CHAPTER OUTLINE

• WHAT IS AGGRESSION
• WHAT ARE SOME THEORIES OF AGGRESSION
• WHAT ARE SOME INFLUENCES ON AGGRESSION
WHAT IS AGGRESSION?

•IS IT DEFINED BY THE OUTCOME OF THE BEHAVIOR?

E.G. SUCCESSFUL VS UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO AGGRESS
• OR DOES AGGRESSION RESIDE IN THE INTENTION OF THE AGGRESSOR?
E.G. HARM CAUSED BU ACCIDENT VS HARM CAUSED BY INTENT
WHAT IS AGGRESSION?

• PHYSICAL OR VERBAL BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO CAUSE HARM

WHAT IS AGGRESSION?
• HOSTILE AGGRESSION (SOCIAL AGGRESSION IN ANIMALS)
 HOT, IMPULSIVE
 INTENTIONAL USE OF HARMFUL BEHAVIOR
 THE GOAL IS TO CAUSE INJURY TO THE VICTIM
WHAT IS AGGRESSION?

• HOSTILE AGGRESSION
WHAT IS AGGRESSION?

• HOSTILE AGGRESSION
WHAT IS AGGRESSION?
• INSTRUMENTAL AGGRESSION (SILENT AGGRESSION IN ANIMALS)
 COLD, PREMEDITATED
 INTENTIONAL USE OF HARMFUL BEHAVIOR
 ONLY A MEANS TO SOME OTHER END
WHAT IS AGGRESSION?

• INSTRUMENTAL AGGRESSION
WHAT IS AGGRESSION?

• INSTRUMENTAL AGGRESSION
THEORIES OF AGGRESSION
• AGGRESSION AS A BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA
 INSTINCT THEORY
 NEURAL INFLUENCES
 GENETIC INFLUENCES
BIOCHEMICAL INFLUENCES
AGGRESSION AS A BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA
• INSTINCT THEORY
 SIGMUND FREUD BELIEVES THAT AGGRESSION SPRINGS FROM
THE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE IMPULSE
 KONRAD LORENZ SAW AGGRESSION AS AN ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR
 BOTH AGREED THAT AGGRESSIVE ENERGY IS INSTINCTIVE
AGGRESSION AS A BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA

• INSTINCT THEORY
 AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IS AN ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR FOR
PREINDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
- GAIN RESOURCES, TRIBE LEADERS, ELIMINATE MALE RIVALS
AGGRESSION AS A BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA

• INSTINCT THEORY
 FAILS TO EXPLAIN VARIATIONS FROM CULTURE TO CULTURE AND
PERSON TO PERSON
AGGRESSION AS A BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA

• NEURAL IMPULSES
AMYGDALA OF THE BRAIN
ABNORMAL BRAINS CAN CONTRIBUTE
TO ABNORMALLY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
- ANTISOCIAL AND MURDERERS
AGGRESSION AS A BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA

• GENETICS
GENES PREDISPOSE SOME CHILDREN
TO BE MORE SENSITIVE AND
RESPONSIVE TO MALTREATMENT
AGGRESSION AS A BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA

• BIOCHEMICAL INFLUENCES
 ALCOHOL
 TESTOSTERONE
 LOW SEROTONIN
THEORIES OF AGGRESSION

• AGGRESSION AS A RESPONSE TO FRUSTRATION

 FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION THEORY
 FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION THEORY REVISED
RELATIVE DEPRIVATION
AGGRESSION AS A RESPONSE TO FRUSTRATION

•FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION THEORY
- FRUSTRATION ALWAYS LEADS TO SOME FORM OF
AGGRESSION
AGGRESSION AS A RESPONSE TO FRUSTRATION

• FRUSTRATION
- IS ANY RESPONSE THAT BLOCKS ATTAINING A GOAL
AGGRESSION AS A RESPONSE TO FRUSTRATION

• FRUSTRATION
AGGRESSION AS A RESPONSE TO FRUSTRATION

• FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION THEORY
(JOHN DOLLARD, ET. AL., 1939)
AGGRESSION AS A RESPONSE TO FRUSTRATION

• FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION THEORY
REVISED
(LEONARD BERKOWITZ, 1978, 1989)
AGGRESSION AS A RESPONSE TO FRUSTRATION

• RELATIVE DEPRIVATION
- THE PERCEPTION THAT ONE IS LESS WELL-OFF THAN OTHERS
WITH WHOM ONE COMPARES ONESELF
- EXPLAINS WHY HAPPINESS TENDS TO BE LOWER AND CRIME RATES
HIGHER IN COMMUNITIES AND NATIONS WITH LARGE INCOME
INEQUALITY
THEORIES OF AGGRESSION

• AGGRESSION AS A LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

 THE REWARDS OF AGGRESSION
 OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
RELATIVE DEPRIVATION
AGGRESSION AS A LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

• THE REWARDS OF AGGRESSION

- BY EXPERIENCE AND BY OBSERVING OTHERS, WE LEARN THAT
AGGRESSION OFTEN PAYS
AGGRESSION AS A LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

• THE REWARDS OF AGGRESSION

- BY EXPERIENCE AND BY OBSERVING OTHERS, WE LEARN THAT
AGGRESSION OFTEN PAYS
AGGRESSION AS A LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

• THE REWARDS OF AGGRESSION

AGGRESSION AS A LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

• OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
- THE FAMILY
- THE CULTURE
AGGRESSION AS A LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

• OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
THE FAMILY
PHYSICALLY AGGRESSIVE CHILDREN TEND TO HAVE HAD PHYSICALLY
PUNITIVE PARENTS, WHO DISCIPLINED THEM BY MODELING
AGGRESSION WITH SCREAMING, SLAPPING, AND BEATING
AGGRESSION AS A LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

• OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
THE FAMILY
FAMILY INFLUENCE ALSO APPEARS IN HIGHER VIOLENCE RATES IN
CULTURES AND IN FAMILIES WITH ABSENTEE FATHERS
AGGRESSION AS A LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

• OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
THE CULTURE
IN COMMUNITIES WHERE “MACHO” IMAGES ARE ADMIRED,
AGGRESSION IS READILY TRANSMITTED TO NEW GENERATIONS
AGGRESSION AS A LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

• OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
THE CULTURE
BANDURA (1979) CONTENDED THAT AGGRESSIVE ACTS ARE
MOTIVATED BY A VARIETY OF AVERSIVE EXPERIENCES—
FRUSTRATION, PAIN, INSULTS
AGGRESSION AS A LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

• OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
THE CULTURE
IN COMMUNITIES WHERE “MACHO” IMAGES ARE ADMIRED,
AGGRESSION IS READILY TRANSMITTED TO NEW GENERATIONS
AGGRESSION AS A LEARNED SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
• OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING
THE CULTURE
- WHETHER WE ACT AGGRESSIVELY
DEPENDS ON THE CONSEQUENCES
WE ANTICIPATE.