PSYCH 280 Exam 3 Lecture 21

Any behavior aimed at causing either physical or psychological pain to another living being motivated to avoid such treatment
Not an emotion, not a thought
It is an action
Intentional
Cant be accidental
Victim is motivated to avoid harm

Physical aggression
Verbal aggression
Relational (social) aggression - intentionally harming another person’s social relationships, feelings of acceptance, or inclusion within a group
Displaced aggression - aggressing against a substitute target that is innocent of any wrong doing and just happens to be in wrong place at the wrong time

Hostile (reactive, impulsive) aggression -
“Hot” behavior; Annoyance-based
Goal is to cause pain or harm to another (ex. murder)
Many murders stem from argument
Instrumental (proactive) aggression –
“Cold” behavior; Incentive-based
Pain caused in pursuit of some other goal (ex. hiring a hit man)
A calculated type of agression

Violence - Any behavior intended to cause serious physical harm to another individual, such as injury or death
In eye of beholder

Males are more physically aggressive but females may display more relational aggression
Females are more covert, like spreading rumors and such
In heterosexual relationships, woens are actually more physically aggressive toward their partner than men

Dollard et al., 1939
“the occurrence of aggressive behavior always presupposes the existence of frustration”
“the existence of frustration always leads to some form of aggression.”

Frustrations are tied to our goals
Frustration signals that a goal has been thwarted
Blocking of goals can lead to aggressive responses
Aggressive feelings motivate goal achievement

Ex. Denying opportunity, discrimination and bias, traffic jams, etc.

Not all frustrations leads to aggression
Can cause you to give up on your goals (learned helplessness)
Aggression can also arise without a clear frustration/blocked goal
Not always clear how goals are blocked and how aggressing could fix that
Giving someone the finger in traffic will not help you get there any faster


Instead of just frustrations, any stimuli that makes us feel unpleasant can lead to aggression
Anything at all that makes you feel bad, will make you more likely to feel aggressive

Aversively stimulated aggression (Berkowitz, 1989) – anything that makes us feel bad makes us more likely to be aggressive (book refers to it as the “Neo-Associationistic Account”)
Pain Heat
Provocation Frustration/goal blocking
Poverty Lack of opportunity or discrimination
Long lines Traffic jams
Crowding Noise
Etc.
Situational Determinants

The mere presence of a weapon may increase aggression through priming effects


Participants were more likely to deliver more retaliatory shocks to a confederate when a weapon was present in the room (Berkowitz & LePage, 1967)
More shocks with a gun present than with a badminton racket present
Mere presence or possession of a weapon makes aggressive acts more likely

Exposure to media violence can increase aggressive thoughts, behaviors, and emotions both in the short and long term

Viewing TV Violence at age 8 was related to
Peer nominated aggression at age 8
Peer nominated aggression at age 19
Self-reported aggression at age 30
Aggression with alcohol at age 30
Engaging in violent crime at age 30
Aggressive beliefs at age 48
Effects mostly for males, controlling for SES, IQ, prior aggression, etc.

Priming of aggressive scripts and beliefs
Simple mimicry of aggressive behaviors
Increasing arousal which may then be misattributed to something else

Observational learning allows for encoding of schemas about the world, scripts for behavior, and normative beliefs about behavior that all promote aggression
Emotional desensitization to violence

Copycat violence
Acts of violence imitated from media portrayals
More likely to happen if person identifies as hero
Experimental studies show that aggressive acts are more likely to be imitated when people identify with the perpetrator of the violent act and the act is seen as justified (aggression against bad people)
High profile assassinations and mass murders
John Hinkley & “Taxi Driver”

Video game violence has similar short term and long term effects as other media portrayals
In addition…

Violent video games require the player to identify with a violent character and actively engage in aggression

Violent video games reward aggression

The amount of violence in video games is almost continuous

Cultural concern with defending one’s reputation and honor
People from a culture of honor are more likely to be aggressive after being insulted
Found in the South and Western U. S., Navajo tribes, Arab cultures, Latino cultures (machismo)

The culture of honor in the South may be linked to a history of cattle ranching in rural areas

One thing that does not help reduce aggression is catharsis
Catharsis theory posits that acting aggressively or even viewing aggression purges angry feelings and aggressive impulses into harmless channels
FALSE!
There is virtually no scientific data to support catharsis theory
Viewing violent acts does not reduce tension or aggressive tendencies
In fact, cathartic activities (such as consumption of violent media) often increase aggression

Delay: Let the anger dissipate.

Relaxation: Try to reduce arousal.

Distraction: Think about something else.

Incompatible response: Do something incompatible with anger and aggression.