Aggression

What is aggression?

Behaviour that is designed to harm others in some way

What are some analogues of behaviour?

Bobo dolls & pressing a button to deliver a fake shock

What are signals of intention?

Expression of willingness to behave aggressively

What are the methods of rating aggression?

Self-reports & Observations

What are indirect methods of studying aggression?

Non-physical, relational & psychological aggression

What are some limitations of analogues of behaviour?

Lacks generalisability

What are some limitations of signals of intention?

Intention does not always equal behaviour

What are some limitations of rating aggression?

Social desirability bias + can interpret observed behaviour in line with expectations

What are some limitations of indirect measures?

May inflate the prevalence of aggression if comparing to direct/physical measures of aggression

What is the psychodynamic approach to aggression?

Building up tension (Thanatos) and releasing it through redirection (Catharsis)

What is the evolutionary approach to aggression?

Aggressive behaviour is used to ensure genetic survival

What are some strengths of the biological approaches to aggression?

Do appeal and resonate with the idea that violence is part of human nature

Supported when comparing to animal behaviour

What are some limitations of the biological approaches to aggression?

Unknowable and immeasurable - 'Instincts' can't be measured/studied

Supported by observational studies only, so we cannot establish causality

Difficult to measure in the laboratory

What is the Frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Frustration at a situation leads to aggression towards something and results in prejudice

What is sublimation in the Frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Using aggression in acceptable activities such as sport

What is displacement in the Frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Directing our aggression outwards onto something or someone else.

What is excitation transfer?

Arousal caused by one stimulus is added to arousal from a second stimulus, and the combined arousal is attributed to the second stimulus

What are some strengths of the biosocial approaches?

Provides useful opportunities for interventions to target

Evidence of displacement (Marcus-Newhall et al., 2000)

What are some limitations of the biosocial approaches?

Frustration/or being aroused does not always lead to aggression, and you can be aggressive without being frustrated/aroused - too simplistic

Some types of arousal can also make us feel good, which reduces aggression.

Participants who vented their anger by hitting a punching bag became aggressive, rather than less so (Bushman et al., 1999)

How can gender affect aggression? (Eagly & Steffen, 1986)

Men engage in aggressive behaviour more frequently than women

We learn gender appropriate behaviours

How can attachment affect aggression? (Newman et al., 2014)

Insecure attachment was strongly associated with all types of criminality

How can alcohol have a direct effect on aggression?

Compromises cortical control and increases activity in more primitive brain areas - Impairment in cognitive function, decision making

Physiological arousal

How can alcohol have an indirect effect on aggression?

Placebo & Priming effect

How can crowding affect aggression?

Population density linked to crime rates (Regoeczi, 2003)

Anonymity in crowds

How can disadvantaged groups affect aggression?

Can engage in aggression if they are unjustly disadvantaged and

they cannot improve their disadvantaged position.

How can Violent media affect aggression?

Easy access to sanitised versions of aggression/ violence in the media has been argued to desensitise viewers

What is the General Aggression Model (GAM)?

Fundamental idea is the interplay between personal and situational variables, which influence 3 internal states: cognition, affect, arousal, affecting our appraisal/decision processes, which influence aggressive outcomes

What is the input in the General Aggression Model?

Person and situation factors increase or decrease the likelihood of aggression through their influence on internal state variables

What is the internal state in the General Aggression Model?

Person/situational variables can affect our moods/emotions, aggressive thoughts, and arousal, which affect our appraisals and therefore alter the likelihood of aggression

What is the appraisal in the General Aggression Model?

Internal states influence appraisal of the situation.

The behavioural script that was activated during the appraisal is then enacted, leading to the social encounter

What is institutionalised aggression?

Aggressive behaviours adopted by members of an institution

What are the causes of institutionalised aggression?

Dispositional & Situational factors