Unit 3: Aggression: Social Psychological.

Unit 3: Aggression: Social Psychological.

1. DEINDIVIDUATION (DI):Process whereby people lose their sense of individual identity (II) and engage in unsocialised, often agg. beh.

   • OCC.=It is dark
   • OCC.=Uniform/costume
   • OCC.=Crowd
   • OCC.=Under influence
   • DENIER: DI caused by self-awareness blocked by environmental events. Less able to consider conseq. and perception becomes distorted.
   • Eval: I-Supp. for DI E-ZIMBARDO's hoods study-2 groups, 1 individuated, 1 DI (hoods, face cover, no nametags, groups), found that DI administered 2x compared to indiv-concluded that DI ^likely to indulge in agg. beh. E-(+)Controlled enviro., C+E. (-) gynocentric, lacks eco. validity. L-TF despite compelling evidence, cannot generalise to men as well
     • Eval: I-Conflicting evidence. E-JOHNSON+DOWNING-outfits worn by DI ppts. resembled KKK uniforms, increase of shocks be due to exp of agg, rather than concealing. E-Carried out similar exp, but both uniform, one KKK, one nurse. Shocks: (+)KKK, (-)Nurse. Suggest social cues are more important, than DI. DENIER-DI=Pro-social feelings i.e. religious rallies. L-TF highlights theory that it may not always agg. that DI causes.
   • Eval: I-WATSON-cross-cultural (CC) study.E-Looked at records of diff. cultures, see how they prepared for warfare., Ritual covering-DI, divided those who were brutal/those who were not. 13 brutal-12 adopted disguises. Only 3 less cruel were DI. Strong assoc. (+)disguise=(+) E-(+)Looked at many cultures, diverse. (-)Not applic. to everyone, only warfare. L-Both studies lend strong supp. for DI, therefore can be sure it is valid, because concurrent validity.

2. SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY-SLT

   • BANDURA-Agg. beh. learned through vicarious reinforcement (VR) or direct reinforcement (DR). For agg. beh. to be internalised, it must be rewarding in some way.
     • DR: If child pushes another child=reward, action is reinforced and more likely to occur in future.
     • VR: If child sees role model beh. agg.=rewarded, ^likely to imitate beh.
     • Eval: I-Supp. BANDURA's BOBO DOLL. E-When put in a room full of toys, the children went to harm bobo doll due to watching adult hit doll=rewarded. E-Supp. SLT BC, it shows that children learnt to be agg. via imitation+observ., learnt through VR. E-(-)Participant variables, children may have been brought up to be vio. Lack eco. valid. bc not real person. L-Method. issues undermine SLT to exp. agg bc, cannot be applied to everyone, (-)generalisability. TF more search neede.
       • Eval: I-Unlike bio. theories, SLT can account for lack of consistency E-Agg at home, meek at work. Diff. situations=diff. approaches. E-(+) Abiity to exp. diff. in agg. in diff. cul. Some cultures emphasise vio/nonvio beh. L-TF there is a lot of supp. evid. for SLT because able to adapt.
     • Eval: I-ALT theory: SEROTONIN E-NT, with res. investigating effects of ST on agg. Animal research has found that ST influences agg+vio behaviours. LENARD found that low ST=aggression, depression, impulsive behaviours, overeating, alc. abuse+ violent suicide.
   • A child's Agg role models may be:
     • PARENT
     • AUTHORITY FIGURE
     • SIMILARITIES
     • CELEBRITIES

3. INSTITUTIONAL AGGRESION

   • SITUATIONAL: Refers to factors present in social situation that can collectively encourage showing of certain behaviours that would not otherwise be seen.
     • DEPRIVATION MODEL (DM): The prisoners experiencing a lack of human needs, highly frustrating+ may lead to agg. reaction.
       • Deprived of:
         • FREEDOM
         • CONTROL
         • GOODS+SERVICES
         • SECURITY
         • HETEROSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS
       • Eval: Supp. for DM. EJIANG-Studied 43 M prison records in SS, found that DM was most likely to explain inmate vio. towards staff. E-1 of the largest studies in this area. MCCORKIE-Failed to support theory. Sample consisted of 371 state prisons in the US, little evidence between vio=living conditions. Claim that serious violence is consequence of MANAGEMENT rather than GENERAL DEPPRIVATION. L-TF this study does have good supp. evid. but the sample did not connect, TF further evid. may be needed.
   • DISPOSITIONAL: Results of the dispositions of the personalities of the indiv, suggests agg. beh. is not a product of institution.
     • AO1: CHEESEMAN: said that m in prison have a certain way of behaving, then apply it to new setting i.e. prison.
     • AO1: TOCH-Suggests that young people can be agg. on street/prison. Gang members would continue their gang culture inside prison. ^proportion of inmate attacks are gang related.
     • AO1: KANE+JANUS: Inmates who have greater periods of unemploment,(-) levels of ed.+more serious crim. record were more likely to be agg. in prison.
     • AO1: MILLS, KRONER, WEEKES: Canadian study, found inmates who had^levels of alcohol dependancy=^levels of agg
     • Eval: I-Evid to supp. IM comes from DELISI, analysed records of 831 M inmates sampled from USA. E-Small significant relationships, gang members=prison agg. Maybe subcultural views-imported. E-Correlational, No C+E. HOWEVER POOLE+REGOLI- found that among juv. offenders, pre-institutional vio, best predictor of inmate agg. regardless of features of institution. Suggests gang members continue to act agg. once in prison, bring it with them, rather than a product. L-TF this is good support for IM.