Agression

Agression

1. types of argression

   • Territorial/inner male
     • modeling
       • bandura showed repeated exposure to a model is percieved to be powerful, sucssful, atractive similar
         • increased arousal
           • decreased inhibitions
             • acquisition of skill for aggressing
               • cog distortion ie over estimation of prevelance
                 • legitimisation of agression
                   • triggering/ priming of agressive scripts
                     • desnsitatition to the consequences
                       • Parental behaviours and styles
                         • aggreesive parents tend to model agression
                         • cold and rejecting
                         • use harsh physical discipline
                         • use reward and punishment inconsitsently
                         • seldom use explanantions & reasoning
                         • physical attacks on other children in school are twice as frequent if mother used corporal punishment withing past 6 months
                           • physical attacks on other children in school are twice as frequent if mother used corporal punishment withing past 6 months
                             • domestic abuse witnessing in fromative years
                               • cognitions- as consequence of learnt experiences, the agression prone tend to
                                 • display a hostile attribuation bias( other harmless behaviours as intentional)
                                   • angry rumination
                                     • internalised aggressive scirpts
   • maternal/paternal
   • hostile/irritable
   • fear induced, self defensive
   • instrumental purposive (predatory)
   • relational/social (of direct, overt & indirect/ covert types

2. explaining agression

   • freudian
     • tendency towards aggression is an innate independant instinctaul disposition in man
       • eros vs thantos
     • aggression as an instinct prsent in humans (survival use)
     • applied dirrectly or indirectly throught displacement or sublimation
   • ethologist (lorenz)
     • intraspecies agressesion is necessary & functional in beast & man. it acts to disperse the species
       • over avaliable teritory, thereby maximising resource utilization
         • population pressure
           • resource compertision
             • needs
             • territorialty
               • hierachy
                 • aggression
                   • the whole person
                     • aggressive ppl thus typically prossess several of :
                       • gentic predispotion
                       • capable biological physique
                       • psychological vunerability (moderatly high but fragile self esteem)
                       • attitude mental framework &socil scripts that support acts of agression
                       • learned skills
                       • lack other skills & resources with which to solve problem & obtain goals
                         • Berkowitz model
                           • adversive events
                             • unpleasant emotions
                               • readiness to respond aggressively
                                 • aggression if conditions met
                                   • frustration/ provocation most likly to lead to agression when
                                     • goal is highly desireable & almost in reach
                                     • frustration is percieved to be arbitrary, unreasonable & intentional
                                     • & when that which could be done to reduce the impact of this is not done, such as the problem escalates over time
                               • humilation shame, fear, anger
                             • ie threats, pain ,crowding, insults
                       • situational explanations
                         • based on a belief that the potential for aggression lie with in the situation
                           • frustration agression hypotheses -dollard et al
                             • all frustration --> agression <---frustration
                               • Miller- weaker version
                                 • frustration may lead to agression OR depsair, active coping
                                   • agression may <-- frustration ( provation, insult)
                                     • escalation script- sequence of mild attempt of riding the source of frustrations potentially/ eventually leading to act of aggression
                                       • contextual factors
                                         • avalibility of a target
                                         • characteristic of target (similar to aggressor, weak & vunerable)
                                         • probability of detection - crowds, disguise, mask, uniform
                                         • normative influence- anti or pro agression ie audience reaction critical or apprehensive ie what norms prevail in culture ie like honour, social consequence of event
                                         • presence of agressive modles & cues ie weapons,rousing speach, music
                                         • chance to remain detached
                                           • threat of aggression --> distress response-->observed by would be aggressor-->pity,empathy --> inhibition of agression
                                         • escapability of adverse situation- physical- psychological (face saving)
   • expressed in responce to triggering stimuli or releasing
     • expressed when other instinctive responcse have failed, ie territorality & hierachy have failed
       • humans are rear for their readiness for intra species agression & in capacity to over ride hardwired mechinisms for inhibiting aggression

3. biological deteminants

   • biological/ genetic
     • heritability estimated 50% or more in twins reared apart
     • selective breediing turned unaggressive mice into agressive mice
     • direct evidence in humans- MAOA gene implicated
   • chromosomal
     • 23 pairs of chromosomes
       • 23 pair is xx(females) xy (males)
     • males are more physicaly aggressive, perhaps biological basis resides on y chromosome
     • some males have xyy instead and jarvik et al showed lots of them end up in prison
     • agressive 3 year olds tend to be consitently agressive into adulthood
   • hormonal
     • that agrresssion is determened by levels of particular hormones, esp testosterone
     • experimental evidence of testosterone linked to territorial/inter male type of agression in animals
     • correlational evidence for humans
   • neurological
     • that agression is associated with activity in limbric system (esp the amygadala/septum. lateral hypothalamus & prefrontal cortex
     • some acts of agression may result from damage or delayed timing of development to these areas
     • agression also linked to low levels of neurotransmitters, serotonin
   • pharmacological
     • some acts of agression result from druge use
     • drugs increase the likelihood that other factors will lead to agression
       • control level of agression 3.9
       • alcohol small dose=2.1 large dose 5.4
       • marijuana small dose= 3.1 large dose- 1.9
       • General Aggression model
         • Personal factors
           • young males exposed to agg models,rewarded
             • for agression, reared inconsitently but punitivly, who have unstable self esteem
               • who feel unloved & have capability to respond aggressively
                 • psychological process
                   • aggressive behaviour
         • situational factors
           • situations that are experianced as frustrating/ threatning
             • encouraging, condone agression that provides vunerable target & that
               • offer little chance of escape, delection & or exposure to the consequence
                 • & states

4. personal explanations based on belief that agression lies within the person