Aggression

Aggression

1. Social theories of aggression

   • Social learning theory
     • behaviour is learnt through observation of others, e.g. how to be aggressive
       • 6 key features: observation, reinforcement, mental representation, maintenance through direct experience, self-efficacy expectancies.
     • Support
       • Bobo doll study - Bandura
       • RWA - teach parent how to avoid encouraging aggression
       • Face validity
       • Cultural variations - Kungsan
     • Against
       • Population validity
       • Ethical isssues
   • Deindividuation
     • Loss of ones sense of indentity
       • In group situations individuals inhibitions are reduced, which causes a change in normal standards of behaviour
     • Against
       • Gergen et al - cuddling darkness
       • Peaceful protests
     • Support
       • Zimbardo - reduced inhibitions females teacher and learner
         • Stanford prison experiment
       • Deiner - trick or treating children
       • Watson similar in different cultures

2. Institutional aggression

   • Situational forces
     • Zimbardo - Stanford prison experiment
       • Support
         • Practical applications
           • Abu Ghraib
       • Against
         • Demand charecteristics
   • Individualistic causes
     • Irwin & Cressey - importation model prisoners bring their traits with them to prison
       • Support
         • Harer & Steffensmeier - difference in behaviour between races
       • Against
         • Deterministic
         • Not clear cut

3. Biological explanations

   • Genetic factors
     • Twin studies 50% of the variance in direct aggressive behaviour could be attributed to genetic factors - Coccaro et al
     • Hutchings & Mednick - 14,000 adopted boys with criminal convictions had biological parents with criminal convictions
     • Low levels of MAOA causes aggression - Brunner et al
     • Support
       • Selective breeding of mice
     • Against
       • Deterministic
       • Caspi et al - genetic and situational factors cause aggression
       • Gender bias
   • Neural and hormonal mechanisms
     • Hormones
       • Wegner - castrated mice have lower levels of aggression
       • Nelson - prisoners have higher levels of androgens
       • Pillay - men and women in aggressive sports had higher levels of aggression
     • Neural
       • Low levels of serotonin cause aggression
         • Davidson, Putnam & Larson - serotonin levels in violent criminals were significantly lower
         • Studies of domesticated pets bred for reduced aggression have higher levels of serotonin
           • silver foxes

4. Evolutionary explanations

   • Infidelity
     • Valladares - Nicaraguan study
     • Takahashi - genders respond to infidelity differently
   • Jealousy
     • Daly and Wilson - men evolved strategies to steer partners away from cheating

5. Group displays of aggression

   • Warfare
     • Chagnon - In the Yanamo tribe displays of aggressive behaviour meant access to women
   • Sports events
     • Xenophobia