Aggression Lectures Overview

What is Aggression

• Aggression is defined as intentional behavior aimed at causing physical or psychological pain to others, distinct from accidental harm.
• Sigmund Freud considered aggression an innate instinct that challenges cultural norms.

Types of Aggression

• Reactive (Hostile) Aggression:

  • Aimed at inflicting pain or injury, stemming from anger or frustration.
  • Example: Lashing out verbally or physically in response to frustration.

• Proactive (Instrumental) Aggression:

  • Aimed at achieving a specific goal, using coercion that may involve inflicting pain.
  • Example: Using aggressive tactics to force someone into compliance for personal gain.

Reasons for Aggression

• Aggression has various contributing factors without a single explanation.
• Evolutionary Perspective:
  • Aggression may have evolved for self-defense and the protection of relatives.
  • Reactive aggression works as a response to immediate threats, while proactive aggression may prevent future threats, enhancing survival prospects.

Examples in Animal Behavior

• Species that demonstrate aggressive behavior in safeguarding their offspring increase both their and their offspring's genetic fitness.
• Dominance hierarchies are maintained through aggression, providing stability in social species.
• Instances in animal behavior:
  • Lions demonstrate aggression when a new male kills the cubs of an old male to procreate.
  • Variability in aggression amongst species, with bonobo chimpanzees seen as less aggressive than regular chimpanzees.

Genetic Influences on Aggression

• Some individuals might have an aggressive personality type potentially linked to heredity.
• Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA):
  • Enzyme affecting neurotransmitter levels; deficiencies linked to increased aggression, particularly under conditions of childhood maltreatment.

Hormonal Influences

• Testosterone:

  • Linked to social and physical dominance, though it does not directly cause aggression.
  • High testosterone levels combined with low cortisol correlate with aggressive behavior, particularly regarding status-seeking.

• Serotonin:

  • Associated with impulse control; lower levels can lead to impulsive violent behavior.
  • Increased serotonin levels may help reduce aggressive tendencies.

Brain Systems and Aggression

• The executive functioning system relates to impulse control and planning.

  • Poor executive functioning correlates with impulsive aggression, particularly in teenagers with developing brains.

• Amygdala:

  • Involved in emotional responses, including aggression regulation.

• Prefrontal Cortex:

  • Controls inhibitions, planning, and executive functioning; abnormalities here often correlate with psychopathic traits.

Learning and Aggression

• Social Learning Theory:
  • Aggressive behavior can be learned through observation and imitation.
  • Bobo Doll Experiment:
  • Children mimicked aggressive behavior towards a doll after watching an adult demonstrate it, revealing the effects of modeled aggression and creativity in their imitative actions.

Effects of Aggression Exposure

• Contrary to prior beliefs, watching aggression does not diminish aggressive feelings; it may increase attraction to aggressive objects (like guns).
• Immediate reinforcement or punishment can influence aggressive behavior; however, lasting behavior change requires conditions like perceived fairness in punishment.

Cultural Influences on Aggression

• Societal frameworks can affect aggression levels significantly.

• In honor cultures, aggression may be provoked by threats to reputation.

  • Example: Chilean machismo culture shows higher acceptance of violence in domestic disputes involving jealousy compared to Canada.

• Non-Human Animal Observations:

  • Study of baboon troop aggression showed that when more aggressive males died due to poisoned food, there was a long-term decrease in aggression among the remaining males, suggesting cultural learning impacts aggressive behavior.