AggressionAggressionLecture 20Lecture 20

Lecture OverviewLecture Overview

AggressionAggression

Approaches to AggressionApproaches to Aggression

Television & ViolenceTelevision & Violence

AggressionAggression

AggressionAggression

Types of AggressionTypes of Aggression

AggressionAggression

Intentional behaviour aimed at causing Intentional behaviour aimed at causing physical or psychological painphysical or psychological pain

Two dimensions of classification:Two dimensions of classification:

Type of painType of pain

Goal of painGoal of pain

Type of PainType of Pain

Physical AggressionPhysical Aggression

Aggression inflicting physical painAggression inflicting physical pain

Verbal or Relational AggressionVerbal or Relational Aggression

Saying or doing psychologically hurtful thingsSaying or doing psychologically hurtful things

Goal of AggressionGoal of Aggression

We make a distinction between We make a distinction between hostilehostile and and instrumental instrumental aggressionaggression

What is the What is the goalgoal of the aggression? of the aggression?

Hostile AggressionHostile Aggression

Aggressive behaviour that:Aggressive behaviour that:

Stems from feelings of angerStems from feelings of anger

Has the goal of inflicting painHas the goal of inflicting pain

Instrumental AggressionInstrumental Aggression

Aggressive behaviour that:Aggressive behaviour that:

Inflicts painInflicts pain

The pain is a middle step toward another The pain is a middle step toward another goalgoal

Big Picture QuestionsBig Picture Questions

1.1. Is aggression:Is aggression:

A.A. A positive thingA positive thing

B.B. A negative thingA negative thing

C.C. It dependsIt depends

Big Picture QuestionsBig Picture Questions

2.2. Is aggression:Is aggression:

A.A. Societally producedSocietally produced

B.B. A natural thingA natural thing

C.C. An interaction of the twoAn interaction of the two

Big Picture QuestionsBig Picture Questions

3.3. When is aggression justified and when isn’t it?When is aggression justified and when isn’t it?

Approaches to Approaches to AggressionAggression

Think about a time when you hurt someone Think about a time when you hurt someone elseelse

Don’t have to tell anyone about itDon’t have to tell anyone about it

Why did you do it?Why did you do it?

Why We Hurt: Typical Why We Hurt: Typical AnswersAnswers

““I was born that way”I was born that way”

Genetic PredispositionGenetic Predisposition

““The booze made me do it” The booze made me do it”

Chemical InfluenceChemical Influence

““I was having a bad day” I was having a bad day”

Frustration-Aggression TheoryFrustration-Aggression Theory

““Too much violence in the media” Too much violence in the media”

Social Learning TheorySocial Learning Theory

Genetic PredispositionGenetic Predisposition

Theory and early workTheory and early work

Neural Structure:Neural Structure:

AmygdalaAmygdala

Pre Frontal CortexPre Frontal Cortex

Hormones and Neurotransmitters:Hormones and Neurotransmitters:

TestosteroneTestosterone

SeratoninSeratonin

Genetic Predisposition?Genetic Predisposition?

Basic Theoretical Premise:Basic Theoretical Premise:

Aggression is adaptive and has survival valueAggression is adaptive and has survival value

Earliest evidence:Earliest evidence:

Animals can be bred for aggression (e.g., Animals can be bred for aggression (e.g., Rottweilers)Rottweilers)

Twin studies find high heritability for Twin studies find high heritability for aggressionaggression

AmygdalaAmygdala

Stimulating Stimulating amygdala can lead amygdala can lead to aggressionto aggression

Depends on Depends on context:context:

Sometimes leads Sometimes leads to withdrawal/fearto withdrawal/fear

Relative social Relative social status mattersstatus matters

Pre Frontal CortexPre Frontal CortexPFC may be the regulator of PFC may be the regulator of aggressive impulsesaggressive impulses

Generally involved in Generally involved in planning & behavioural planning & behavioural regulationregulation

Relation of PFC and Relation of PFC and Aggression:Aggression:

Murderers have less PFC Murderers have less PFC activity than normal activity than normal controlscontrols

PFC becomes activated PFC becomes activated when contemplating an when contemplating an aggressive actaggressive act

TestosteroneTestosterone

The steroid hormone The steroid hormone testosterone may increase testosterone may increase aggressionaggression

Greater exposure to Greater exposure to testosterone in womb testosterone in womb linked to aggressionlinked to aggression

But:But:

Injecting testosterone Injecting testosterone does not increase does not increase aggressionaggression

Testosterone-aggression Testosterone-aggression is weak effect, is weak effect, rr = .14 = .14

SeratoninSeratonin

Neurotransmitter related to many aspects of Neurotransmitter related to many aspects of experienceexperience

May inhibit aggressive impulsesMay inhibit aggressive impulses

Violent criminals have less serotonin than Violent criminals have less serotonin than normalsnormals

Serotonin antagonists (blockers) increase Serotonin antagonists (blockers) increase aggressionaggression

Chemical Influence : Chemical Influence : AlcoholAlcohol

Alcohol disinhibits Alcohol disinhibits behaviour in generalbehaviour in general

Reduced self-Reduced self-consciousness consciousness ➔➔ deindividuationdeindividuation

Reduced attention Reduced attention to consequences to consequences of actionsof actions

Chemical Influence : Chemical Influence : AlcoholAlcohol

Relationship between alcohol and aggression:Relationship between alcohol and aggression:

In 65% of homicides and 55% of domestic In 65% of homicides and 55% of domestic violence, assailant and/or victim had been violence, assailant and/or victim had been drinkingdrinking

In lab studies comparing alcohol with placebo:In lab studies comparing alcohol with placebo:

People give stronger shocksPeople give stronger shocks

Report more anger when thinking about Report more anger when thinking about conflict with romantic partnerconflict with romantic partner

Frustration-Aggression Frustration-Aggression HypothesisHypothesis

Aggression stems from frustrationAggression stems from frustration

FrustrationFrustration

The perception that you have been The perception that you have been prevented from attaining a goalprevented from attaining a goal

Factors Affecting Factors Affecting Frustration and Frustration and AggressionAggression

More aggression when:More aggression when:

You are close to the goalYou are close to the goal

Frustration is unexpected, intentional, or Frustration is unexpected, intentional, or unjustifiedunjustified

Can’t retaliate against cause of frustrationCan’t retaliate against cause of frustration

Critiques of Frustration-Critiques of Frustration-Aggression HypothesisAggression Hypothesis

Not all aggression is the result of frustrationNot all aggression is the result of frustration

Environmental factorsEnvironmental factors

Neo-associationismNeo-associationism

Not all frustration leads to aggressionNot all frustration leads to aggression

(Wait for Stress & Health Lecture 22)(Wait for Stress & Health Lecture 22)

Environment and Environment and AggressionAggression

PainPain

Rats attack each other after being shockedRats attack each other after being shocked

Participants blast each other with louder Participants blast each other with louder noise after hand submerged in ice water noise after hand submerged in ice water versus room temperature waterversus room temperature water

HeatHeat

Heat above 32ºC invokes aggressionHeat above 32ºC invokes aggression

Neo-AssociationismNeo-Associationism

Aversive events:Aversive events:

Cause angerCause anger

Concepts associated with anger become Concepts associated with anger become accessibleaccessible

Anger-related concepts already in working Anger-related concepts already in working memory especially facilitatedmemory especially facilitated

Aggressive stimuliAggressive stimuli trigger aggressive behaviourtrigger aggressive behaviour

Object associated with aggressionObject associated with aggression

Aggressive Stimuli: The Aggressive Stimuli: The Gun Study Gun Study (Berkowitz & Le Page, (Berkowitz & Le Page, 1967)1967)

Method:Method:

1.1. Participant (P) works with Confederate (C) on problem solving Participant (P) works with Confederate (C) on problem solving task involving shockstask involving shocks

2.2. Anger manipulated by shocks from C (↓ Anger = 1 shock, ↑ Anger manipulated by shocks from C (↓ Anger = 1 shock, ↑ Anger = 7)Anger = 7)

3.3. Next, P can shock CNext, P can shock C

4.4. Beside the shock machine was either: Beside the shock machine was either:

NothingNothing

GunGun

Badminton racketBadminton racket

Aggressive Stimuli: The Aggressive Stimuli: The Gun Study Gun Study (Berkowitz & Le Page, (Berkowitz & Le Page, 1967)1967)

Results:Results:

Social Learning TheorySocial Learning Theory

Vicarious LearningVicarious Learning

Bandura’s Bobo Doll ExperimentBandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment

Vicarious LearningVicarious Learning

Learning solely through observation of other Learning solely through observation of other people’s reinforced and punished behaviourpeople’s reinforced and punished behaviour

No No directdirect reinforcement or punishment reinforcement or punishment

AkaAka “Social Modelling” “Social Modelling”

Social Modelling of Social Modelling of AggressionAggression

We learn aggression from observing others and We learn aggression from observing others and imitating themimitating them

Adoption of modelled behaviours are Adoption of modelled behaviours are dependent on rewards and punishments dependent on rewards and punishments observedobserved

Social Modelling : Bobo Social Modelling : Bobo Doll ExperimentDoll Experiment

Bandura (1965)Bandura (1965)

Method:Method:

1.1. Kids watch video tape of Kids watch video tape of young adult behaving young adult behaving aggressively or neutrally aggressively or neutrally toward a “Bobo Doll”toward a “Bobo Doll”

2.2. Model’s ConsequencesModel’s Consequences: : Rewarded, Punished, or Rewarded, Punished, or NotNot

3.3. Kid’s IncentiveKid’s Incentive: : Incentive or No Incentive or No IncentiveIncentive

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Bobo Doll ExperimentBobo Doll ExperimentModelling Aggressive BehaviourModelling Aggressive Behaviour

Bobo Doll ExperimentBobo Doll ExperimentLearned Aggressive BehaviourLearned Aggressive Behaviour

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Bobo Doll ExperimentBobo Doll Experiment

Bandura (1965)Bandura (1965)

Results:Results:

Bobo Doll ExperimentBobo Doll Experiment

Implications …Implications …

Family influenceFamily influence

Physically aggressive children more likely to Physically aggressive children more likely to have physically punitive parentshave physically punitive parents

30% of physically abused kids abuse their 30% of physically abused kids abuse their own kidsown kids

Media influenceMedia influence

High publicized suicides High publicized suicides →→ increased suicides increased suicides

Television and Television and AggressionAggression

By 7th grade, average By 7th grade, average child has seen:child has seen:

8,000 murders8,000 murders

100,000 other acts of 100,000 other acts of violenceviolence

More television predicts More television predicts aggressivenessaggressiveness

Important caveat: Important caveat: Mostly correlational Mostly correlational studies!studies!

TV and Aggression Over TV and Aggression Over TimeTime

Eron & Huesmann (1986)Eron & Huesmann (1986)

Method:Method:

1.1. Recruited 200 8-yr old boys from New York, Recruited 200 8-yr old boys from New York, NY, USNY, US

2.2. Measured general aggressiveness at age 8Measured general aggressiveness at age 8

3.3. Documented how much violent TV they Documented how much violent TV they watchedwatched

TV and Aggression Over TV and Aggression Over TimeTime

Eron & Huesmann (1986)Eron & Huesmann (1986)

Results: Results:

Violent TV watching at age 8 predicted:Violent TV watching at age 8 predicted:

Aggression at age 19Aggression at age 19

Criminal acts of violence (rape, robberies, Criminal acts of violence (rape, robberies, assault) at age 30assault) at age 30

Controlled for aggression at age 8Controlled for aggression at age 8

Moderating Factors in Moderating Factors in TV-Aggression LinkTV-Aggression Link

Model SimilarityModel Similarity

Punishment versus RewardPunishment versus Reward

Apparent RealityApparent Reality

Cartoons influence aggression less than filmCartoons influence aggression less than film

Apparent consequencesApparent consequences

Modelling more likely when pain/harm Modelling more likely when pain/harm caused by violence is caused by violence is notnot depicted depicted

How Does TV Affect How Does TV Affect Aggression?Aggression?

Imparts information about how to aggressImparts information about how to aggress

Primes angerPrimes anger

Makes world seem more dangerous, increases Makes world seem more dangerous, increases fear of victimization (Gerbner et al., 1994)fear of victimization (Gerbner et al., 1994)

Heavy viewers tend to overestimate Heavy viewers tend to overestimate frequency of violent crime, probability of frequency of violent crime, probability of being assaultedbeing assaulted

Loosens inhibitions toward violenceLoosens inhibitions toward violence

““An angry person can pull the trigger of his An angry person can pull the trigger of his gun if he wants to commit violence, but the gun if he wants to commit violence, but the trigger can also pull the finger …”trigger can also pull the finger …”- Leonard Berkowitz- Leonard Berkowitz

Next Lecture:Next Lecture:

Prosocial BehaviourProsocial Behaviour

Related Websites:Related Websites:

Well-done article on Bonobos and Aggression:Well-done article on Bonobos and Aggression:

http://www.lifescientist.com.au/article/264078/bonobos_evolutihttp://www.lifescientist.com.au/article/264078/bonobos_evolution_male_aggressionon_male_aggression

APA’s Statement and Recommendations on Violence:APA’s Statement and Recommendations on Violence:

http://www.apa.org/about/division/cpmpubint5.html#33http://www.apa.org/about/division/cpmpubint5.html#33

Full video of Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment:Full video of Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdh7MngntnIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdh7MngntnI