Aggression, Coercive Action, and Anger

Which stage of cognitive development is characterized by egocentrism and lack of reversibility?Justice

• Justice: Acquired value; expectation of outcomes based on actions.

• Belief in a just world reduces anxiety.

• Norms: Rules of conduct (e.g., waiting one's turn).

• Violating norms leads to suspicion and loss of privileges.

Retributive Justice

• Belief that norm violations should be punished.

Types of Norm Violation

• Distributive justice: Fair allocation of resources and duties.

• Procedural justice: Fair conflict resolution processes.

• Interactional justice: Respect and politeness.

Justice as Self-Worth

• Violations of justice are seen as attacks on self-worth.

Attribution of Blame

• Blame is attributed through a series of inferences:

  • Actor caused negative outcome?

  • Intended or unintended?

  • Justified or unjustified?

• Blame is assigned if the action was unjustified or foreseeable.

• Aggression is linked to perceived injustice.

Anger and Injustice

• Anger accompanies blame; unjust treatment is a threat to self-worth.

• Angry people exhibit:

  • Energized behavior.

  • Impaired information processing.

• Escalating conflict protects self-worth.

• High arousal narrows attention to threat cues.

• Physical aggression results from perceived injustices.

Interpersonal Violence

Link Between Control and Power

• Violence is understood via power and control dynamics.

• Threat of loss of power triggers violence.

• Abusers lack skills for control through accepted means.

• Violence against marginalized reflects power struggles.

Violence as Last Resort

• Aggression is a strategy to gain control.

• Lack of control leads to aggression and violence.

• Anger and alcohol can short-circuit constructive control methods.

Summary of Coercive Action

• Tedeschi and Felson: Coercive Action theory involves threats and punishment.

• Coercive action is used when targets don't comply.

• Four costs: Opportunity, retaliation, non-coercion, third-party.

• Model assumes rational action but acknowledges incomplete information processing, such as with alcohol.

• Justice motivates coercive actions.

• Types of justice: Retributive, distributive, procedural, interactional.

• Blame attribution involves inferential steps.

• Anger impairs information processing.

• Violence relates to power and control dynamics.

• Physical aggression is a last resort when verbal control fails.

Youth Violence

• Increased in the past decade.

• Poverty, abuse, media violence cited as possible causes.

• Model Includes:

  • Biological factors.

  • Learned factors.

  • Cognitive factors.

Biological Component

• Frustration and negative affects cause aggression.

• Frustration leads to hostile feelings.

• Hostility triggers fight-or-flight response.

• Frustration is relative to what is possible; discrepancy between rich and poor increases frustration.

• Nurturing homes reduce aggression; abuse increases it.

Learned Component

• Threat responses include attack or instrumental behaviors.

• Good guidance helps escape threats.

• Helplessness and hostile aggression lead to violence.

• Lack of empathy can lead to cycle of violence.

Cognitive Component

• Nurturing parents lead to self-control; violence leads to victim mentality.

• Sense of control comes from competence and justice.

• Community participation helps develop control.

• Antisocial peers define values for those lacking broader connections.

Summary of Youth Violence

• Two paths: conventional vs. antisocial/criminal behavior.

• Frustration leads to hostile feelings.

• Parental attitudes and role models shape the direction.

• Support from schools and communities fosters self-control.

• Antisocial peers lead to a victim mentality.

Aggression and Health Issues

Type A Personality and Coronary Heart Disease

• Type A: Competitive, urgent, aggressive/hostile.

• Type B: Less competitive, easygoing.

• Type A individuals are more likely to have heart attacks.

Hostility and Heart Disease

• Hostility is strongly linked to coronary heart disease.

• Hostility involves uncooperative, antagonistic behavior.

Hostility and Anger in Hypertension and Coronary Heart Disease

• Fear resembles epinephrine; anger resembles mixed epinephrine-norepinephrine response.

• Anger-out (expressing anger): increased diastolic blood pressure.

• Anger-in (repressing anger): increased systolic blood pressure, heart rate.

• Repressed anger is linked to hypertension.

• Men, African Americans, and those in high-stress areas at greater risk.

• Hostility combined with competitive behavior increases risk.

• Calming down and reasoning is the best approach.

Cynical Hostility

• Involves anger and resentment with poor adaptive skills.

• Leads to social rejection.

• Requires reducing distrust and changing thinking.

Hostility, TABP, and Plasma Lipids

• High hostility and TABP increase plasma lipids.

• Leads to chronic stress reaction and catecholamine release.

Summary of Aggression and Health

• Type A behavior pattern (TABP): competitiveness, urgency, hostility.

• Suppressed anger and cynical hostility linked to heart disease.

• TABP and hostility increase plasma lipids.

• Anger suppression is riskier than expression.

• Managing anger is crucial.