Scribd
Upload
270 views6 pages

Lecture 8 Notes Aggression

This document provides an overview of a lecture on aggression in social psychology. It defines aggression and discusses different types. It then examines several theories of aggression, including instinct/biological theories, evolutionary psychology, and drive theories. It also covers social learning theory and the role of situational factors and individual traits in aggression. The document analyzes gender differences in aggression and discusses prevention and control of aggression.

Uploaded by

Celine Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
270 views6 pages

Lecture 8 Notes Aggression

This document provides an overview of a lecture on aggression in social psychology. It defines aggression and discusses different types. It then examines several theories of aggression, including instinct/biological theories, evolutionary psychology, and drive theories. It also covers social learning theory and the role of situational factors and individual traits in aggression. The document analyzes gender differences in aggression and discusses prevention and control of aggression.

Uploaded by

Celine Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

PSYC 1004: Introduction to Social Psychology

Lecture 8 Notes – Aggression


What is aggression & types of aggression
Aggression - Behaviour intended to injure another person who is motivated to avoid such treatment.
Violence - Aggression, with the goal of extreme physical harm

Types of aggression
• Instrumental aggression - Aggression aimed at accomplishing a goal
• Hostile aggression - Aim of the aggression is to inflict harm
• Indirect aggression - The aggressive act is not face to face
• Direct aggression - Face to face aggression

Theories of aggression
Instinct/ Biological Theories
• Aggression has biological basis
• Freud - Man has a death instinct – thanatos
• Impulse to destroy self & others
• Can be activated without external stimulus
• Konrad Lorenz - Ethological approach
• Aggressive drive is innate like sex
– Males in particular biologically programmed to fight over resources
• Hydraulic model of aggression
– Aggressive energy built up until discharged

Evolutionary Psychology
• Prehistorically
o Males compete for females
o Competitors removed/ driven away by aggression
o Successful aggressors pass on genes
o Tendency of males to aggress against other males
o Theories of aggression - Drives

Drive theories + role of external factors


• Frustration-aggression hypothesis (Dollard et al., 1939)
• “Aggression is always a consequence of frustration”
• How it works
– Attempting to achieve a goal + Interference with achievement of goal = Frustration  Arousal of
aggressive drive  Source of frustration targeted
• Leonard Berkowitz (1965)
• Reformulated frustration-aggression hypothesis
• Frustration leads to aggression only if it causes negative feelings

LEARNING AND SOCIAL FACTORS - THE MEDIA


Social Learning Theory

1
PSYC 1004: Introduction to Social Psychology
• Albert Bandura (1997)
• Aggression is learned
o Acquired via modelling
o Is not innate
• Bobo doll experiments
• Adult models display aggression towards doll
• Children copy aggressive behaviour
Learning and the Media
• Media – TV, Films, Video Games, Music
• Exposure increases aggression
• Longitudinal Studies
• More children watched violent films and movies  greater violence as adolescents
• Who is most affected?
• Children 9-12
• Family background – dv
• Personality traits
• Violent Video Games (Anderson et al., 2010)
• Increase aggressive
o Cognitions
o Emotions
o Behaviour
• Increase aggression in short-term and long term
• Violent Pornography
• Linz et al. (1988)
• Leads to aggression against women
• Leads to desensitization
• Myths about acceptability of rape

SITUATIONAL FACTORS AND AGGRESSION


Provocation
• Provocation  aggression
• Direct attacks
• Verbal
• Physical
• Condescension
• Teasing
Rejection and Exclusion

Emotions and Aggression


Excitation Transfer Theory (Zillman, 1994)
• Arousal in one situation
• Persists & intensifies later emotions
• When arousal attributed to the current situation

2
PSYC 1004: Introduction to Social Psychology
FACTORS WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL

Cognitive Information Processing & Aggression


• Role of Attributions (Dodge, 1986)
• Hostile attribution bias
o Perception of ambiguous actions by others as aggressive
• Hostile perception bias
o Perception of social interactions as being aggressive
• Hostile expectation bias
o Assume people will react to potential conflicts with aggression
• The role of scripts (Heusmann, 1988)
o Scripts learned by observation or experience
o Observation of aggression  learning of scripts for aggression

Traits As Situational Sensitivities (TASS) Model (Kammarath, Mendoza-Denton & Michel, 2005)
• Trait aggression  aggressive behaviour in right situation
• ↑trait aggression + mild provocation ↑aggression
• ↓trait aggressiveness + mild/moderate provocation  no response
• Factors within the individual
• ↓ trait aggressiveness + strong provocation = strong aggression

Personality Types
Narcissistic Personality Disorder/ Narcissistic traits
• Strong negative self-worth
• Grandiose compensation
• Prone to narcissistic injury

Antisocial personality
• Impulsive
• Reckless regard for safety of self and others
• Aggressive feelings – prone to fighting
• Lack of remorse
• Antisocial inmates more likely to be convicted for violent crime

Type A Personality
• Hostile
• Competitive, time urgency
• At risk for heart disease
• Tend to instrumental aggression, and hostile aggression

Theories of aggression - GAM


General Aggression Model (Anderson & Bushman, 2002)
• Aggression the result of a chain of events
Situational factors
• Frustration
• Provocation
• Aggressive models

3
PSYC 1004: Introduction to Social Psychology
• Cues associated with aggression
• Causes of discomfort
Individual/personal factors
• Character traits – Type A personality
• Hostile attributional bias
• Beliefs – revenge or turn the other cheek
Current internal state
• Affected by situational & personal factors
• Physiological arousal - excitement
• Emotional state
• Cognition
Appraisal & decision
• Impulsive action – aggression
• Thoughtful action

Gender and Aggression


• Is one gender more aggressive?
o Not really
o Small differences
• Men more aggressive than women
o Direct
o Instrumental
o Presence of provocation
• Women more aggressive than men
o Indirect (backbiting, exclusion) but mainly in children
o Relational
o Hostile
• Aggression in women and men equal
o Verbal aggression
o Indirect – in adults
o Socially acceptable
• Greatest variation in aggression
o Within-gender variation often greater than between gender

The Weapons Effect


• Availability of weapons can increase aggression
• How?
• Increase aggressive thoughts & feelings
• Causes priming of aggressive associations
o Makes thoughts more accessible
• Anger must already be present

Effects of alcohol and drugs


• How alcohol & drugs lead to aggression
• Lowering of defences – disinhibition
• Impairs executive functioning
4
PSYC 1004: Introduction to Social Psychology
• Affects information processing
• Trigger past associations of alcohol and aggression

Role of childhood trauma


• Abuse of children
• Emotional – name calling
• Physical
• Sexual
• Neglect
• Rejection
• Abandonment – emotional or physical

Aggression in relationships
Domestic Violence/ Intimate Partner violence
• Tends to be highest 18-24
• Some reasons for battering
• Need for control
• Family history of dv
• Family history of violence - licks
• Alcohol
• Low self esteem

Aggression amongst peers


Bullying
• An individual is chosen as a target
• Person perceived as weak
• Does not defend self
• Becomes a target of aggression
• Aggression in relationships

Aggression in the workplace


• Outsiders cause most of workplace violence
• Most common workplace aggression
o Obstructionism
o Incivility

Causes
• Perceived unfairness
• Changes in staff – lay offs
• Abusive supervisors

Prevention and control of aggression


Myths
• Catharsis Hypothesis
• Opportunities to discharge aggression safely will lead to reduction
• Provides a brief temporary relief

Punishment
• Eye for an eye – hanging, imprisonment
5
PSYC 1004: Introduction to Social Psychology
o “Closure”
o Deterrence
o Protection of society
Does Punishment Work?
• Does not address the cause
• Aggression is often spontaneous/ impulsive
• Punishment often unfair
o class
• Proven to be the least effective way to teach new behaviour
• Often leads to an increase in anger
• It can be effective in some instances
o If prompt
o If strong
o If perceived by recipient as justified

Methods of controlling aggression


• Raise children without aggressive models
• Self-control
• Assertiveness training
• Working through reasons for aggression – therapy
• Teaching forgiveness – empathy
• Aging

Required Reading
Social Psychology
Robert A. Baron * Nyla R. Branscombe
Chapter Ten
Aggression – Its Nature, Causes and Control

You might also like