chapter 10

proactive aggression

"cold", premeditated, calculated harmful behavior that is a means to some practical or material end

reactive aggression (hostile aggression)

"hot", impulsive, angry behavior motivated by a desire to harm someone

Media and Aggression research

- violent media does not always cause violence; media is never the only cause for violence - experimental, field & longitudinal research strongly support the conclusion that exposure to media violence increases aggression - size of effect is similar to strength of relationship between smoking and cancer - first person shooter games may be particularly likely to incite aggression: player sees perspective of the aggressor; player is rewarded for aggression - media depicting sexual violence is associated with more aggression than non-violent sexual scenes

Mood and Aggression

ANY negative mood can increase aggression- particularly anger: angry person THINKS that aggression will dissipate anger (but we know that's wrong)

Kraig often veers uncomfortably close to road rage, even when his four-year-old son is in the vehicle with him. Kraig becomes acutely uncomfortable when, while watching his son play with toy cars, the boy repeats the words and gestures he, himself uses while driving. Which theorist can best account for his son's behavioral modeling?

Albert Bandura aggression is not an innate drive like hunger in search of gratification. People learn aggressive behaviors the same way they learn other social behaviors—by direct experience and observation of others.

Instinct theories of aggression

Darwin: aggression evolved to help animals (and humans) survive ensure the strongest pass on their genes Freud: human motivation is based on instinct: eros, thanatos

causes of aggression

Domestic violence: occurs w/in the home between people who have a close relationship - aggression is highest between siblings- surgeon general declared domestic violence the number one health risk in the US - it is leading cause of injuries to women in 15-44 - selfishness: aggression can help people get what they want; retaliation for perceived wrong -weapons effect: mere presence of a weapon can increase aggression - study: males given chance to shock confederate: for half, badminton racquet was in room; for half, gun was in room-- more shocks with gun in room - mass media

Angelyn recognizes that she has a problem with her temper. She maintains that she best controls her temper by venting - expressing her anger, frustration, and other negative emotions before they get to the point that she explodes. Angelyn is espousing the approach of _____.

Konrad Lorenz proposed an instinct theory of aggression that posited a buildup of aggressive urges (like hydraulic pressure inside a closed environment) that, if not released through some other activity, would inevitably lead to aggression.

Which theorist would be most likely to conceptualize the violence that occurred in Ferguson, MO after a grand jury decided not to bring charges against a white police officer in the killing of a black teenager as resulting from long-standing frustration over inequities?

Neal Miller is most associated with the frustration-aggression hypothesis, which, in its strong form, states that that "the occurrence of aggressive behavior always presupposes the existence of frustration," and "the existence of frustration always leads to some form of aggression."

Glynda, a typically kind and caring person, is a fast driver who sometimes takes risks. Last night, when driving home, she sped through a yellow light, lost control of her car, and hit another vehicle, injuring the occupants. Based on her driving, would a social psychologist classify Glynda as aggressive?

No, because there is no evidence that Glynda intended to cause harm

frustration-aggression hypothesis

a proposal that "the occurrence of aggressive behavior always presupposes the existence of frustration," and "the existence of frustration always ends to some form of aggression aggressive behavior is ALWAYS due to frustration frustration ALWAYS leads to some form of aggression probably overstated aggression is increased by frustration but they're not always linked

learning theories of aggression

aggression is a learned behavior Bandura "Bobo doll" study: children who watched aggressive model showed highest level of aggression

direct aggression

any behavior that intentionally harms another person who is physically present victim is present

aggression

behavior intended to harm someone who doesn't want to be harmed

indirect aggression

behavior intended to hurt someone without face-to-face confrontation ex: keying their car

antisocial behavior

behavior that either damage interpersonal relationships or is culturally undesirable may be aggressive or non-aggressive

relational aggression (social aggression)

behavior that involves intentionally harming another person's social relationships, feelings of acceptance, or inclusion within a group

Alcohol

does not cause aggression, but exacerbates other causes - reduces inhibitions - reduces ability to self control - decreases self awareness - narrows focus of attention

Stephen despises his supervisor and interprets everything his supervisor does as being intended to somehow harm him. Stephen is demonstrating a(n) _____ bias

hostile attribution

Research on the weapons effect suggests that recent actions by "open carry" advocates, who openly display their firearms in public settings such as stores and restaurants suggests that these public displays will _____.

increase the risk of aggressive behavior

After his older sister tattles on him for bypassing an online parental control, Foster retaliates by deliberately deleting her progress on a complex game that has challenged her for a number of weeks. Foster is best described as engaging in _____

indirect aggression

Gottfredson's and Hirschi's general theory of crime identifies _____ as being responsible for much of crime

lack of self-control

Quentin is frightening in his ability to hold a grudge, especially when he feels he has been humiliated. It seems as though he waits until the incident that inspired his anger is all but forgotten and then retaliates in a way that seems intended to somehow restore Quentin's honor. Quentin is best described as engaging in _____.

proactive aggression

Broken Windows Theory

proposal that signs of disorder such as broken windows, litter, and graffiti induce other antisocial behaviors anti-social behavior more likely in disordered environments

People who are aggressive

see the world as more aggressive

displaced aggression

taking it out on someone else

Testosterone

the male sex hormone, high levels of which have been linked to aggression and violence in both animals and humans chemical influence, linked to increased aggression - very high testosterone does may cause aggression, "roid rage" - normal levels don't cause aggression but may facilitate it, other factors need to be present aggression relationship is reciprocal: increases in testosterone lead to more aggression, increases in aggression increase testosterone

hostile expectation bias

the tendency to assume that people will react to potential conflicts with aggression if you bump into another person, a hostile expectation would be that they person will assume you did it on purpose and will attack you in return

hostile attribution bias

the tendency to perceive ambiguous actions by others as aggressive if a person bumps into you, a hostile attribution would be that the person did it on purpose to hurt you

hostile perception bias

the tendency to perceive social interactions in general as being aggressive seeing two other people having a conversation and inferring that they are arguing or getting ready to fight

Which group is the most likely to have violent interactions with others?

toddlers About 25% of toddlers' interactions involve violence.

Gender and Aggression

when under stress: - males "fight or flight"females "tend and befriend" - starting at a young age, boys show more physical aggression than girls; girls show more relational aggression - young men (15-30) commit most violent crimes and acts: true in all known societies - In hetero couples, women use more aggression than men but men inflict more physical harm

passive aggressive

withhold behavior to cause harm