Deviant Behaviour

Question 1

What is deviant behaviour?

Answer 1

Refers to a behaviour that does not conform to social norms and values.
Elicits negative respose.
Can be formal or informal & voluntary or involuntary.

Most deviant- may be a voluntary violation or a formal law.
Physical and mental disabilities can be involuntary deviant behaviour.

Question 2

Agression

Answer 2

“Any form of behaviour that is intended to injure someone physically or psychologically” (Berkowitz, 1993).

Question 3

Cause of deviant behaviour

Answer 3

Nature or nurture?

Question 4

Traditional theories

Answer 4

Lorenz: fighting instinct- strongest males pass on genes.
Evolutionary perspective: activating men’s mating motivation; more likely in presence of only men.
- linked to status and success in obtaining attractive mates (Grisakevisius et al, 2007).

Question 5

Operant conditioning

Answer 5

People go by what has worked for them in the past.

Can be inadvertently that aggression is acceptable and effective- through direct reinforcement/reward or by others.

Question 6

Social learning theory

Answer 6

Children can be taught violence- direct experience or observation.
Through this can learn- ways to aggress; who to be aggressive to; what actions by others justify etc.
Parents play key role.

Question 7

Ethnology = the study of characteristics of different people, and and link/differences between them

Answer 7

Role of culture: culture of honour; old western films; culture of manhood and ‘being a man’.
Associated with traditional ideals of dominant masculinity: white, heterosexual males can be aggressive/undertake deviant behaviour to those subordinate.
Can change as culture evolves.

Question 8

Increasing aggression: Aggressive cues hypothesis

Answer 8

Berkowitz, 1996: Triggers for aggressive thoughts result in anger or fear & flight; threats to reputation.

Question 9

Increasing aggression: Arousal-excitation transfer

Answer 9

Zillman, 1971: high emotions lead to aggression (not always); physiological arousal persists overtime.

Question 10

Increasing aggression: Frustration-aggression hypothesis

Answer 10

Dollard et al, 1939: how we feel when we don’t get what we expect.

Critique: - causal assumptions- aggression not just due to frustration (other factors); can lead to sadness.

• takes o account of situational factors.
• only really the case when felt justified.

Question 11

Social causes

Answer 11

Social exclusion: - cycle of aggression and exclusion.
- hostile cognitive mind-set rather than emotions leading to aggression.
- evolutionary theory- social beings.
Media: - Bandura.

Question 12

Personality traits

Answer 12

Traits as situational sensitivities model (TASS model):

• High aggressive traits- weak provocations stimulate response.
• Moderate- require strong provocations to trigger response (Marshall & Brown).

Type A (high competitiveness and urgency) and type B behaviour pattern: likely to engage in hostile aggression rather than instrumental.

Narcissist personalities.

Question 13

Inhibiting control

Answer 13

Alcohol: - impaired cognitive and social function.

• harder to evaluate others’ intentions.
• harder to evaluate effects of behaviours.
• difficult to process positive information about someone they don’t like.

De-individuation = loss of self-awareness in groups.

Question 14

Role of media

Answer 14

Lots of meta-analyses post 1960s conducted on TV/films and violence- two general conclusions:

• Short term exposure to violence increases short term aggression.
• Long term exposure to violence increases long term aggression.

Question 15

Violent video games

Answer 15

Thought to be worse than passive watching.
Effect: consistency; methodological rigour; causality evidence.
All above 0.2 effect size- smaller sizes for other health issues.
Harmful effects but violence sells.

Question 16

Violent video games- criticisms

Answer 16

Griffiths 1999- evidence weak due to methodological problems; restricted to young children.

However:
Anderson et al (meta-analysis)- further support that exposure increases aggressive behaviour.
Johnson et al- found same association in adolescents and young adults.

Question 17

Techniques for prevention of deviant behaviour

Answer 17

Aggression is not inevitable- can reduce frequency and intensity of aggression.

Punishment- deserve to be punished-severity appropriate for the behaviour.

• dominant view amongst most society.
• deterrence from future aggressive behaviour from future aggressive behaviour- culture for public shaming.

Question 18

Punishment

Answer 18

To be successful: prompt, certain to occur, strong, be perceived as justifies.
Optimistic that this will occur in society.

Question 19

Catharsis = process of relieving repressed aggression (eg. doing sport)

Answer 19

Believed to be a myth- lacks empirical evidence (Gentile, 2013).
Aggression breeds agression (Anderson et al, 2003).
Green & Quanty- demonstrated that aggression may produce decreased physiological arousal under certain conditions, but later aggressive behaviour does not.

Question 20

Internal mechanisms

Answer 20

Self regulation: strengthen internal mechanisms- exposure to others who show restraint (role models); training.
Depends on cognitive effort to prevent this.
Prosocial thoughts/positive attitudes help.