Aggression and Procsocial Behaviour

Explain what aggression is

Any behavior intended to harm another individual - physical and psychological (Direct, verbal and indirect)

What are the causes for aggression

• Biological factors (such as genetics and brain chemistry)

• Psychological factors (like personality and exposure to violence)

• Environmental factors (including alcohol and group dynamics)

How does testosterone affect aggression

• can amplify existing social motivations rather than directly “cause” in isolation - to seek social dominance

How does serotonin affect aggression

• low levels linked with impulsive x - reduced capacity for emotional regulation and impulse control

how does amygdala affect aggression

• overactivation or hyper-responsiveness can contribute to heightened

how does the prefrontal cortex affect aggression

• reduced activity or damage can impair decision making, self-control, and emotional regulation

How does trait hostility/ irritability affect aggression

• higher baseline of anger or irritability - interpret ambiguous cues as hostile

How does poor self-control affect aggression

• act on anger before considering consequences - reactive (heat-of-the-moment) aggression

How can narcissism affect aggression

• react if inflated self-image is threatened - “narcissistic rage”

how can psychopathy affect aggression

• less empathy and remorse - planned, instrumental aggression (influenced by upbringing)

How can childhood affect aggression

• children who witness or experience violence at home (e.g., harsh physical discipline, domestic violence) can learn that aggression is appropriate conflict-solving method

How can violent media affect aggression

• may increase aggression through desensitization, normative beliefs, imitation

How can community and culture affect aggression

• Living in a high-violence neighborhood or participating in groups that glorify aggression can reinforce ideas that aggression is an effective means of resolving conflict

Explain what Joseph’s (1987) Hockey Game Study

Violent TV → more aggression in the fame

• significantly more aggression

• those with violent reminder (cue) had higher aggression compared to those who didnt

• short-term priming effects - can compound and have more long term effects

Explain Steele and Joseph study on influence of alcohol (1990)

Capacity to take more than one thing into account (immediate urges and long term considerations)

• showed greater sensitivity to cues that were immediately in front of them - discounting the future repercussions

  • increased in impulsive/ aggressive behaviors (Alcohol Myopia)

How can a group influence aggression

Identity and a group assigns roles and results in collective identity (loosening moral judgment)

• amplifies under situational forces and group norms as it spreads more easily as we look to others for cues and individuals feel less personally accountable

how can ostracism affect aggression

• sensitive to social rejection = anxiety, reduced mood, frustration and retaliatory aggression

How to reduce aggression

• Developing Empathy - perspective-taking, emotional literacy, modelling behaviour

• Improving Communication Skills – active listening, conflict resolution, anger management

• Environments that Reduce Aggression Triggers – physical space design, rules and norms, positive social climate, lower alcohol use

Explain the bystander effect

• Diffusion of Responsibility - In a crowd, each person assumes someone else will (or should) act, leading everyone to do nothing.

• Pluralistic Ignorance - If no one else seems alarmed, individuals may conclude that “this might not be a real emergency,” suppressing their own inclination to help.

• Evaluation Apprehension - Fear of acting inappropriately or being judged if it turns out the situation isn’t truly serious.

• Knowing about this makes you less likely to do it

How to encourage prosocial behavior

• modeling and observations

• social norms campaigns

• education and awareness

• reducing ambiguity

Why may prosocial behaviour occur

• evolution

• reciprocal altruism

• personal rewards

• empathy-altruism hypothesis

• Negative-state relief model

How can situational factors affect prosocial behavior

• time pressure

• clarity of the situation

• attraction, similarity and relationship