Anger and Aggression

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Anger and Aggression

• Class 20

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Final Exam Date and Time
Date Thursday, Dec. 18 Time 1145-245
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Anger and Aggression
What gets us angrywhat kinds of situations,
people? Is anger more common with friends,
family, strangers, competitors/adversaries? Is
anger a positive or negative emotion? Does anger
ever do any good? Would humans be better off
without anger?
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Causes of Aggression
Territoriality   Impeding free action (B.F.
Skinner, Behaviorism)   Maintaining Social
Hierarchies   Social hierarchies common across
species, cultures Hierarchies maintained by
threats   Aggressive sequence
Aggression ? Surrender ? Reconciliation   Frust
ration and Aggression
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Frustration and Aggression Theory
Basic Idea Aggression arises when basic goals,
needs, desires are frustrated. Aggression a form
of displacement
Lindzey, G. 1950 Frustration ?
Prejudice Frustrate subjects (40 Harvard males,
20 high
anti-sem, 20 low anti-sem) 1. Cant eat, drink
12 hrs before study 2. Drink 1 QT water, cant
pee 3. Clumsy blood test 4. Failure at group
task 5. Outcome anti-sem subs show increased
anti-Semitism
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Punishment and Rewards Due to Own
Discomfort(Berkowitz, et al. 1981)
General Effect
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Giving Punishment that Supposedly Helps
Performance vs. Punishment that Hurts
Performance, Due to Own Discomfort
(Berkowitz, et al.
1981)
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Giving Punishment that Supposedly Helps
Performance vs. Punishment that Hurts
Performance, Due to Own Discomfort
(Berkowitz, et al.
1981)
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Terror Management Theory and Aggression
Human Dilemma Humans only species aware of its
own mortality Humans, like all animals,
instinctively flee danger BUT Mortality
awareness is danger humans cant flee Culture
provides defense against existential terror of
mortality awareness. Promise of immortality
(e.g., religion) Promise of meaningful life,
transcends mortality
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Threat to Cultural Worldview and Violence
If mortality is greatest fear, and If cultural
worldview is my only defense against mortality
fears, Then how do I feel towards those who
challenge my cultural worldview?
Murder for religious, ideological
beliefs Martyrdom for religious, ideological
beliefs
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Terror Mgt and Violence Experimental Evidence
Mortality Salience Manipulation Briefly write
describe the emotions that the thought of your
own death arouse in you. Jot down, as
specifically as you can, what you think will
happen to you as you physically die. Control
Condition Neutral Write about eating a meal,
watching TV Control Condition
Negative Dental pain, social rejection
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Results of Terror Mgt Experiments
Hostile Attitudes Increased Anti-Semitism Harshe
r criminal sentences to repeat offenders Harsher
ratings of anti USA essay writer Increased
hostility to African Americans Hostile
Behavior Distance from Turk vs. fellow
German Hot sauce administered to person with
opposing views
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Culture and Aggression Yanomamo and Inuit
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Culture and Aggression
Interdependent Cultures Utku Environ.
requires cooperation and tolerance Adios to
crazy, savage researcher   Individualistic/Pride
Based Culture Yanomamo   Environment more
benign, cooperation less necessary Lets rip-off
the sappy researcher 
What is the MOST violent industrialized society?
USA
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Violence in the USA
Percent of adolescent boys involved in 1 fights
50
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Percent of adolescent girls involved in 1 fights
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Percent of adolescents who bring knife to school
3-5
Percent of adolescents who bring gun to school
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Percent of men 12-19 encounter violent crime
All stats under-reported
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Individualistic vs. Collectivist Cultures
Individualistic Self interest promoted
"I Self" Collectivist Group interest
promoted "We self" Individualist Your gain
can be my loss Collectivist Your gain is our
gain is my gain Violence in "we self" culture is
bizarre like self- mutilation.
BUT Also authoritarian vs. libertarian societies
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Thanatos Instinct for Destruction (Freud)
Destruction, mayhem is fun Movies, novels,
plays, video games That dog is gonna die
moviesjustify our blood lust. Does anger do any
good???
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DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE   When in the
course of human events, it becomes necessary for
one people to dissolve the political bands which
have connected them with another, ., a decent
respect to the opinions of mankind requires that
they should declare the causes which impel them
to the separation.   .But when a long train of
abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the
same Object, evinces a design to reduce them
under absolute despotism, it is their right, it
is their duty, to throw off such government,
.   The history of the present King of Great
Britain is a history of repeated injuries and
usurpations, all having in direct object the
establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these
States.
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Prisoners Dilemma Cooperation Game  
 
Player 1 Player 2
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HOSTILE EMOTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS ANY GOOD
ONES?    
Contempt Anger Withdrawal Whining
Not Good
Sometimes Good
Not Good
Not Good
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Function of Anger in Interpersonal Relationships
(Averill, 1981)
Subjects 80 married, 80 singles Subs complete
daily emotion self-reports Results 66 report
anger 1-2 a week 44 annoyance once a day
Anger due to frustration, violation of
expectation, lost of pride, damage
to property, self Anger source Most often
someone known, liked Why get angry? Assert
authority, rights Change the offender
Strengthen relationship
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Does Anger do Any Good? Averill, continued
Feelings about being angry most DONT like it
Was expression of anger beneficial? Percent of
Expressers saying yes Percent of Targets saying
yes
62
70
Anger ? relationship readjustment Anger is act of
commitment, is pledge to see problem through But,
anger can lead to cycle of violence
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Seeing Anger Chouchourelou, Matsuka, Harber,
Shiffrar, under review
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