Agression

Def: Intentional behavior aimed at causing pain/harm

Hostile vs instrumental agression

Evolutionary perspective: males more agressive

Why?

Is agression innate or learned?

kitten raised with rat

chimpanzees vs bonobos

Cultural argument: Agression expression depends on circumstances and culture

New Guinea vs Europe

Culture of honor: Southern white males

Gender

males more physical

females relational agression

violence among intimate partners

elementary school evidence of abuse of girls by boys

high school - emotional abuse

7BPhysiological influences on aggression

Alcohol

why?

reduce inhibitions

Disrupts ip

expectations about effects of alcohol influences behavior more than amount of alcohol drunk

Pain

Discomfort

heat,humidity, odors

Frustration-aggression theory -the idea that frustration the idea that you are being prevented from attaining a goal increases aggressive response.

Size, ability to retaliate, proximity

Evidence: Barker,Dembo and Lewin (1941).

Children in frustrated group showed aggression when allowed to play

relative deprivation discrepancy between what people have and what they think they should have

Goal proximity more aggression

Unexpected - more aggression

likelihood reduced when frustration understandable legitimate Unintentional

Provocation

when provoked people may reciprocate

will not reciprocate

Provocation unintentional

mitigating circumstances

10 Aggressive objects

Gun vs badminton racket

11 learn to behave agressively: social learning theory

Imitation and aggression bobo doll experiment

media violence

increases physiological arousal

Triggers imitation

Primes aggressive ideas and expectations

Social scripts: ways of behaving Socially that we learn from culture.

Dehumanizing effects

decreased sensitivity

indifference

reduced sensitivity to needs of others

longitudinal effects

predict violence in adolescence and adulthood

elementary school children more agrression less prosocial at end of year

Heavy television viewers

exaggerated view of degree of violence

Greater fear of being Personally assaulted

cause and effect

Aggressive people prefer violent tv

watching make people aggressive

both

12 Does violence and sex sell?

No impairs memory,

13 Sexual violence

Characteristics of Sexually agressive men

Narcissistic

Feel hostility

inability to empathize with women

Accuse women of provoking them

when women know their assailants they may not label it as rape

Sexual scripts

traditional female role: resist advances

male role: be persistent

when a woman says no she doesn't mean no.

14Does punishing agression reduce agressive behavior

Punishers model

might induce

Threat of mild punishment more effective

15 Harsh punishment

16Catharsis and agression

aggressive behavior does not reduce need for further aggression

reverse is true

Direct aggression towards source of anger does not reduce further aggression

17Aggressive acts and Subsequent aggression

18Blaming the victim of our aggression

19Venting vs self-awareness

20Venting versus self-awareness

21coping

Apology

modeling non agressive behavior

Training in communication and problem solving skills

Build empathy