Aggression 2

Aggression 2

1. Group displays as an adaptive behaviour

   • Xenophobia
     • Key Words Natural selection Genes Altruistic Fear and hatred of strangers over perception under perception intolerant towards outsiders
     • Wilson (1975)
     • Foldesi (1996)
       • Found that racist conduct of a core of extremist supports led to an increase in spectators violence in general and xenophobic outbursts in particular
     • Strengths Foldesi (1996) - research support
   • Territorality
     • Key Words Protective response to an invasion of ones territory Higher levels of testosterone - more aggressive defending home territority collective aggression territorial displays
     • Lewis et al (2005)
       • Among football fans, crowd support was rated as the mostsignificant factor in contributing to a home advantage. Through their displays of support, fans felt responsible for inspiring their team to victory and took credit for distracting their opponents
     • Strengths Lewis et al - research support
   • Warfare
     • Key Words Benefits sexual selection - competition ground for sexual selection raises status of group Costs signals of commitment committed to the group for life refuse to take part - signal of non commitment scars - prevent from leaving the group
     • Palmer and Tilley (1995)
       • Found that male youth street gang members have more sexual partners than ordinary young males - aggressive displays determine the sexual attractiveness of males
     • Strengths Palmer and Tilley - research support
   • Behavioural, social, evolutionary and cognitive approach
   • Issues Gender bias - mainly focuses on males - testosterone, does not explain how women might react differently Speculative - due to being underpinned by the evolutionary approach Not down to genes - down to situation
   • Strengths Real world application - youth street gang members - underpinned by both biological and psychological factors (consider many factors)
   • Weaknesses gender bias speculative Not down to genes - down to situation
   • Nature - deterministic

2. Evolutionary explanations of human aggression

   • Jealousy
     • Key Words reproductive challenge violence in interpersonal relationships strategies to deter female partners adultery threat of parental uncertainty violence or threats unwittingly invest
     • Daly et al (1982)
       • Male sexual jealousy is claimed to be the single most common motivation for killings in domestic disputes in the US - reproductive challenges males face - jealousy is a way of dealing with those challenges
     • Evolutionary Approach - male adaptive response - reproductive challenges
     • Issues speculative - assumes we will behave a certain way based on assumptions about our ancestors Gender bias - doesn't explain female infidelity - focuses on explanations of male aggressive behaviour
     • Strengths Daly et al (1982) - research support real world application - tactics of male retention can be an early indicator of violence psychological element to the explanation
     • Weaknesses Gender bias Speculative Individual difference Methodological issues - self report
     • Nature - Behaviour shaped by adaptations Determinism - if a male feels reproductively threatened he will respond in a jealous manner - violence
   • Infidelity
     • Key Words Voluntary sexual relations married and has a relationship with someone who is not the individuals spouse perceptions ans suspicions risk of investing in offspring of another male lowering reproductive success function of violence - terminate pregnancy Violence or threats used to keep a partner
     • Evolutionary - male adaptive response - reproductive strategies
     • Camilleri (2004)
       • Found that sexual assult of a female by her male partner was directly linked with the perceived risk of infidelity
     • Issues Speculative assumes we will behave a certain way based on assumptions about our ancestors Gender bias - doesn't explain female infidelity - focuses on explanations of male aggressive behaviour
     • Strengths Camilleri (2004) - research supports real world application - inflicting costs - not all men provide the resources to provide benefit physiological element to the explanation
     • Weaknesses Gender bias - focuses on male explanations of aggressive behaviour Speculative - assumes we will behave a certain way based on assumptions about our ancestors Individual differences - doesn't account for
     • Nature - behaviour shaped by adaptations Determinism - if a male feels reproductively threatened (infidelity) this will lead to violence