aggression

WHAT IS AGGRESSION?

• Definition: Physical or verbal behavior intended to cause harm.

• Types of Aggression:

  • Hostile Aggression (Affective): Driven by anger, main goal is to hurt someone

  Ex. guy loses fight and punches the winner out of rage

  • Instrumental Aggression: aggression used as a tool to achieve a goal—not just to hurt someone (planned and purposeful)

  Ex. a boxer punches his opponent to win the match (not out of anger)

  • In Animals:

    • Social Aggression: To maintain social class and authority.

    Ex. lion fights to decide who will be the alpha male

    • Silent Aggression: Towards prey (used for hunting

    Ex. kill prey with minimal effort (attack quietly and efficiently)

THEORIES OF AGGRESSION

• Types of aggression theories:

  1. Aggression as a Biological Phenomenon

  2. Aggression as a Response to Frustration

  3. Aggression as Learned Social Behavior

THEORIES OF AGGRESSION: BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENON

• Instinct Theory & Evolutionary Psychology:

  • Aggression is a survival instinct—helps animals & humans get resources, defend themselves and compete for mates

  • Freud's ‘Thanatos’ Theory: a self destructive, aggressive drive (pushes people toward violence, war, or even self-harm)

  • Instinctive behavior is innate and unlearned (natural)

  • Controversy: Instinct theory is criticized as pseudoscience (circular reasoning)

• Adaptive functions of aggression:

  • aggression has helpful (adaptive) functions that increase survival and reproduction—gaining resources, defense and eliminating male rivals for females

• Neural Influences:

  • Prefrontal cortex (self-control area) regulates aggression.

  • Findings show lower activity in murderers’ and antisocial individuals’ prefrontal cortex.

• Genetic Influences:

  • Some people have genes that increase aggression + childhood maltreatment

• Biochemical Influences:

  • Key factors: Alcohol, testosterone, low serotonin.

FRUSTRATION RESPONSES

• Frustration-Aggression Theory:

  • Frustration = when something blocks your goal

  • Frustration makes you ready to attack, but aggression can be:

    • Direct : Outward aggression towards source.

    • Displaced : Redirecting aggression to a safer target.

Revised Frustration-Aggression Theory

• Frustration doesn’t always lead to aggression; it can lead to irritation.

Ex. if Nathan fails a test because of a broken sound system, she’ll feel annoyed, not aggressive

• Relative deprivation - people feel more frustrated when they think they have less than others

Ex. i’m fine with my salary—until i find out my coworker makes more

LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

• Rewards of Aggression: Higher status, authority.

• Media exploitation of aggression.

• Observational Learning: Learning by observing and imitating role models, as proposed by Albert Bandura.

INFLUENCES OF AGGRESSION

• Factors influencing aggression:

  1. Aversive incidents (pain, heat)

  2. Arousal

  3. Aggression cues

  4. Media influences (pornography, TV, video games)

  5. Group influences

AVERSIVE INCIDENTS

• Pain: Example of Mike Tyson’s aggressive reaction post-fight injury.

• Heat: Higher aggression rates in hot weather.

• Attacks: Increased aggression during direct attacks.

AROUSAL

• State of bodily arousal can lead to different emotions based on interpretation.

AGGRESSION CUES

• Children exposed to toy guns are more likely to engage in aggressive play.

• Presence of guns increases risk of murder and suicide; guns act as cues of aggression.

MEDIA INFLUENCES ON AGGRESSION

• Exposure to sexual violence reinforces misconceptions of sexual assault.

• Correlation between television presence and murder rates.

• Effects of Television:

  • Desensitization

  • Social scripts

  • Altered perceptions

  • Cognitive priming

VIDEO GAMES AND AGGRESSION

• Vicious cycles of violence through media.

• Research findings on the effects of violent video games, including military training simulations.

• Important to monitor children's media consumption and provide educational media.

GROUP INFLUENCES ON AGGRESSION

• Groups can amplify aggression through:

  • Diffusion of responsibility.

  • Social contagion among peers.

  • Formation of group identity can lead to collective violence.

HOW TO REDUCE AGGRESSION?

• Catharsis: The idea of emotional release through aggression is flawed; may increase aggression.

• Social Learning Approach: Encourage non-aggressive behavior through positive reinforcement and modeling.

QUESTIONS?

• "Aggression only moves in one direction - it creates more aggression" - Margaret J. Wheatley