Aggression

B. Aggression as a response to frustration

Aggression- physical or vernal behavior intended to hurt

someone. Behavior intended to do physical or psychological
harm to someone.

Frustration aggression theory frustration always leads to

some form of aggression.

* The measure of aggression is how much you intend to inflict

harm on someone whether physically or verbally

Frustration grows when our motive to achieve a goal is very

strong when we expected gratification and when blocking is
complete. Aggressive energy need not explode directly at its
source.

Type of aggression:
1.
2.

Hostile aggression aggression driven by anger its

goal is to injure.
Instrumental aggression - aggressive acts carried
out in order to gain some rewards.(aggression as a
means to getting something)

Theories of aggression:
A. Is aggression inborn?
1.

Instinct theory aggressive drive is inborn.

According to Freud, aggression springs from the
primitive death instinct (thanatos).
Aggressive
energy is instinctual, so if not discharged, it
supposedly builds up, until it explodes. Aggression is
due to releasing of aggressive energy.

2.

Neural influences neural system facilitate

aggression. Certain parts of the brain (amygdala is
stimulated, hostility increases, when stimulation
ceases, hostility decreases.

3.

Genetic influences intensity of ones aggression is

influences by ones genetic makeup. A persons
temperament observes in infancy, usually endures.
Temperament (level of emotional reactivity) is
something we bring with us into the world and is
enhanced by the environment.

4.

Biochemical influences
a. Alcohol unleashes aggression when
intoxicated; it reduces self-awareness and
inhibitions, making one more likely to
commit violent acts.
b. Testosterone drugs that diminish
testosterone levels subdue their aggressive
tendencies. Prisoners of violent crimes tend
to have high levels of testosterone. Injecting
a man with testosterone wont make him
aggressive, yet a man with low testosterone
is somewhat less likely to react aggressively
when provoked.
Testosterone level is
likened to a battery, supercharging the
battery wont make the machine faster but
low battery will make it slower.
c.

Low serotonin level increases ones

response to aversive events, it heightens
reactivity.

Displacement redirection of aggression target other than the

source of frustration.
Sometimes frustration increases aggressiveness, sometimes
not. Frustration produces anger an emotional readiness to
aggress. Anger arises when someone who frustrates us could
have chosen to act otherwise, if provoked it triggers and
amplifies aggression.
Deprivation lacking something what others have or taking
away what the individual has.
Note: increasing gap between aspirations and achievement
intensifies frustrations. We are not saying that actual
deprivation is irrelevant, but the point is, frustration arises
from the gap between expectations and attainments.
Adaptation level phenomenon rising expectations continue
frustrations.
- Tendency to adapt to a given level of stimulation and
thus noticing and reacting to the changes from that
level.
Relative deprivation the perception that one is less well off
than others to whom one compares oneself.
Note: dissatisfaction stems from adapting to new heights and
compounded by comparing ourselves with others. When we
compare ourselves with people above us, we become
miserable because we realize how much we fall short. We
raise the standards of evaluating ourselves. If aspirations
soared higher than our achievements it results to frustration
because our aspiration is unrealistic!
C. Aggression as learned social behavior social
psychologists contended that learning also pulls aggression
out of us.
Rewards of aggression a child whose aggressive acts
successfully intimidate other children will likely to become
increasingly aggressive.
Observational learning the theory that we learn social
behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded
and punished. By experiencing and by observing others
success we sometimes learn that aggression pays.
Other influences of aggression:
The recipe to aggression is not only due to frustration but also
due to other aversive experience: pain, heat, attack, or
overcrowding

A. Aversive incidents:
1. pain unpleasantness can incite an
emotional outburst
2. heat environment irritant liked to
aggressive behavior. People become more
irritable in hot sticky weather; this does
increase arousal and hostile thoughts and
feelings.
3. attacks being attacked or insulted by
another is especially conducive to
aggression. Intentional attacks breed
retaliatory attacks.
4. crowding subjective feeling of not having
enough space is stressful it diminishes ones
sense of control.

Exposure to violent TV programs can unleash childrens

aggressive urges and teach new ways to aggress.
Violence physically compelling action that threatens to
hurt or kill or actual hurting or killing.

B. Arousal

TV affects behavior because:

1. it increases arousal it is not the violent content that
produces social violence but he arousal it produces.
Arousal energizes behavior.
2. It disinhibits it primes the viewer for violence,
predisposing aggressiveness.
3. Imitation imitation of aggressive behavior.

Given a state of bodily arousal feeds one emotion or another,

depending on how the person interprets and labels that
arousal.
Note: frustrating, hot crowded, and insulting situation
heightens arousal and this arousal when combined with hostile
thoughts and feelings may form a recipe for aggressive
behavior.
C. media influences
1.

Pornography and sexual violence increase

rates of violence and sexual coercion have
coincided with increases in media mayhem
and sexual suggestion.

Pornography sexual depictions intended to

excite sexual arousal.
Effects of typical scenes of men overpowering
and arousing a woman can

Catharsis emotional release. Aggressive drive is

reduced by releasing aggressive energy. For e.g. watching
violent drama enables people to release their pent up
hostilities.
TVs effect of behavior:
The more violent the childs TV viewing, the more
aggressive the child becomes. Viewing violence increases
violence because it increases the acceptance of aggressive
attitudes and behavior.

Prosocial behavior positive constructive helpful social

behavior.
Effects of TV on thinking:
1. Desensitization to cruelty emotional numbness.
2. It distorts perception of reality perception of the
world as more dangerous than it actually is. We
exaggerate the frequency of violence in the world
around them.
F. Group influences:
Group influences aggressive reaction by diffusing
responsibilities, the higher the number of people the more
vicious the murder and mutilation.
Social contagion magnifies aggressive tendencies.

a.

b.

Distort ones perception of how women

can actually respond to sexual coercion. (in
pornography that portrays sexual aggression
as pleasurable for the victim i.e. tying and
beating, increases acceptance of the use of
coercion in sexual relations.
Increase mens aggressions against
women the more men are exposed to
sexual violence the more desensitized they
become, the more accepting they are of
violence against women. Pornography
increases punitive behavior toward women.

D. Media Awareness Education

Using media to educate people against the perils of sexual
violence. Perhaps by opening the eyes of the viewers they
will become aware of the danger that such un regulated
exposure may bring their children.
E. Media influences: television

Reducing aggressive tendencies:

a. catharsis
b. social learning approach
1. reducing aversive stimulation
2. rewarding and modeling non aggression
3. eliciting reactions incompatible with
aggression