Social Psychology- Aggression

Subtypes of Aggression

1. *Antisocial Aggression* aggressive acts that violate commonly accepted social norms ex: killing your SO after finding out they cheated **more focus explaining this 2. *Prosocial Aggression* aggressive acts that support commonly accepted social norms ex: police officer shooting someone who was holding another hostage

Reducing Aggression: Three More Techniques

1. *Exposure to non-aggressive models* - wathcing people handle situations in a non-aggressive manner 2. *Training in social skills* - learning how to handle provocation 3. * Incompatible response technique* - suggests if someone is exposed to an event that causes the person to experience an emotion that is incompatible w/ anger/aggression (humor, empathy, mild sexual arousal), then they will not be angry/aggressive - ex: making jokes when mad --> technique can backfire --> more angry

Subtypes of Type A Behavior Pattern

1. *Healthy Competitive* - focus on first characteristic 2. *Cynical Hostility* - poorly adjusted, impatient, irritable, angry --> more aggression

Five explanations for why kids exhibit more violence the more they watch violence on TV/Media

1. *Violence is okay/acceptable* - previously learned inhibitions go away 2. *Imitation* - get new ideas on how to behave 3. *Priming* - labeling their inner feelings (ex: mild irritation) as aggression only after watching violent TV shows (think to themselves 4. *Desensitization* - becoming numb to it, reduces sense of empathy and horror 5. *Dangerous World* - after watching marathon of law and order, you assume world in terrible, horrible, dangerous place ("hostile expectations")

Theoretical Perspectives of Aggression

Aggression as . . . 1. a biological phenomenon 2. as a response to frustration 3. learned social behavior

Gender Difference: Women

- Level of provocation: when provoked and it is intense --> NO gender diff, women are just as likely to be aggressive - engage in INDIRECT aggression (spreading rumors, back stabbing, catfish)

Is Aggression Always Maladaptive?

- Possibly positive adaptations *Resource Control Theory*

Influences on Aggression: Media and Television

- Prevalence of aggression on TV: by the time kids finish elementary school, they have witnessed 8000 murders and over 100,000 acts of violence - lyrics in music --> both misogynous and/or men-hating lyrics can lead to more aggression in both men and women - 58% of all TV shows contain violence --> of those, 78% show NO remorse or penalty for violence - 40% of violent incidents on TV are initiated by characters portrayed as "heroes" or role models - more violence that kids watch --> the more violence they will exhibit as teens and young adults

Gender Differences: Men

- men report more incidents of aggression - throughout Hx, men have committed vast majority of homicides (consistent from 1990s) - Level of Provocation --> men more likely to aggress against other ppl when they have NOT been provoked - men engage in DIRECT aggression (assault, shouting)

Influences on Aggression: Heat

As temperature soars, so does aggression STUDY: riots were more likely on hot days than cool days // when weather is hot in Houston, violent crime is more likely --> same for other cities - hotter seasons have more crimes // # baseball batters hit by a pitcher was higher when the temperature was above 90 degrees Global Warming - if global temp increases by 4 degrees, the US alone will see 50,000 more serious assaults Problem: research is all correlational --> not causation

Influences on Aggression: Pornography and Sexual Violence

Rape prevalence: 15-25% of women are victims of a completed rape at some point --> what causes this aggression about towards women? - description of a violent sexual film: rapist forcing himself on female --> but eventually she enjoys it (so it looks consensual) - viewing a film like this distorts men's perception of how women actually respond to sexual coercion, AND increases men's aggression against women STUDY: showed men 1 of 2 movies (sexual v. non-sexual) --> men who saw sexual film were much more accepting of sexual violence against women

Effect of War on General Aggression

STUDY: after a country fought a war, homicide rates have increased substantially Consequences of war: - weakens populations inhibitions against aggression - leads to imitation of aggression - makes aggressive responses more acceptable - numbs our senses to the horror of cruelty/destruction --> less sympathy towards victim - legitimizes violence as way to address difficult problems

Influences on Aggression: Pain

ex: if you shock cage of an animal, it will automatically attack whatever is nearest to them Berkowitz STUDY - put arm in bucket of lukewarm water or ice cold water, keep it in for period of time --> asked how mood was - results: ice water = more irritable and annoyed // hit button to create loud irritating noise to people in waiting room

Aggression

intentional action aimed at doing harm or causing pain

Malamuth STUDY

men were showed either consensual sexual film or violent sexual film --> after the film, men were asked to engage in sexual fantasy

Donnerstein STUDY

men were showed either neutral fim, erotic consensual film, or aggressive erotic film --> after film, men were asked to teach confederate some nonsense syllables and shock them for wrong answers (1/2 of the time it was male confed, other 1/2 were female) *Results* - men who watched aggressive erotic film were only more aggressive towards the female confederate

Biological Phenomenon: Neural Influences

neural systems in both animals and humans that facilitate aggression *prefrontal cortex* - PFC acts as emergency brake (ex: judgement, reasoning, decision making, impulse control ) - research: PFC 14% less active in brains of murderers

Reducing Aggression: Punishment

punishing a behavior might reduce frequency, and often involves modeling of aggression (ex: "we don't hit" then you spank child) - research on aggressive children: children freq punished for being aggressive end up being more aggressive Punishment can be EFFECTIVE if given under following conditions: 1. must be prompt 2. must be certain 3. must be strong 4. must be perceived as justified or deserved Punishment in real world vs. lab - Lab: punishment can be effective - real world: punishment may or may not be effective

Aggression as a learned social behavior

*Aggression is rewarded* -ex: aggressive hockey players score more goals, terrorists get media attention --> more fear among public *Observational learning* - when you watch someone else behave aggressively, you imitate that behavior - ex: Bobo doll--> model was either kicking, punching, hitting doll OR playing quietly // child watched model, then experimenters frustrated child // observed how many acts child displayed *results*: children who saw the aggressive adults model were more aggressive w/ bobo doll

Biological Phenomenon: Biochemical Influences

*Alcohol* - lab experiments and police data --> alcohol releases aggression when people are provoked --> examples: 65% of homicides involves assailant &/or victim had been drinking, 75% of those arrested for assault/violence/murder were legally drunk at the time of the arrest - alcohol enhances aggressiveness by reducing self-awareness - people mentally associate alcohol and aggression (bar fights) *Testosterone* - drugs lowering testosterone levels in aggressive males tend to subdue aggressive tendencies - natural testosterone levels tend to be higher in prisoners convicted of murder/assault/violent crimes compared to fraud (true of males and females) - high testosterone levels are more prone to delinquency, drug use, and aggressive responses when provoked - high testosterone associated w/ delinquent behaviors in men of low SES, but high test. in high SES have other paths to attain status --> not as delinquent

Aggression as a response to frustration

*Frustration* = blocking of goal-directed behavior ex: put $ in vending machine but chips get stuck --> frustration --> kicking machine *displaced aggression* - taking out aggression on others

Reducing Aggression: Catharsis (venting, emotional relief)

*refers to doing something aggressive in order to reduce feelings of aggression --> getting it out of your system* Freud's View: aggressive impulses come from death instinct must be let out or else you will explode Three ways: 1. expending it in the form of physical activity (ex: running, boxing) - research: brooding on what angered you while letting out aggression on a punching bag or aggressive sports can lead to more aggression --> does not work 2. watching other people engage in aggressive play, and thus, vicariously releasing aggressive energy (ex: watching football or hockey) - research: as hockey game progressed, fans became increasingly more hostile --> does not work 3. by engaging in direct aggression (ex: punching someone) - research: engaging in violence increases future aggression --> does not work "venting to reduce anger is like using gasoline to put out a fire" - Bushman

Type A Behavior Pattern

1. Competitive Achievement Striving - involved in mult. activities - work hard, ambitious - competitive athletics 2. Exaggerated sense of time urgency - show great impatience at any kind of delay - irritation while waiting 3. Aggressiveness and Hostility - tend to become aggressive under when something threatens their mastery (ex: criticism, time pressure) Negatives: - more likely to engage in hostile aggression --> goal is to inflict harm/pain on someone else Positives: - ambitious, good grades, successful

Factors affecting level of frustration

1. How close you are to the goal ex: someone trying to cut you in line 2. Gap between your expectations and attainments - frustration is most apparent in the "haves v. have-nots" - larger the gap, the lower the happiness and higher the crime ex: get paid less than your friend who had the same major

Anderson's Model of Aggression

Aggression is multiply determined *General Affective Aggression Model* (GAAM) - situational variables: verbal/physical attack from someone, exposure to other people who are aggressive, anything that causes discomfort - individual difference variables: traits that predispose you to be aggressive (ex: irritability), certain attitudes/beliefs about violence, value about violence or aggression (ex: aggression is masculine) - arousal: BP, HR, cortisol, adrenaline - affects/emotions: hostile feelings, negativity, outward signs of emotions - cognitions: thoughts that either fuel or reduce aggression (ex: memories) - appraisal: interpreting the situation and restraining factors; is it appropriate or not appropriate aggressively - behavioral choice: the end result of all the previous factors

Reducing Aggression: Cognitive Interventions

Benefits of apologizing: can help diffuse the other persons aggression - you are not thinking logically or cannot evaluate consequences of actions --> cognitive deficits ways to avoid/reduce cognitive deficits 1. *preattribution* - when you attribute annoying behavior by other people to unintentional causes before they provoked you - ex: "trisha is so stupid so i shouldn't take anything she says personally before she says something that will anger me" 2. *distraction* - focus on something else, distract yourself to bring the arousal levels down ; cooling off period

Biological Phenomenon: Instinct Theory and Evolutionary Psychology

Freud: aggression comes from a "death instinct" // instinctual --> gradually builds up // needs to be discharged or else it will explode PROBLEM: does not account for variations in aggression from person to person or culture to culture Evolutionary theorists argue aggression is adaptive - a way of gaining resources or intimidating rivals - defense/intimidation --> survival of the fittest - particularly for male vs. male aggression

Resource Control Theory

Socially dominant individuals get preferred access to resources in a social group Two Strategies 1. *Prosocial* - helping others, forming alliances with others 2. *Coercive* - using threats or aggression, intimidate others - conventional view was that this would not work --> HOWEVER: research suggest some kids are "bistrategic controllers" (use both prosocial and coercive strategies depending on situation --> most competent/socially dominant)

Relative Deprivation

you are LESS well off than people you compare yourself to