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Chapter 10 Psych 461

Terms in this set (31)

Aggression
physical/ verbal behavior intended to cause harm
hostile aggression
aggression that is driven by anger and performed as an end in itself
- most homicides
Instrumental aggression
aggression that is a means to some other end
- war, terrorism, robbery
instinct
innate, unlearned behavior pattern exhibited by all members of a species
-Instinct theory and evolutionary psychology
- neural influence
- genetic influence
- biochemical influence
Aggression as a biological phenomenon
Alcohol
-reduced self awareness
-deindividuation
- reduced inhibition
- expectations of alcohols effect
Testosterone
-more powerful link with aggression in other mammal species, but correlated with aggression in humans
-Biological Phenomenon
- Response to Frustration
- Learned Social behavior
Theories of Aggression
frustration
blocking of goal directed behavior
Frustration-aggression theory
theory that frustration triggers readiness to aggress
- displacement
relative deprivation
perception that one is less well off than others with whom one compares oneself
Rewards of Aggression
through experience and by observing others, we learn that aggression often pays
- positive and negative reinforcements
Social learning theory
we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded and punished
- Aversive incidents (physical pain, heat, attacks/insults)
- arousal
- aggressive cues
- Media influence (TV, video games)
- group influence
Special Influences on aggression
- increased arousal
- disinhibition (of aggression) due to activation of violence related thoughts
- imitation
Why does TV viewing affect behavior?
prosocial behavior
positive, constructive, helpful, social behavior
- learning of positive behaviors from TV
- desensitization
- social scripts
- altered perceptions
- cognitive priming
TV effects on thinking
social scripts
culturally provided mental instructions for how to act in different situations
-serial killers
- rapists
- child molesters
Higher levels of porn usage are found among
What is the most potent effect of TV
altered perceptions
- heavy viewers of TV are more likely to exaggerate the frequency of violence in the world and to fear personal assault (children/adults)
Desensitization
people who view repeated acts of violence are less bothered by them
Increases:
-arousal
- aggressive thinking, feelings, behaviors
Decreases:
- prosocial behaviors
playing violent video games
social contagion
groups magnify aggressive tendencies of the individuals by feeding arousal, disinhibition, polarization
moral imperatives
collective mentality that mobilizes a group/ culture to act
- genocide function of a group fed by
Catharsis
releasing pent up anger or "blowing off steam" would reduce aggression
Social learning approach
controlling aggression by counteracting the factors that provoke it
- prevention works better than treatment
What can contribute to abnormally aggressive behavior?
-abnormal brains (smaller/less active prefrontal cortex)
- found among murderer/men with antisocial personality disorder
What do are genetics influence
- sensitivity to aggressive cues
- temperaments and how intense/reactive we are
low serotonin
- increases aggression
- frontal lobes (controls impulses) contain many serotonin receptors
Revised Frustration-Aggression Theory
Hostile Aggression = Frustration--> anger + cues--> aggresion
How is group influence specific to aggression
amplify aggressive reactions partly by diffusing responsibility
- increases with distance and number
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