Psy 321 Ch. 10 Key Terms

proactive aggression

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

reactive aggression

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

frustration-aggression hypothesis

(Neal Miller) the proposal that the occurrence of aggressive behavior always requires the existence of frustration" and the "existence of frustration always leads to some form of aggression"

fight or flight syndrome

a response to stress that involves aggressing against others or running away

tend and befriend syndrome

a response to stress that involves nurturing others and making friends

deindividuation

a sense of anonymity and a loss of individuality, as in a large group, making people especially like to engage in antisocial behaviors such as theft

culture of honor

a society that places high value on individual respect, strength, and virtue, and accepts and justifies violent action in response to threats of ones honor

humiliation

a state of disgrace of loss of self-respect (or of respect from others)

running amok

according to Malaysian culture, refers to behavior of a young man who becomes "uncontrollably" violent after receiving a blow to his ego

cocaine

addictive stimulant drug obtained from the leaves of the coca plant

nature

aggression is found all over the world, and indeed some of its patterns are universal; aggression seems to come naturally, it may be natural to feel aggressive impulses in response to certain provocations

Social Learning Theory

aggression is not an innate drive like human hunger in search of aggression; people learn aggressive behaviors the same way they learn other social behaviors, by direct experience and by observing others; shifts from internal causes to external ones

violence

aggression that has as its goal extreme physical harm, such as injury or death

Instinct

an innate (inborn, biologically programmed) tendency to seek a particular goal such as food, water or sex

aggression

any behavior intended to harm another person who is motivated to avoid the harm

displaced aggression

any behavior that intentionally a substitute target rather than the provocateur

indirect aggression

any behavior that intentionally harms another person who is physically absent (i.e. verbal aggression)

direct aggression

any behavior that intentionally harms another person who is physically present (i.e. physical or verbal aggression)

antisocial behavior

behavior that either damages interpersonal relationships or is culturally undesirable

relational aggression

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

frustration

blockage of or interference with a personal goal

Sigmund Freud

human motivational forces (i.e. sex and aggression) are based on instincts

Konrad Lorenz

instinct theory of aggression assumed a buildup of aggressive urges that if not released through some other activity, would inevitably lead to aggression

honor killing

killing another individual who has brought "dishonor" to the family (i.e. a woman who has committed adultery

injunctive norms

norms that specify what most others approve or disapprove of

descriptive norms

norms that specify what most people do

modeling

observing and copying or imitating the behaviors of others

nurture

people can learn how to behave aggressively and learn how to restrain aggression

broken windows theory

proposal that signs of disorder such as broken windows, litter, and graffiti induce other antisocial behaviors

norms

social standards that prescribe what people ought to do

serotonin

the "feel good" neurotransmitter, low levels of which have been linked to aggression and violence in both animals and humans

eros

the constructive, life-giving instinct

thanatos

the destructive, death instinct

weapons effect

the increase in aggression that occurs as a result of the mere presence of a weapon

Charles Darwin

the instinct theory of aggression views aggressive behavior as an evolutionary adaptation that had enabled creatures to survive better; this instinct developed during the course of evolution because it promoted survival of the species

testosterone

the male sex hormone, high levels of which have been linked so aggression and violence in both animals and humans

density

the number of people in a given area

crowding

the subjective and unpleasant feeling that there are too many people in one given area

hostile expectation bias

the tendency to assume that people will react to potential conflicts with aggression

hostile attribution bias

the tendency to perceive ambiguous actions by others as aggressive

hostile perception bias

the tendency to perceive social interaction in general as being aggressive

psychological reactance

the unpleasant emotional response people experience when someone is trying to restrict their freedom to engage in a desired behavior

plagiarize

to claim the ideas or words of another person as one's own without crediting that person

identity theft

using someone's person information in order to obtain money or credit from their bank accounts

domestic violence

violence that occurs within the home or family, between people who have a close relationship with each other