Goal---to harm another for the sake of getting even wit

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Aggression

• Hurting Others

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   I. What is Aggression?

• Physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt
  another individual.
• Must be intentional!!!!

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II. Types of Aggression

• 1.  Hostile aggression-aggression driven by anger
  performed as an end in itself (affective
  aggression).
• Goal---to harm another for the sake of getting
  even with them.
• Characterized by displays of rage (screaming,
  shouting, crimes of passion) 

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2. Instrumental aggression-serves as a means to
an end.

• Goal hereaggression is carried out to solve a
  problem.
• This is cool, detached, often premediated.
• E.g., military, mafia

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Most murders are hostile aggression.

• 50 erupt from arguments while others result from
  romantic triangles or brawls, while under the
  influence of alcohol or narcotics.
• Such murders are impulsive, emotional, volatile
  outbursts.

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III. Theories of Aggression

• 1. Aggression is biological we are aggressive
  due to physiological instincts or drives.
• A. Instinct theory aggression is innate.
• Anger builds up until we explode when
  appropriate stimulus signals its release.

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Problems with instinct theory

• Instinct theory fails to account for variations
  in aggressiveness across individuals cultures.
• E.g., How does instinct theory account for
  peaceful Iroquois before white invaders
  aggressive Iroquois afterwards.

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B. Evolutionary theory aggression may be
adaptive.

• Aggression enables us to obtain resources, defend
  against attack, eliminate competition for mates,
  to enforce sexual fidelity from mates.

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C. Neural influences on aggression

• Stimulating the amygdala in cats causes a fearful
  or anger response to occur (piloerection).
• A woman receiving painless stimulation to her
  amygdala became enraged and smashed her guitar
  against the wall.

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Are violent peoples brains different from normal
people?

• Yes!!!
• Raine et al., (2000) found that the prefrontal
  cortex (which inhibits aggressive behavior), was
  14 less active than normal in non-abused
  murderers 15 smaller in antisocial males.
• This does not mean brain anomaly caused violent
  behavior (could be the other way around), but
  could be a factor.

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Is aggression genetic?

• Possibly.
• We can breed animals for aggressiveness (pit
  bulls, roosters).
• Our temperment in infancy predicts whether we
  will be aggressive in adulthood (Larsen Deiner,
  1987).
• Twin studies support this.

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Alcohol

• Individuals prone to violence are more likely to
  drink become violent while drunk.
• 4 in 10 violent crimes committed by people
  whove been drinking.
• Surveys of rapists--over half report they were
  drinking before committing the rape.
• Alcohol reduces self-awareness disinhibits
  (deindividuates).

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Hormones

• Lowering testosterone levels reduces
  aggressiveness, while raising it, increases
  aggression (Roid rage.)
• Prisoners who had committed unprovoked violent
  crimes had higher levels of testosterone than
  those who had committed nonviolent crimes.
• Teens with higher levels of testosterone were
  more prone to delinquency, hard drug use,
  provocations.

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serotonin

• Lower levels of serotonin are found in kids
  adults prone to violence.
• Lowering serotonin levels in the lab increases
  their response to aversive events and willingness
  to deliver supposed electric shocks.

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2. Frustration-Aggression theory

• Argues that aggression occurs when we desire
  obtaining a goal, expect to be gratified, then
  are blocked from doing so.
• Violent behavior erupts from this frustration.
  Often is directed to a target other than source
  of aggression (displacement).
• Its not acceptable to yell at the boss, so we
  kick the dog, yell at spouse, etc.

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Is this theory valid?

• Data on theory are mixed (sometimes frustration
  increased aggressiveness, sometimes not).
• If frustration is justifiable, but situation is
  such that person didnt intentionally cause it
  (car broken down on road), then it doesnt lead
  to aggression.

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New definition of Frustration-Aggression theory

• Berkowitz (1978 1989) theorized that frustration
  produces anger, an emotional readiness to
  aggress.
• We become angry when someone frustrates us who
  could have chosen to not to.
• Aggression is likely when our bottled-up anger is
  released (often, but not always to a cue).

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Is frustrationequivalent with deprivation?

• No!!! You can have frustration without
  deprivation.

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Does deprivation lead to frustration
aggression?

• No!!! People who are sexually frustrated may not
  be sexually deprived or celibate.
• People who have good jobs with good pay may be
  frustrated with other areas of life.
• Violent crime was not high during the Great
  Depression when everyone was deprived.
• Frustration seems to be linked to high
  expectations that are not always met.

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3. Is Aggression learned?

• Yes!!!--conditioning modeling.
• We learn rewards of aggression
• ----we can intimidate others with force
• -----may help us achieve goals 

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Are people rewarded for acting aggressively?
Does this promote aggression?

• Yes!!!!! Banduras Bobo doll studies show this.
• Bandura had children watch whether an adult
  hitting kicking a bobo doll was either punished
  or not for his actions.
• Children were then led individually into a room
  with toys a bobo doll.

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Bandura Bobo-doll study

• Children who saw the adult receiving punishment
  for hitting the Bobo doll were less likely to hit
  the Bobo doll themselves.
• The opposite was found for children seeing the
  adult go unpunished for his actions.

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IV. Influences on Aggression

• 1. Aversive incidentsthose causing us pain
  often lead to aggression.
• A. Pain causing pain in others often leads to
  aggression.
• Presenting shock other forms of pain causes
  animals to attack one another.
• Humans will do this to.

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B. Heat

•  Changes in climate (heat) may lead to aggressive
  hostile behavior.
• Ss asked to fill out questionnaires in a hot room
  (over 90 degrees F) reported feeling, aggressive,
  expressed more hostility towards a stranger
  than a person filling out a questionnaire in a
  comfortable room.

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Does heat in the real world promote aggression?

• Yes!!!
• In places where it is hotter (Southern states,
  California) during hotter seasons days there
  are more violent crimes.

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C. Attacks

• We often become aggressive, when attacked by
  others.
• At our core we act in an eye for an eye manner.
•  

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D. Crowding

• Being cramped in small places causes many to
  experience agitation aggressiveness.
• Evidence More urban areas with denser
  populations have higher crime rates.

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Do arousing events stimulate anger?

• Yes!!
• Schacter Singers study

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V. Aggression Cues

• Berkowitz argues the mere sight of a weapon
  (gun) promotes aggression.
• In one experiment, children who had just played
  with toy guns became more willing to knock down
  another childs block.
• Ss presented their tormentor with more electric
  shocks when a rifle revolver were left behind
  nearby than when badminton racquets had been left
  behind.

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VI. Media Influences Pornography and Sexual
Violence

• Does pornography promote sexual violence?
• Possibly!!!
• Malamuth Check (1981) showed male Ss either 2
  nonsexual movies or 2 movies depicting a man
  sexually overcoming a woman.
• A week later, those Ss who saw the violent film,
  were more accepting of violence towards women.

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Do slasher films have the same effect?

• Yes!!!!!
• Men shown slasher flicks (Texas Chainsaw
  Massacre) appear to become desensitized to
  brutality are less empathetic towards rape
  victims.

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Does exposure to violent pornography cause
increases in punitive behavior towards women?

• Yes!!!! Donnerstein (1980) had 120 college
  males view a neutral, an erotic, or an
  aggressive-erotic (rape) film.
• Then, the Ss had to teach a male or female
  confederate some nonsense syllables by choosing
  how much shock to administer for incorrect
  responses.
• Males viewing rape file delivered stronger
  shocks to the female confederate.

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Factors that predict increased aggression  

• 1.     male actors
• 2.     aggressive or Type A personalities
• 3.     alcohol use
• 4.     watching violence (movies/TV)
• 5.     anonymity
• 6.     provocation
• 7.     the presence of weapons
• 8.     group interaction

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Do we release anger aggression but venting?

• No!!!
• Expressing aggression breeds further hostility
  aggression.

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We can reduce or minimize aggression by several
methods

• 1.  Reducing aversive experiences We should
  reward cooperative nonaggressive behavior in
  ourselves and others.
• Children are less aggressive if their
  nonaggressive behavior is reinforced with
  positive rewards.
•  
• 2. Aggressive stimuli trigger aggression
  remove weapons, especially guns from the home.
•