Understanding Aggression: Causes and Influences in Behavior
School
University of Toronto**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
PSY 220
Subject
Psychology
Date
Dec 10, 2024
Pages
4
Uploaded by sameeha14
Lecture 10 - AggressionWhat is aggression?-An intentional action aimed at doing harm or causing pain to another living being who is motivated toavoid such treatmentHot and cold → hostile vs instrumental-Hostile= This is impulsive, angry behavior that's motivated by a desire to hurt someone. (example) afight in a bar with a stranger.-Instrumental= premeditated, calculated behavior that's motivated by some other goal. (example) acontract killer who murders for hire.What causes attention?-Situational factors-Construal factors-Cultural and biological factorsSituational factors-Physical vs social-Study 1 on physical factors: physical heat contributes to crime-Aggression such as murder or rape increase in summer times-b/c during summer people are more time spent outside, interacting with others, heat makes you irritable-The study was conducted by changing room temperatures to heat or cold to check on participantsreaction-Study 2 income inequality: when income inequality is higher the more homicides occur since itreduces trust on others-Another reason:lack of green spaces cause aggressionSocial situational factors-Social learning-Media and video game consumption-Social rejection-Unchecked powerSocial learning-Study:-Aggressive: a child watches an adult’s aggressive interaction with a bozo doll-Non aggressive: a child watches an adult be non aggressive with a bozo doll-Control: the child does not see anything-Results: children who observed aggressive condition were also aggressive with the bozo doll andimitate the actions of the adultMedia and video game consumption-TV characters are 1,000 times more likely to be murdered than are real people-Most crimes committed on TV are violent, most crimes committed in real life are non-violent-Laboratory studies find watching violence leads to more aggression-These findings are not replicated in naturalistic experiments-The news disproportionately focuses on violence - “if it bleeds it leads”
Lecture 10 - Aggression-Correlation vs causation, screen time, lack of parental supervision-Evidence is mixed - Video games can shift how we see the world but it’s not the sole contributor toviolenceVideo game study-Violent game(mortal kombat) vsnon violent game(golf game)-Study:Participants were played against another person (confederate) and played multiple rounds-If the participant lost, they would be able to punish the other person using a loud noise which isannoying-The participant is set up to win in the game-Results: When participants were playing violent game (mortal kombat), the participant played the loudnoise for longer periodSocial media-How does or doesn't social media contribute to violence?Social rejection-Study:-Participants were in groups of 4 or 5 and only one of them was an actual participant the others wereconfederates-They were asked to interact and get to know each other-Later, asked everyone to write two names who they would like to work with-Accept condition: I have good news for you– everyone chose you as someone they’d like to workwith.-Reject condition: I hate to tell you this, but no one chose you as someone they wanted to work with-They bring a new person (confederate)-The participant were asked to give a loud noise to the new person-More aggression= is rejected person since they played the loud noise for a longer period of time-Less aggression= is accepted person since they played for a shorter period of timeUnchecked power-Stanford prison study-The Stanford Prison Experiment (1971), led by Philip Zimbardo, examined how individuals adapt toroles of prisoners and guards in a simulated prison environment. Participants quickly conformed to theirassigned roles, with guards becoming abusive and prisoners showing signs of extreme stress. Thestudy, intended to last two weeks, was terminated after just six days due to ethical concerns. Ithighlighted the power of situational factors and authority in shaping behavior but has faced criticism formethodological and ethical issues.-Ad: male students needed to participate in psychological study of prison life. $15 per day for 1-2 weeks.-Well adjusted men and college students-Participants randomly assigned as guardians-Prisoners were treated as criminals and were arrested from home without any prior notice-Taken to prison blindfolded and given numbers instead of names-Guardians were asked to keep the prison working properly and to work under law-Some guards were aggressive towards the prisons = psychological tormenting and abusive towards theprisoners-Eventually the study was shut down early due to the aggressive behavior
Lecture 10 - Aggression-Conclusion: unchecked power promotes aggressionCauses of aggression-Construal factors-Cultural and biological factorsRevenge-Revenge does not always make us feel better-It increases rumination about the offender-Failure to appreciate the different affective consequences of witnessing and instigating punishmentIntergroup aggression-not considering the other person’s views and assuming they are all evil-Misperception -the inaccurate understanding or interpretation of information, events, or others'intentions-Polarization -tendency for individuals or groups to adopt increasingly extreme positions, often drivenby group dynamics, echo chambers, or emotional responses.Simplistic rhetoric-overly simplified explanations or language used to describe complex psychological phenomena. Thiscan lead to misinterpretations, reinforce stereotypes, or reduce nuanced concepts into black-and-whitethinking. For instance, labeling people as purely "introverted" or "extroverted" oversimplifies thespectrum of personality traits. It’s essential to maintain a balance between accessibility and accuracywhen discussing psychological topics.Dehumanization-The attribution of nonhuman characteristics and the denial of human qualities to groups other thanone’s own-1. Human Nature: Qualities that distinguish us from inanimate objects-• Capacity for emotion-• Feeling pain-• Expressing warmth-2. Human Uniqueness: Qualities that distinguish us from other species-• Capacity for civility-• Refinement-• Complex cognitive capacitiesViolence against women-Rape-prone cultures-Cultures in which men use rape as an act of war against enemy women, as a ritual act (e.g., part of awedding ceremony), or as a threat against women to keep them subservient to men-• Higher levels of violence generally-• Emphasis on men being tough-• Women are lower statusGender and Engaging in Violence-Men are more physically aggressive
Lecture 10 - Aggression-Women display more “relational aggression”Why are men more physically aggressive?-Biological factors = Competition for mates with other males Testosterone & dominance-Culture factors = SocializationPrecarious manhood hypothesis-The idea that a man’s gender identity, which significantly involves strength and toughness, maybe lostunder various conditions and that such a loss can trigger aggressive behaviorOther Individual Difference Factors (dark triad) = can have 1 or all 3-Narcissism= Excessive self-focus, a sense of entitlement, and a need for admiration.Example: A person constantly posting achievements on social media, seeking likes and praise, mightexhibit narcissistic traits.-Psychopathy= Characterized by a lack of empathy, impulsivity, superficial charm, and antisocialbehaviors.Example: a con artist who scams people without feeling guilt.-Machiavellianism= A manipulative and strategic personality trait, focused on achieving personalgoals, often at the expense of others.Example: A coworker who lies about a teammate's performance to gain a promotion is demonstratingMachiavellian behavior.How can we reduce aggression?-Increase contact and communication-ReconciliationRestorative justice-Offender takes responsibility-Apology and reparation-Offender and victim engage in respectful dialogueCatharsis-The release of a strong emotion such as anger, by expressing it directly-Ex: playing video games, screaming into pillow-does not help move into a less aggressive condition = prolongs the aggressive thoughtsAlternative to catharsis-Face to face interaction