L4 Aggression & Violence Reduction Strategies

Question 1

What is the identified biological cause for aggression?

Answer 1

Genes- ie the MAOA gene, difference in size amygdala, prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate

Question 2

What is a limit to the use of serotonin based treatment for aggression and violence?

a) It makes them happy but this doesn’t stop the behaviour
b) It modulates prefrontal activity, but doesn’t have regional specificity
c) Aggression and violence are behavioural and so shouldn’t be treated with medication

Answer 2

b) It modulates prefrontal activity, but doesn’t have regional specificity

Question 3

What is a limitation in our understanding of the neuro-circuitry of aggression regulation (Siever 08)?

Answer 3

We know that it is related to the circuitry involved in fear conditioning and affective control but do not understand the delineation between these regions.

Question 4

What were Bettencourt et al’s (2006) findings on trait aggressiveness and trait irritability?

a) Trait aggressiveness and irritability influenced aggressive behaviour in neutral conditions, but other personality variables (e.g., trait anger, Type A personality) influenced aggressive behavior only under provoking conditions.
b) Trait aggressiveness and irritability influence aggressive behaviour only in provoking situations as did other personality variables (e.g., trait anger, Type A personality) influenced aggressive behavior only under provoking conditions.
c) Trait aggressiveness and irritability influenced aggressive behavior under both provoking and neutral conditions, but other personality variables (e.g., trait anger, Type A personality) influenced aggressive behavior only under provoking conditions.

Answer 4

c) Trait aggressiveness and irritability influenced aggressive behavior under both provoking and neutral conditions, but other personality variables (e.g., trait anger, Type A personality) influenced aggressive behavior only under provoking conditions.

Question 5

What are the two main findings of Denson et al’s (2011) Self Control Training study with regards to trait aggression?

Answer 5

1. SCT reduced aggression in those high in trait aggressiveness
2. Those participants in the SCT group also reported less anger than controls.

Question 6

What is the theory behind prosocial video games? With relation to findings from violent video games studies.

Answer 6

Cross gender and cultural effects of chronic playing of violent videogames (rehearsing/ reinforcing) show increase in antisocial effects in players (Anderson et al 2010).

Therefore repeated playing of prosocial video games should yield an increase in prosocial effects.

Question 7

What were the results of Greitmeyer et al’s (2012) prosocial video game study measuring aggression? What is a limitation of this study?

Answer 7

Prosocial gamers behaved significantly less aggressively than neutral condition in white noise blast test → shows that prosocial behaviour creates prosocial scripts.

Participants played VG for 15 minutes- doesn’t represent the effects of chronic playing. A longitudinal study would need to be undertaken for more validity.

Question 8

What are the 3 benefits of playing video games according to Granic, Lobel and Engel (2014)?

Answer 8

• Cognitive- improving of spatial skills and more accurate attention allocation in shooter games
• Motivational- idea of persistence in the face of failure
• Social- WoW promoting social skills such as cooperation, helping, support

Question 9

What are the three negative effects identified by Goldstein in relation to the effects of TV violence?

Answer 9

• Aggression effect- increased copy cat and self-directed violence
• Victim effect- increase in fearfulness, mistrust, self-protectiveness
• Bystander effect – increase in desensitisation and callousness insensitive and cruel disregard for others.

Question 10

What were Boxer et al’s (2006) 3 findings on the effectiveness of school based programs?

Answer 10

• Delivered by teachers most effective
• Primary rather than high school students
• Whole school vs class

Question 11

What are the 4 steps to Boxer and Dubow’s (2002) Social-cognitive information-processing model for reducing and preventing school aggression?

Answer 11

1. Cue attention and interpretation
2. Script search and retrieval
3. Script evaluation
4. Evaluation of environmental response

Question 12

What was the finding of the Vienna Social Competence training program?

a) 4 months follow up found an increase in aggressiveness in the control classes but not the trained classes.
b) 4 months follow up found no increase in aggressiveness in the control classes or the trained classes.
c) 4 months follow up found an increase in aggressiveness in the control classes and the trained classes.
d) there was no effect of the program

Answer 12

a) 4 months follow up found an increase in aggressiveness in the control classes but not the trained classes.

Question 13

What are limitations of medical treatments of aggression?

Answer 13

Short term, system focused and not addressing the causal factors.

Question 14

What is an example of a current management strategy of aggression?

Answer 14

Medication to treat impulsivity/ hyperactivity- serotonin based

Question 15

What was the aim of the Creating A Safe School training program?

Answer 15

• Raising awareness and increasing knowledge on relational aggression
• Building empathy

Question 16

What was the main finding of the Creating a Safe School training program?

Answer 16

Only worked on students who were high in relational aggression pre-test

Question 17

What is Boxer and Dubow’s (2002) reliable pathway of aggression?

Answer 17

Initial onset of minor aggression -> Physical fighting -> Violence