Lecture 8 Notes Aggression
Lecture 8 Notes Aggression
Lecture 8 Notes Aggression
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
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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
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PSYC 1004: Introduction to Social Psychology
FACTORS WITHIN THE INDIVIDUAL
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
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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
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
Causes
• Perceived unfairness
• Changes in staff – lay offs
• Abusive supervisors
Punishment
• Eye for an eye – hanging, imprisonment
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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
Required Reading
Social Psychology
Robert A. Baron * Nyla R. Branscombe
Chapter Ten
Aggression – Its Nature, Causes and Control