Human Aggression PDF

Human Aggression Dr Ismail Sadek  “In all of nature, there is nothing so threatening to humanity as humanity itself.” Lewis Thomas, 1981 Aggression ⚫ Aggression -- Intentional action aimed at doing harm or causing harm Aggression ⚫ Aggression -- Intentional acti...

Human Aggression Dr Ismail Sadek  “In all of nature, there is nothing so threatening to humanity as humanity itself.” Lewis Thomas, 1981 Aggression ⚫ Aggression -- Intentional action aimed at doing harm or causing harm Aggression ⚫ Aggression -- Intentional action aimed at doing harm or causing harm ⚫ Aggression? – Injuring someone accidentally? – Swinging a stick at someone but missing? – Insulting someone? – Deliberately failing to prevent harm? Types of Aggression: Instrumental ⚫ Instrumental aggression – Harm inflicted as a means to some goal other than causing pain – Goals include: ⚫ Personal gain ⚫ Attention ⚫ Self-defense  Types of Aggression: Instrumental Aggression ⚫ Immediate conditions – Opportunity for gain with high reward and low perceived risk ⚫ Long term conditions – Poverty or other challenging economic factors – Perceive crime as primary means to resources/respect – Norms foster aggression as way to achieve resources Rewards/ Aggression Opportunity Costs as means Types of Aggression: Emotional ⚫ Emotional aggression – Harm inflicted for its own sake, to cause pain – Often impulsive – But can be calm, calculating Types of Aggression: Emotional Aggression ⚫ Immediate conditions – Threat to self-esteem, status, or respect, particularly in public situations – Aggression to save face ⚫ Long term conditions – Repeated threats to self-worth or status Threat to Aggression Anger self as an end Types of Aggression ⚫ Symbolic aggression – No physical harm toward victim. – Aggression is directed against property or takes the form of verbal aggression. Types of Aggression ⚫ Sanctioned aggression – Aggression approved of and perhaps rewarded by society as in self-defense and war. Gender Differences ⚫ Universal finding that men are more violent than women. – Differences stable over time and place. ⚫ However….type of aggression matters Gender & Aggression ⚫ Intent to Harm – What ways can we inflict harm on others other than physical violence? ⚫ Direct aggression: Verbal or physical aggression ⚫ Indirect aggression: Inflicting harm in covert (nonphysical) ways – Relational aggression Causes of Aggression – A. Biological bases ⚫ 1. Brain – Limbic system – Case studies – Animal research Biological Causes of Aggression ⚫ 2. Hormones – Testosterone – Correlational studies ⚫ Male vs. Female ⚫ XY vs. XYY – Animal research Causes of Aggression – B. Learning ⚫ 1.Social learning theory – people learn by observing others – Bandura’s “Bobo doll” studies – Studies of media violence and aggressive behavior Learning & Aggression ⚫ 2. Cultural norms – The Culture of Honor Causes of Aggression ⚫ C. Motives and Emotions – 1. Frustration-aggression hypothesis (Dollard & Miller) ⚫ i. Frustration always leads to aggression ⚫ ii. Aggression is always preceded by frustration – Problems: ⚫ Frustration does not always lead to aggression ⚫ Other factors can bring on aggression General Aggression Model (Anderson) Individual Situational Differences Variables Aggressive Aggressive Physiological Thoughts Feelings Arousal Appraisal Processes Behavioral Choice  Why Are People So Aggressive? Instinct theories Freud Psychoanalytic theory Death instinct vs. life instinct Aggression – death instinct is turned outward at others Darwin Evolutionary theories Darwin Freud Genetic survival Genetic selection for aggression