Aggression

Aggression

1. Biological explanation

   • Neural Mechanisms
     • limbic system
     • Neurotransmitters
       • ^ serotonin
     • Raine NGRI
     • Raleigh Monkey low serotonin
   • Genetic Mechanisms
     • Testosterone is a hormone
     • ^ testosterone
     • Van Goozen et al } Trans

2. Genetic Factors

   • MAOA
     • Enzyme breaks down Serotonin, Dopamine and Noradrenaline
     • v MAOA
       • low activity variant of this gene (MAOA-L) produces less of the enzyme + has been linked to agg behaviour
     • Brunner et al Netherlands Family
     • Cases et al Mice Knockout study- No MAOA= ^ agg

3. Ethological mechanisms

   • study of animal behaviour
   • Innate releasing mechanism (Lorenz)
     • Fixed action patterns
   • Tinbergen- Fish defend territory
   • Sackett Monkeys shown pics of other monkeys got angry

4. Evolutionary Explanation

   • agg= adaptive response which= acquire + protect resources e.g. food, territory and mates
   • Daly and Wilson} Detroit + Murders escalated from showing off
   • Chingon- Tribe warfare> husbands likely killed someone and got land

5. Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

   • Dollard et al} Aggresion= consequence of frustration
   • the likelihood of aggression occurring
     • proximity of the goal
     • will agg remove the barrier causing frustration
   • Buss} fail to win money, do task, grade= frustration= ^ agg levels

6. SLT

   • Identification, Reinforcement and Self Efficacy (selfishness)
   • Bandura} 3 conditions= 1 okay, 2 rewaed 3 punished= 2+3 ^agg

7. De-individuation

   • state where you feel less concerned for others
   • anonymity
     • Zimbardo} Milgram 4 female undergrads = intro vs not intro= not intro 2x as long shock

8. Dispositional

   • suggests prisoners import their aggy tendencies into w/t them
   • Importation Model Irwin and Cressey
     • 3 Subcultures
       • 1. Criminal 2. Convict 3. Straight
   • Kane and Janus (1981) } No violent offenders related to learned history e.g. low eduction/ employment

9. Situational

   • aggr= result of factors within prison .
     • 3 situational factors
       • 1) Organisational 2)Psychical 3)Staff Characteristics
   • Sykes Deprivation model
     • 5 types of deprivation
       • Liberty, Authority, Goods and Services and Hetero relationships
   • HMP Woodhill prison
     • David Wilson
       • low temp, window, and music= lower assaults on prisoners and staff

10. Media Influences

    • violent games influence agg
    • Anderson and Dill} blast opponents white noise - partici's who played violent game blasted opponents longer whilst a puzzle game= less longer

11. Desensitisation, Disinhibition and Cognitive Priming

    • Desensitisation= emotional response reduced through exposure
      • Bushman} kids playing violent video games for 20 min slower to get help when seeing fighting
    • Disinhibition} feeling of being within the media and therefore acting in an uncharacteristic way
      • Huesmann and Moise} boys heavy TV watchers lower averg physiological arousal in response to scenes of violence
    • Cognitive Priming} someone is exposed to cues on television or computer games these cues can trigger behaviour
      • Josephson} Frustrated Hockey players shown did/ didn't watch violent fillm with actor holding walkie talkie> behaved more agg if shown violent film and referee held a walkie talkie because it acted like a cue for agg