Aggression

Aggression

1. Social explanations

   • Deindividuation
     • In a large, anonymous group people behave more aggressively
     • Occurs due to perceived diffused responsibility
     • Zimbardo (1989)
       • Very small sample size
       • Low ecological vailidty
   • Social learning theory
     • Vicarious learning
       • We learn aggression via the behavior of role models
         • Influenced by perceived rewards/punishment of the behaviour
         • Contrasts direct conditioning
         • Bobo Doll studies, children imitate aggressive behavior of their parents
     • Able to explain cultural differences

2. Neural and hormonal explanations

   • Low levels of serotonin associated with impulsive and aggressive behaviour
     • Anti-depressants that raise serotonin levels reduce irritability levels
   • Raised levels of dopamine cause aggression to thrill
     • Evidence inconclusive, perhaps a consequence rather than cause
   • Testosterone
     • High levels increase aggression
       • Can explain the contrast in male:female ratio in prisons

3. Evolutionary explanations

   • Being aggressive helps acquire and protect resources
     • More likely to survive and pass on genes
   • Being aggressive allows a person to gain dominance over another
     • High status -> greater access to resouces
       • Leads to good quality mates, resources are attractive
   • Daly and Wilson (1988) theory
     • Men want to avoid 'cuckoldry'
       • Aggression useful for mate retention (prevent partner cheating, deterring rivals)
   • Studies
     • Buss et al. (1992) cross cultural questionnaire
       • Men more upset by sexual infidelity, women by emotional infidelity
     • Miller (1980) meta analysis of battered women
       • 55% of women cited jealousy as the main cause of the aggression
     • Daly and Wilson (1985) studies

4. Institutional aggression

   • Prisons, schools, mental health institutes etc
     • Importation model
       • Institutionalized population import aggressive behaviour
     • Deprivation model
       • Behaviour caused by the institiution

5. Evolutionary explanations for group displays of aggression

   • Sport
     • Victory brings status -> EEA this leads to resources
     • Territoriality
     • Expression of xenophobia
       • Evans and Rowe (2002)
   • Warfare
     • Sacrificing yourself for kin to survive
     • Greater warrior -> higher status
     • Chagnon (1986)