PSY-5 (Ch.13 Aggression)

Nick Haslam and Steve Loughnan proposed two varieties of dehumanization: denial of human nature and denial of human uniqueness. Match each example below with the type of dehumanization that best describes it.

A man describes his boss as a "spineless jellyfish." Correct label: human uniqueness A candidate derides his rival as a "computer with no heart for understanding people." Correct label: human nature After a loss, a football coach says, "There's no way my guys can compete against animals like that." Correct label: human uniqueness Discussing an actress's abilities, a critic remarks, "She is entirely wooden on the stage." Correct label: human nature

Which of the following statements accurately help explain the relationship between economic factors and increased aggression and violence?

Accurate Inequality undermines cohesiveness, trust, and goodwill among individuals. Evolutionary researchers suggest that inequality puts males into increased competition for economic resources and access to mates—motivating aggression. Powerful feelings of rejection among those on the poorer side of the income inequality divide may trigger violence. Not Accurate Poorer people tend to spend more time playing violent video games than wealthier people. Wealthier people tend to live in cooler climates than poorer people do.

Which of the following statements about gender differences and aggression are accurate?

Accurate Men commit more violent crimes than women by a vast margin. Men are far more likely to kill men than women are to kill women. Not Accurate Girls and boys display the same amount of physical aggression until adolescence. Men are more likely than women to engage in all types of aggressive behavior.

Which of the following statements accurately describe the results of Leonard Berkowitz's experiment on whether anger and the presence of weapons combine to make people more aggressive?

Accurate Participants who were angry and saw a gun were more aggressive than those who did not see an object. Participants who were angry and saw a gun were more aggressive than those who saw a neutral object. Not Accurate Participants who were not angry and saw a gun were more aggressive than those who saw a neutral object. Participants who were not angry and saw a gun were more aggressive than those who did not see an object.

Which of the following statements are accurate regarding simplistic and complex rhetoric during group conflicts, as studied by Phil Tetlock?

Accurate People taking complex positions in conflicts consider many arguments and principles—even opposing ones—and draw many connections between them. Simplistic rhetoric results from simplistic reasoning. Not Accurate Complex rhetoric leads to prolonged conflict because it provides more points of conflict between sides. Tetlock found that politicians showed the same amount of complexity contesting elections as they did when they were elected officials.

Which of the following statements accurately describe research findings about social rejection?

Accurate People who have been socially rejected report higher levels of physical pain and ailments. Social rejection is thought to activate our physiologically based threat defense system. Social rejection triggers feelings of distress, shame, and self-doubt, as well as a submissive and slouched posture. Not Accurate Social pain and physical pain are not similar in nature.

Which of the following statements accurately reflect the findings of studies designed to explore whether playing violent video games increases aggression?

Accurate Playing violent video games increases anger and other aggressive emotions. Playing violent video games reduces altruism and other prosocial behaviors. Playing violent video games increases aggressive thoughts. Playing violent video games increases aggressive behavior. Not Accurate

Which of the following statements about psychopaths are accurate?

Accurate Psychopaths are not able to respond emotionally to others' suffering. Psychopaths demonstrate shortcomings in their abilities to respond to others' sadness. Psychopaths are capable of assessing the mental states of others. Not Accurate Psychopaths are not able to understand the emotions of others. When shown photos of facial expressions of emotions, psychopaths cannot recognize the emotions from the face.

Which of the following statements are accurate regarding cultures and rape?

Accurate Rape-prone cultures are more likely to have high levels of violence and a history of frequent wars. Rape-prone cultures are more likely to emphasize machismo and male toughness than cultures that are not rape-prone. Societies where women have higher status are less likely to be rape-prone. Not Accurate Only (some) modern and industrialized cultures have exhibited a pattern of gender egalitarianism that tends to make them less prone to rape.

Which of the following statements accurately reflect criticisms of studies that suggest violent video games lead to aggression in children?

Accurate Rarely do studies of the impact of violent video games measure aggressive behavior in the child's peer group. Studies of the effects of violent video games rarely if ever control for how depressed the child is. In spite of the inferences of these studies, rates of violence by young people are declining, not rising. Not Accurate When key unmeasured variables are controlled for, the association between playing violent video games and aggression disappears.

Which of the following statements are accurate regarding the commonly held belief that some people are born naturally aggressive?

Accurate Some humans have a defective gene also found in aggressive individuals of nonhuman species. Genes linked to aggression increase it in humans only when certain situational factors are also present. Not Accurate There is a specific genetic predisposition that makes some humans "criminal personalities."

Which of the following statements about how aggression comes about in individuals are accurate?

Accurate The situations people find themselves in are interpreted through construal processes. Situations can lead to aggression, but they cannot cause aggression by themselves. People's construals of situations can determine whether they act aggressively. Not Accurate Hot weather conditions often cause people to act aggressively.

Which of the following statements accurately represent research evidence supporting the idea that higher temperatures are linked to the increased incidence of aggressive acts?

Accurate Violent crime rates are higher in hotter regions than in more temperate ones. Even when controlling for other factors, crime rates are higher in hotter months. Not Accurate Across cities in the United States, hotter days have higher rates of both violent and nonviolent crime.

Which of the following statements accurately represent the findings of studies designed to explore the idea that exposure to media violence increases aggressive behavior?

Accurate Watching aggressive films made juvenile delinquents confined in a minimum-security prison more aggressive. There is compelling evidence that media coverage of the suicides of prominent people results in "copycat" suicides. Not Accurate Children were found to be more aggressive immediately after watching violent media, but not in follow-up studies. People tend to be more aggressive after seeing films where they identify with the perpetrator of violence, but not when the "good guys" act violently.

For each of the following scenarios, decide if the person engaging in aggressive behavior is more likely to be male or female. (Assume that they all have names that could be male or female.)

After a minor traffic accident, Harley gets angry and punches the other driver. Correct label: male Riley spreads a nasty rumor about a classmate as an act of revenge. Correct label: female Skylar makes sure an ex-friend isn't allowed to sit at the in-group's table. Correct label: female Kendall gets into a brawl with a rival when they both want to date the same person. Correct label: male

Complete the passage describing one perspective for explaining the connection between social rejection and aggression.

Because of the many evolutionary advantages of being integrated into groups and our heavy dependence on others for food, shelter, defense, and affection, social rejection came to trigger a threat defense system. This involves stress-related cardiovascular arousal, the release of cortisol, feelings of distress and pain, and aggressive tendencies.

Peggy Reeves Sanday used archival records to study rape in 156 cultures going back over 3,000 years as the basis for her identification of rape-prone cultures. Which of the following are consistent with Sanday's findings?

Consistent 18 percent of the cultures were found to be rape-prone, with rape being present in another 35 percent (cultures where rape occurs, but not as a ritual, threat, or act of war). Sanday defined rape-prone cultures as those in which rape is used as an act of war against enemy women, as a ritual act, or as a threat to keep women subservient to men. Not Consistent Sanday found that the prevalence of rape was closely related to a culture's sexually restrictive beliefs or practices. In almost half of the cultures studied, there were no accounts of rape—most likely meaning that rape did not occur in them.

Leonard Berkowitz's theoretical account of how a construal of anger can lead to aggressive behavior holds that any unpleasant stimulus triggers a fight-or-flight response of anger in people. According to this model, which of the following happen to people then?

Correct Answer(s) They start imagining ways to inflict harm on the people they blame. They tend to think they are being treated unfairly. They perceive others as having adversarial intentions toward them. Incorrect Answer(s) They engage in catharsis as a way to control their anger. They begin to dehumanize the people they blame.

Which of the following construals commonly occur during group conflicts and are used to justify aggression?

Correct Answer(s) misperceiving the other side as extremists assuming the other side is motivated by hostility dehumanizing the other side overestimating differences with the other side Incorrect Answer(s) face-to-face communication between sides increased rhetoric complexity

Complete the following passages about differing tendencies toward aggression across cultures.

Cultures differ in their tendencies toward aggression. For instance, Alaskan Inuits rarely express anger or aggression, while in the culture of the Yanomami people of the Amazon region violence is considered an intrinsic part of human nature. More generally, cultures of honor are inclined to see insults as justification for becoming violent, and rape-prone cultures devalue women and practice extreme gender inequality.

Complete the following passage about the construal process known as dehumanization.

Dehumanization involves denying human uniqueness (seeing others as animals) or denying human nature (viewing others as inanimate objects). It often accompanies rape, genocide, and other extreme forms of violence, but even the relatively benign factor of being loyal to a social group—such a valued sports team—can make people more likely to dehumanize others.

Decide if each of the examples of aggression below is better described as hostile aggression or instrumental aggression.

Erik enters his apartment and surprises a burglar, who hits him as he runs out. Correct label: instrumental When the referee isn't looking, Shira kicks a defender in the shin so her teammate can score a goal. Correct label: instrumental Charles shoves a stranger on the beach after accusing him of flirting with his boyfriend. Correct label: hostile Two construction workers lose their tempers and have a physical altercation. Correct label: hostile

Complete the passage regarding the evolutionary perspective on family violence.

Evolutionary theory holds that natural selection rewards parents who devote time, effort, and resources to their own offspring, but offers no rewards for the care of stepchildren. Since it improves the chances for reproductive success, caring for one's own offspring increases inclusive fitness, while caring for children with whom one does not share genes does not offer this benefit.

Which of the following statements help explain what economist Amartya Sen meant when she estimated that there were 100 million "missing" women in the world?

Explanations Especially in cultures that condone sexual violence, women are more vulnerable to patterns of negligence and violence and are underrepresented in the population. Practices in some cultures, including female infanticide and reluctance to immunize or seek medical care for daughters, result in large numbers of girls dying. Not an Explanation With all other factors excluded, the life expectancy of women is shorter than that of men. If it were equal, there would be roughly 100 million more women.

Which of the following statements are in keeping with an evolutionary approach to explaining gender differences with aggression?

In Keeping Male physical traits that provide an advantage in competing with other males for mates are passed along genetically. Women invest more in offspring than men, and thus are less likely to desert their offspring and compete for other reproductive opportunities than men. Aggression benefits men in terms of being able to compete for reproductive opportunities. Not in Keeping Anger and aggressive actions are made more salient to young boys than to young girls.

Which of the following statements are in keeping with culture of honor research conducted by Richard Nisbett and Dov Cohen?

In Keeping Men in honor cultures are particularly sensitive to insults, which can lead them to respond with violence. Men in cultures of honor tend to be concerned about their reputations for toughness and machismo. Not in Keeping The culture of honor is prevalent in areas populated by descendants of farmers. The researchers found no positive aspects to the firm rules for politeness of the culture.

Which of the following statements are in keeping with a cultural approach to explaining gender differences with aggression?

In Keeping Mothers talk more about emotions with their daughters than their sons, thus cultivating greater empathy in women. Men are socialized into roles that encourage physical aggressiveness. Not in Keeping Girls are taught at an early age that anger is a positive emotion.

Complete the following passage about an explanation for male violence that combines perspectives.

In a recent synthesis of evolutionary and cultural approaches to male violence, researchers have proposed the precarious manhood hypothesis. It holds that a man's gender identity is variable and vulnerable and that this makes men more reactive to threats to their identity, and more likely to behave aggressively to prove their maleness.

Complete the passage explaining how income inequality and violence may be connected in the United States.

Income inequality at every level of nation, state, county, and neighborhood strongly predicts aggression of just about every kind. Compared to other industrialized nations, the United States has a high level of income inequality, and this has been linked to high levels of violence in the United States.

According to research, which of the following practices would likely be effective in the cognitive control of anger?

Likely to be Effective thinking about why you are upset, but referring to yourself by your name rather than as "me" or "I" thinking of the frustrating event that occurred to you as if it were part of a movie Not Likely to be Effective hitting a punching bag while keeping the image of a person who insulted you in mind throwing darts at a picture of a person with whom you are angry

Complete the following passage about a certain type of misperceiving that occurs during group conflicts.

One construal bias that occurs during conflict is when group members assume their opponents' interests are exactly the opposite of their own. This can lead to reactive devaluation, attaching less value to an offer or concession in a negotiation.

Complete the passage describing one explanation for the connection between aggressive acts and hot weather.

People can mistakenly blame their arousal—which is a physiological response to heat—on some other circumstance they encounter (such as a frustrating driver or an irritating romantic partner). This misplaced attribution can give rise to amplified feelings of anger, which can lead to aggression.

Complete the passage about different types of aggression.

The primary aim of hostile aggression is to harm another person—either physically or psychologically. It is motivated by feelings of anger and hostility. Behavior that is intended to hurt another person but for which the motive is something other than pure hostility is called instrumental hostility. Many acts of aggression have both types of motive.

Which of the following statements are true about the restorative justice process?

True Offenders apologize for the crime or undertake acts of atonement. Legal and counseling professionals mediate between perpetrators and victims. Perpetrators take responsibility for the crime. False Victims who participated in the programs experienced as many thoughts of revenge as victims who did not. Perpetrator and victim are separated.

Andrew works in the interfraternity relations office at a college and has been called in to mediate a feud between two fraternities that has gotten out of hand. Match each example from the scenario to the description that best fits it.

When the sides agree to end their conflict, Andrew arranges an ongoing dialogue between them to achieve a lasting reduction of mutual mistrust. Correct label: reconciliation When one house makes a concession, Andrew reminds the other side that they had requested the concession. Correct label: addressing retroactive devaluation Andrew persuades the leadership groups of the rival houses to talk to each other in the same room. Correct label: face-to-face communication When one house describes their position in only simplistic arguments, Andrew insists on more details. Correct label: rhetoric complexity

For centuries, social theorists have known that this is a potent construal that leads to aggressive behavior. In fact, along with hostility itself, this is an essential component of hostile aggression.

anger

Stevie lives in an area that is associated with the culture of honor, while Garrett does not. Decide whether each of the following is more likely to refer to Stevie or to Garrett.

family descends from farmers in the Netherlands Correct label: Garrett (not culture of honor) family descends from herders in the North of Ireland Correct label: Stevie (culture of honor) has earned the nickname "Macho" and a reputation for being tough Correct label: Stevie (culture of honor) decides it's best that he and his girlfriend quietly leave a bar after an intoxicated patron insults her looks Correct label: Garrett (not culture of honor) becomes hostile and aggressive toward a man who makes fun of his car Correct label: Stevie (culture of honor)