Aggression

Aggression

1. social explanations

   • social learning theory
     • according to bandura aggressive behavior is learned through direct experience or vicarious experience
       • learning by vicarious experience- observational learnong
         • bandura thought vicarious learning was the main cause of aggression
         • when a child observes a role model act in a particular way and reproduces and reproduces that behavior.
           • learning by direct experience, if a child pushes another child and as a result gets something they want, the action is reinforeced and is more likely to occur in similar situations in the future

2. evolutionary explanations

3. biological explanations

   • neural mechanisms
     • testosterone
       • androgens such as testosterone are
     • cortisol
       • second hormone involved in aggression
         • cortisol is perceived to mediating effect on aggression
           • without normal cortisol levels, testerone levels are not stabilsed.
             • low levels of cortisol are accosiated with higher levels of aggression.
             • low levels of cortisol were found in violent offenders-virkken
         • cortisol is an important part of the bodies response to stress and encourages social withdrawal