Aggression

1. Aggression Hurting Others

2.    I. What is Aggression? • Physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt another individual. • Must be intentional!!!!

3. II. Types of Aggression: • 1.  Hostile aggression-aggression driven by anger & performed as an end in itself (affective aggression). • Goal---to harm another for the sake of getting even with them. • Characterized by displays of rage (screaming, shouting, crimes of passion) 

4. 2. Instrumental aggression-serves as a means to an end. • Goal here—aggression is carried out to solve a problem. • This is cool, detached, & often premediated. • E.g., military, mafia

5. Most murders are hostile aggression. • 50% erupt from arguments while others result from romantic triangles or brawls, while under the influence of alcohol or narcotics. • Such murders are impulsive, emotional, & volatile outbursts.

6. III. Theories of Aggression: • 1. Aggression is biological – we are aggressive due to physiological instincts or drives. • A. Instinct theory– aggression is innate. • Anger builds up until we explode when appropriate stimulus signals its release.

7. Problems with instinct theory: • Instinct theory fails to account for variations in aggressiveness across individuals & cultures. • E.g., How does instinct theory account for peaceful Iroquois before white invaders & aggressive Iroquois afterwards.

8. B. Evolutionary theory: aggression may be adaptive. • Aggression enables us to obtain resources, defend against attack, eliminate competition for mates, & to enforce sexual fidelity from mates.

9. C. Neural influences on aggression • Stimulating the amygdala in cats causes a fearful or anger response to occur (piloerection). • A woman receiving painless stimulation to her amygdala became enraged and smashed her guitar against the wall.

10. Are violent people’s brains different from normal people? • Yes!!! • Raine et al., (2000) found that the prefrontal cortex (which inhibits aggressive behavior), was 14% less active than normal in non-abused murderers &15% smaller in antisocial males. • This does not mean brain anomaly caused violent behavior (could be the other way around), but could be a factor.

11. Is aggression genetic? • Possibly. • We can breed animals for aggressiveness (pit bulls, roosters). • Our temperment in infancy predicts whether we will be aggressive in adulthood (Larsen & Deiner, 1987). • Twin studies support this.

12. Alcohol • Individuals prone to violence are more likely to drink & become violent while drunk. 4 in 10 violent crimes committed by people who’ve been drinking. • Surveys of rapists--over half report they were drinking before committing the rape. • Alcohol – reduces self-awareness & disinhibits (deindividuates).

13. Hormones • Lowering testosterone levels reduces aggressiveness, while raising it, increases aggression (“Roid rage.”) • Prisoners who had committed unprovoked violent crimes had higher levels of testosterone than those who had committed nonviolent crimes. • Teens with higher levels of testosterone were more prone to delinquency, hard drug use, & provocations.

14. serotonin • Lower levels of serotonin are found in kids & adults prone to violence. • Lowering serotonin levels in the lab increases their response to aversive events and willingness to deliver supposed electric shocks.

15. 2. Frustration-Aggression theory: • Argues that aggression occurs when we desire obtaining a goal, expect to be gratified, & then are blocked from doing so. • Violent behavior erupts from this frustration. Often is directed to a target other than source of aggression (displacement). • Its not acceptable to yell at the boss, so we kick the dog, yell at spouse, etc.

16. Is this theory valid? • Data on theory are mixed (sometimes frustration increased aggressiveness, sometimes not). • If frustration is justifiable, but situation is such that person didn’t intentionally cause it (car broken down on road), then it doesn’t lead to aggression.

17. New definition of Frustration-Aggression theory • Berkowitz (1978; 1989) theorized that frustration produces anger, an emotional readiness to aggress. • We become angry when someone frustrates us who could have chosen to not to. • Aggression is likely when our bottled-up anger is released (often, but not always to a cue).

18. Is frustration—equivalent with deprivation? • No!!! You can have frustration without deprivation.

19. Does deprivation lead to frustration & aggression? • No!!! People who are sexually frustrated may not be sexually deprived or celibate. • People who have good jobs with good pay may be frustrated with other areas of life. • Violent crime was not high during the Great Depression when everyone was deprived. • Frustration seems to be linked to high expectations that are not always met.

20. 3. Is Aggression learned? • Yes!!!--conditioning & modeling. • We learn rewards of aggression: • ----we can intimidate others with force • -----may help us achieve goals 

21. Are people rewarded for acting aggressively? Does this promote aggression? • Yes!!!!! Bandura’s Bobo doll studies show this. • Bandura had children watch whether an adult hitting & kicking a bobo doll was either punished or not for his actions. • Children were then led individually into a room with toys & a bobo doll.

22. Bandura Bobo-doll study • Children who saw the adult receiving punishment for hitting the Bobo doll were less likely to hit the Bobo doll themselves. • The opposite was found for children seeing the adult go unpunished for his actions.

23. IV. Influences on Aggression • 1. Aversive incidents—those causing us pain often lead to aggression. • A. Pain– causing pain in others often leads to aggression. • Presenting shock & other forms of pain causes animals to attack one another. • Humans will do this to.

24. B. Heat • Changes in climate (heat) may lead to aggressive & hostile behavior. • Ss asked to fill out questionnaires in a hot room (over 90 degrees F) reported feeling, aggressive, & expressed more hostility towards a stranger than a person filling out a questionnaire in a comfortable room.

25. Does heat in the real world promote aggression? Yes!!! In places where it is hotter (Southern states, California) & during hotter seasons & days there are more violent crimes.

26. C. Attacks • We often become aggressive, when attacked by others. • At our core we act in an “eye for an eye” manner.

27. D. Crowding • Being cramped in small places causes many to experience agitation & aggressiveness. • Evidence: More urban areas with denser populations have higher crime rates.

28. Do arousing events stimulate anger? • Yes!! • Schacter & Singer’s study

29. V. Aggression Cues • Berkowitz argues the mere “sight” of a weapon (gun) promotes aggression. • In one experiment, children who had just played with toy guns became more willing to knock down another child’s block. • Ss presented their “tormentor” with more electric shocks when a rifle & revolver were left behind nearby than when badminton racquets had been left behind.

30. VI. Media Influences: Pornography and Sexual Violence • Does pornography promote sexual violence? • Possibly!!! • Malamuth & Check (1981) showed male Ss either 2 nonsexual movies or 2 movies depicting a man sexually overcoming a woman. • A week later, those Ss who saw the violent film, were more accepting of violence towards women.

31. Do slasher films have the same effect? • Yes!!!!! • Men shown slasher flicks (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) appear to become desensitized to brutality & are less empathetic towards rape victims.

32. Does exposure to violent pornography cause increases in punitive behavior towards women? • Yes!!!! Donnerstein (1980) had 120 college males view a neutral, an erotic, or an aggressive-erotic (rape) film. • Then, the Ss had to “teach” a male or female confederate some nonsense syllables by choosing how much shock to administer for incorrect responses. • Males viewing rape file delivered stronger shocks to the female confederate.

33. Factors that predict increased aggression: • 1.     male actors • 2.     aggressive or Type A personalities • 3.     alcohol use • 4.     watching violence (movies/TV) • 5.     anonymity • 6.     provocation • 7.     the presence of weapons • 8.     group interaction

34. Do we release anger & aggression but venting? • No!!! • Expressing aggression breeds further hostility & aggression.

35. We can reduce or minimize aggression by several methods: • 1.  Reducing aversive experiences: We should reward cooperative nonaggressive behavior in ourselves and others. • Children are less aggressive if their nonaggressive behavior is reinforced with positive rewards. • 2. Aggressive stimuli trigger aggression: remove weapons, especially guns from the home.