Finals: Aggression Flashcards
- Hurting Others
Aggression
: self-assured, energetic and positive behavior.
Assertiveness
: physical or verbal behavior intended to harm.
- Excludes: unintentional harm
- Includes: kicks, slaps, threats, gossip, lying, destroying property, etc
Aggression
2 types of aggression
Hostile and Instrumental aggression
: aggression driven by anger and performed as an end in itself.
• Murders (result from anger, romantic triangles, arguments, etc)
Hostile aggression
: aggression that is a means to some other end
• War, terrorism, etc (goal is to withdraw military forces from a territory)
Instrumental aggression
- Violence is more likely when this is release to pent-up anger.
- Children who had just played with guns were more likely to knock down another child’s blocks.
Aggression cues
: guns not only permit violence, but stimulate it as well
Berkowitz
7 Aggression as a biological phenomenon
Genetic influences, Biochemical influences, Instinct theory and evolutionary psychology, Neural influences, Frustration-aggression theory, Relative deprivation, and Aggression as learned social behavior
- Animals can be bred for aggressiveness
Genetic influences
- Alcohol unleashes aggression when people are provoked
- Testosterone and low serotonin can influence aggression
Biochemical influences
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• Aggression is unlearned and universal, if it is not released it builds up, until it explodes
• This idea fails to account for variations in aggression by people and culture
Instinct theory and evolutionary psychology
• Researchers have found neural systems in both animals and humans that facilitate aggression
• When scientists activate these areas hostility increases
Neural influences
: frustration triggers a readiness to aggress
• Frustration is anything that blocks us from attaining a goal
Frustration-aggression theory
: the redirection of aggression to a target other than the source of the frustration.
Generally, the new target is a safer or more socially accepted target.
• Once you are harboring anger, even a trivial offense may elicit a reaction.
Displacement
: the perception that one is less well off than others with whom one compares oneself.
• Explains why happiness is lower and crime is higher, in nations with large income inequalities
• Television shows us how much others have, making us feel deprived
Relative deprivation
a) The rewards of aggression:
• We often learn that aggression pays.
- A child who learns that through aggression he can intimidate others
b) Observational learning:
• We often learn to be aggressive by watching others.
- Bobo doll experiment
i. Family: physically aggressive children tend to have parents who were physically punitive
ii. this Culture: aggression may be readily transmitted in
“macho” cultures
Aggression as learned social behavior
• We often learn that aggression pays.
- A child who learns that through aggression he can intimidate others
The rewards of aggression
• We often learn to be aggressive by watching others.
- Bobo doll experiment
Observational learning
: physically aggressive children tend to have parents who were physically punitive
Family
: aggression may be readily transmitted in “macho” cultures
Culture
Influences on Aggression
Firearms - 67%
Knives - 13%
Blunt objects- 5%
hands, feels - 7%
Other weapons - 6%
- Pain or discomfort, Frustration, Attack or insult, Crowding
Aversive situation
- Pain heightens aggression in humans (physical or psychological pain)
- Heat (refer to page 356 for examples)
- Attacks: being attacked or insulted by another person is especially conducive to aggression.
(example: “sumbagon taka ron” but hindi talaga sya ginagawa)
Aversive incidents
