Notes on Aggression, Violence, and Behavior

Aggression and Violence

Evidence and Conclusions

• Current evidence on factors influencing aggression is complex.
• Drawing definitive conclusions about what encourages aggression is difficult.

Factors Influencing Aggression

• Conflict Resolution Skills: Lack of skills in dealing with conflict may result in resorting to violence.
• Hunger:
  • Hunger can affect aggression levels, potentially increasing or decreasing them, based on individual responses.

Substance Influence on Homicides (2015)

• Around 40% of homicides involved someone under the influence of a substance.
• Alcohol accounts for 90% of these cases.

Alcohol as a Risk Factor

• Most of the time people are not under the influence of alcohol.
• A quarter of homicides occur while people are under the influence.
• This indicates alcohol is a potent risk factor for committing homicides.
• Alcohol changes the way aggression-related stimuli are understood.

Psychiatric Conditions and Violence

• Substance abuse is the most influential psychiatric condition predisposing individuals to violence.
• People with substance abuse disorders are seven times more likely to be found guilty of a violent crime compared to those without such disorders.
• Other psychiatric disorders have recurrent effects, but are generally smaller.
• Schizophrenia increases someone's likelihood of being violent by about fivefold.
• Traumatic brain injuries and epilepsy have smaller effects on violent aggression.

Neuropsychiatric Conditions and Violence

• 15% of all violence is attributable to substance abuse.
• PAF = 0.15 for substance abuse, meaning 15% of all acts of violence are attributed to these substances

Natural Selection and Aggression

• Natural selection equipped humans with the propensity for aggression and violence.
• Aggression has evolved social functions.
• Aggression involves processing related stimuli in the environment, considering internal states.

Public Spending

• Taxation revenues are redirected to promote public spending.
• Public spending includes health.

Beliefs and Desires

• Psychology seeks to understand what people believe and what they want.

The Dictator Game

• It has been studied for the past 40 years to research parasocial behavior.
• Changing the description of the game influences behavior.
• Framing the game as "an opportunity to boost another's income" influences how much people give.
• Describing the action as an opportunity to donate increases the amount people give.
• Describing the action as demanding that people give increases the amount given.

Taking vs. Giving in the Dictator Game

• In a scenario where a person is given $10 and asked how much they would like to take for themselves.
• People will take less than $7, even though they would give $3.
• This suggests individuals value not taking money more than giving it.

Stealing in the Dictator Game

• People are less likely to steal $7, than they are willing to give $3.

Influences on Behavior

• Naming the game ('taking' vs. 'giving') influences how much people give.
• This indicates the meaning associated with the behavior impacts decisions.
• People prefer to give and donate, rather than steal or take.
• People value not being seen as someone who steals.

Motivations for Helping Others

• People care about other people's welfare.
• People may give to be perceived positively.
• People may contribute to charity to avoid being seen as someone who steals.
• It is important to understand the motivations behind behaviors, rather than just observing the behavior itself.
• People help others to fulfill certain motivations.