AGGRESSION
evolutionary perspective-
-actions designed to harm others in some way
-Behavior directed toward the goal of harming
another living being who is motivated to avoid such
treatment.
-face-to-face assaults against others, either verbal or
physical
-indirect efforts to harm them through such tactics
as spreading malicious rumors
Theoretical perspectives- nature and its origin
DETERMINANTS OF HUMAN AGGRESSION
 basic social factors- words or actions
of other people,either “in the flesh” or
as shown in the mass media
 cultural factors- norms requiring that
individuals respond aggressively to
insults to their honor;
 personality- traits that predispose
some
people toward aggressive outbursts
 situational factors- external world
such as high temperatures and alcohol
**bullying –repeated victimization of specific
people by one or more other people.
PERSPECTIVES ON AGGRESSION: IN SEARCH OF THE
ROOTS OF VIOLENCE
Terrorism-acts of aggression against innocent
victims
The Role of Biological Factors: Are We Programmed
to Aggress?
Sigmund Freud- who held that aggression stems
mainly from a powerful death wish (thanatos) we all
possess
-this instinct is initially aimed at self-destruction, but
is soon redirected outward, toward others
Konrad Lorenz, a Nobel Prize–winning ethologist-
suggested that aggression springs mainly from an
inherited fighting instinct
-ensures that only the strongest males will obtain
mates and pass their genes on to the next
generation
social psychologists rejected such ideas:
1. human beings aggress against others in
many different ways—everything from
excluding them from social groups to
performing overt acts of violence against
them
2. The frequency of aggressive actions varies
tremendously across human societies, so
that is much more likely to occur in some
than in others
some now accept the possibility that genetic factors
may indeed play some role in human aggression.
-males seeking desirable mates found it necessary
to compete with other males
successful aggression- drives such rivals away
**-males tend to be more aggressive toward other
males than toward females
drive theories (of aggression) suggest that
aggression stems from externally elicited drives to
harm others
THE MOTIVE TO HARM OTHERS
-Theories suggesting that aggression stems
from external conditions that arouse the
motive to harm or injure others. The most
famous of these is the frustration-
aggression hypothesis.
-the view that aggression stems mainly from an
externally elicited drive to harm others
-frustration-arouse a strong motive to harm others--
leads to overt acts of aggression
-strongest, or perhaps the only, cause of aggression
frustration- aggression hypothesis-
this theory suggests that frustration— anything
that prevents us from reaching goals we are seeking
—leads to the arousal of a drive whose primary goal
is that of harming some person or object—primarily
the perceived cause of frustration
Modern Theories of Aggression: The Social
Learning Perspective and the General Aggression
Model
social learning perspective-
Human beings are not born with a large array of
aggressive responses at their disposal. Rather, they
must acquire these in the much the same way that
they acquire other complex forms of social behavior :
through direct experience or by observing the
behavior of others
-suggests that whether a specific person will aggress
in a given situation depends on many factors,
including the 1. person’s past experience, the 2.
current rewards associated with past or present
aggression, and 3. attitudes and values that shape
this person’s thoughts
-depending on their past experience and the
cultures in which they live INDIVIDUALS LEARN IN:
1. various ways of seeking to harm others
2. which people or groups are appropriate
targets for aggression,
3. what actions by others justify retaliation
or vengeance on their part
4. what situations or contexts are ones in
which aggression is permitted or even
approved
general aggression model (GAM)- A modern theory
of aggression suggesting that aggression is triggered
by a wide range of input variables that influence
arousal, affective stages, and cognitions.
-a chain of events that may ultimately lead to overt
aggression can be initiated by two major:
FRUSTRATION: WHY NOT GETTING WHAT YOU
WANT (OR WHAT YOU EXPECT) CAN SOMETIMES
LEAD TO AGGRESSION
Frustration-aggression-hypothesis

 The suggestion that frustration is a very

powerful determinant of aggression
 frustration always leads to some form of
aggression
 aggression always stems from frustration.

-but its not that way always: ranging from sadness,

despair, and depression on the one hand, to direct
attempts to overcome the source of their frustration
on the other.

-aggression is definitely not an automatic response

to frustration

-illegitimate or unjustified automatic response is to

types of input variables:
1. factors relating to the current situation
(situational factors)- ex: variables: frustration,
provocation, exposure to aggressive models,
anything that can cause discomfort
2. factors relating to the people involved
(person factors)
-traits that predispose some individuals toward
aggression- high irritability
feel frustrated then to aggression (legitimate needs
have been thwarted)
DIRECT PROVOCATION: WHEN AGGRESSION (OR
EVEN TEASING) BREEDS AGGRESSION
Provocation- Actions by others that tend to trigger
aggression in the recipient, often because they are
perceived as stemming from malicious intent.
-criticism we consider unfair, sarcastic remarks, or
physical assaults—we tend to reciprocate, returning
as much aggression as we have received—or
perhaps even more, especially if we are certain that
the other person meant to harm us.

-certain attitudes and beliefs about violence Condescension- expressions of arrogance or disdain
on the part of others
-tendency to perceive hostile intentions in others’
behavior, and specific skills related to aggression -criticism that attacks us rather than our behavior

impact on three basic processes: teasing— provoking statements that call attention
to an individual’s flaws and imperfections, but can
 arousal- increase physiological arousal or
be, at the same time, somewhat playful in nature
excitement
 affective states—arouse hostile feelings and
outward signs
 cognitions—they can induce individuals to
think hostile thoughts or can bring beliefs
and attitudes about aggression to mind

individuals’ interpretations (appraisals)

-thoughtful action or impulsive action

knowledge structures- being strengthened when

exposed to aggression; thus they are primed for
aggression
Causes of Human Aggression:
 Social
 Cultural
 Personal
 Situational

Basic Sources of Aggression: Frustration and

Provocation Aggression