Aggression

1
Aggression

• Words or actions meant to hurt people

2
Why are people aggressive?Biological View

• Sociobiology Social behavior is controlled by
  genes
• Aggression seems to help animals survive and
  reproduce thus passing the aggressive genes on to
  the next generation.

3
Criticism of Sociobiological View

• It does not take into account the cooperation
  that takes place in humans for survival
• No aggressive gene has been found
• Aggression varies widely from culture to culture
  which shows more than just genetics.
• Do agree that the brain (amygdala) is involved in
  aggression.

4
Psychoanalytic View

• Freud said aggression is due to frustration.
• We do want to harm those who dont meet our
  wishes or demands but this aggression is mostly
  repressed.
• Aggression finds outlets in disobeying orders or
  destroying other peoples things.
• Freud felt it was important to vent this
  aggression (Sarcasm, cheering on your sports team
  or watching aggressive sports).
• Venting aggressive impulses called Catharsis
• Unclear if venting works as sometimes people get
  more aggressive while doing it.

5
Cognitive View

• Aggressive behavior reflects a persons values
  and the choices they make.
• Aggression is justified by a person as necessary
  for the given situation.
• People decide to act aggressively based on
  previous experiences with aggressive behavior and
  their interpretation of other peoples behavior.

6
Learning View

• Aggressive behavior is reinforced (rewarded) so
  people learn to behave aggressively.
• This is especially true in sports.
• Can learn aggression through observation
• By middle school the average child has seen more
  than 8,000 murders and 100,000 other violent acts
  on television
• TV may reinforce peoples ideas about violence
  and lessen their inhibitions against it.
  Children will also imitate what they see.

7
Sociocultural View

• Some cultures encourage independence and
  competitiveness which promotes aggression.
• When one person is encouraged to win over others
  aggression can often result.
• Cultures where cooperation and the welfare of the
  group are valued see lower levels of violence.

8
Role Playing

• Playing a role can influence or change ones
  attitude
• Zimbardos Prison Study
• College students played the role of guard or
  prisoner in a simulated prison.
• The study was ended after just 6 days when the
  guards became too aggressive and cruel.
• Want to learn more about this famous study? See
  the Stanford Prison Experiment Online Slide Show
  or watch Stanford Prison Experiment video (8
  minutes)
• Modern issues of Prison Abuse see CNN Report on
  Juvenile Jails and Abuse 3 min.

Dr. Phillip Zimbardo
9
How would these different perspectives explain
the aggressive behaviors demonstrated in the
Zimbardo Prison Experiment?

• Sociobiological
• Psychoanalytic
• Cognitive
• Learning
• Sociocultural