are releasers?
specific cues that elicit aggression
