Aggression

Aggression

1. Social Learning Theory

   • Key Words Observe Imitate direct reinforcement vicarious reinforcement Mental representation Bobo doll study Context dependent learning
   • Bandura and Walters (1963)
   • Bandura et al (1961)
     • Children in the aggressive condition reproduced a good deal of physical abuse/ 1/3 of children in the aggressive condition repeated the models verbal response
   • Social - interactions, behavioural - learned behaviour and cognitive approach - mental representations
   • Nurture - not born with aggressive behaviour, it is learned through the environment
   • Strengths Bandura et al (1961) - research support Can explain aggressive behaviour in the absence of direct reinforcement Can explain the difference in aggressive and non aggressive behaviour both between and within individuals Explain cultural differences - Kang an Tribe
   • Weaknesses Methodological issues - research support conducted in a lab Demand characteristics - Bandura and Bandura and Walters - validity Ecological validity Ethical issues - reinforces aggression children

2. Deindividuation

   • Key Words classic crowd theory Anonymity collective mind self control personal or social norms psychological state lowered self evaluation antisocial behaviour reduced sense of guilt uncivilised behaviour Faceless
   • Zimbardo (1969)
     • Participants in the deindividuation condition (no name tags, hooded) shocked the learner twice as long as did the identifiable participants
   • Behavioural, social and cognitive approach
   • Issues Gender bias - assumes both men and women will react the same way Abstract concept - fairly abstract and unique concept, hard to define and could mean different to other cultures Ethical issues - deception, protection from harm
   • Strengths Zimbardo (1969) - research support Real world application - suicide jumpers underpinned by behavioural, cognitive and social approach (considers many factors)
   • Weaknesses Gender bias Abstract concept Lack of support - postmes and spears (1998)
   • Determinism - assumes that if you're in a large group that is antisocial, you will go along with the group, forming aggression

3. Institutional aggression

   • Institutional aggression within groups - Prisons
     • Key Words The importation model "bring something in" social histories adaptations traits gang members Deprivation model take away freedom Food individuality loss of autonomy rebel- violence
     • Behavioural - importation model, social - imortation and deprivation cognitive - deprivation model
     • Determinism - aggression is caused due to developmental factors
     • Huff (1998)
       • The importation model - Found that gang members in the US were 10 times more likely to commit a murder and three times more likely to assult someone in public than were non gang members of a similar age and backround
     • Issues Cultural bias - lots of research conducted in western worlds (US) Gender bias - assumes men and women will think and act the same way Not representative of a larger population - participants do not reflect people with social norms
     • Strengths Huff (1998) - research support real world application - building prisons Underpinned by behavioural, social and cognitive approach - consider many factors/ environmental approaches
     • Weaknesses cultural bias - cannot be generalised Gender bias - assumes Participants not representative of a larger population
   • Institutional aggression between groups - Genocide
     • Key Words Institution Hatred and hostility dehumanisation obedience to authority Genocide difficult conditions scapegoats negative evaluation moral values and rules do not apply bystanders do nothing
     • Behavioural, cognitive and social approach
     • Determinism - factors that lead to genocide
     • The Holocaust
       • The mass execution of Jews relates - hatred and hostility between Jews and Nazi's scapegoat - blaming other group dehumanisation - restricting marriage obedience to authority - Hitler
     • Issues Ethical - morally wrong Methodological - cannot re create situation to test as past events, so will have a different context
     • Strengths Real world application e.g. - Holocaust Hatred and hostility - Rwanda Scapegoat - blaming other group - jew
       • Rwanda - Hutsi and Tutsi - two groups with different beliefs
     • Weaknesses Bystanders - relies on the idea that bystanders will do nothing Aggressive acts carried out because people are following orders Ethical - morally wrong Methodological - cannot create situation to test this as past events have been used