...Outline & evaluate one social-psychological theory of aggression One social-psychological theory of aggression is the social-learning theory. Bandura suggested that as well as being learnt through direct experience, aggressive behaviour can be learnt indirectly, through observation of others. If a person observes aggressive behaviour in a model, they may imitate their behaviour, especially if they identify with or admire the model. The observer forms a mental representation of the event, including the consequences (rewards or punishments) of the models behaviour. Vicarious reinforcement is when the model is rewarded, and this will increase the chance of the behaviour being repeated. In this way, children learn appropriate and effective ways to use certain behaviours. When a person imitates the behaviour, they gain direct experience. The outcome of aggressive behaviour will influence the value of aggression for a child. When a child is rewarded for behaviour, this is direct reinforcement, and will make them more likely to repeat the behaviour. A child develops confidence in their ability to use aggressive behaviour successfully. If they are unsuccessful, they will have lower self-efficacy, so will be less confident that they can use aggression successfully, and will turn to other behaviours. A strength of social learning theory is that it is supported by empirical evidence, for example Bandura’s Bobo doll studies. Children who were shown a video of an adult being aggressive...
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...Tahreem Naz Outline one social psychological theory of aggression Aggression is an act that is carried out with the intention to harm another person and is viewed as one of the most disturbing forms of human social behaviour. Some psychologists believe that aggression is a legacy of our evolutionary ancestry, while others might believe it is best explained by the ‘social learning theory’. One of the most powerful sources of learning behaviour is imitative learning where we learn from observing others and imitating their actions. This is clearly shown in Bandura’s (1961) study, which involved children observing aggressive and non-aggressive adult models and then being tested for imitative learning in the absence of the model. Children in the aggressive condition reproduced a good deal of physically and verbally aggressive behaviour resembling that of the model, whilst the children in the non-aggressive condition exhibited virtually no aggression towards the bobo doll. In addition, the boys reproduced more imitative physical aggression than girls, but they did not differ in there imitations of verbal aggression. The boys showed more aggressive behaviour when the adult model was the same-sex which suggests that behaviour is likely to be imitative when the role model is not the same gender. Furthermore, according to social learning theory theorists, if behaviour is to be imitated it must be seen rewarding in some way. Bandura and Walters (1963) found that children who...
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...[->17] · [->18] · [->19] · [->20] · [->21] · [->22] · [->23] · digital humanities[->24] · [->25] · [->26] · · [->27] · [->28] · play[->29] · [->30] Home[->31] › Blogs[->32] › SerendipUpdate's blog[->33] › Theories of Aggression && Submitted by SerendipUpdate on Fri, 01/11/2008 - 10:20am · Biology 202[->34] Biology 202[->35] 1999 Final Web Reports[->36] On Serendip Theories of Aggression Alexandra K. Smith "Two Gunman at Colorado School Reportedly Kill Up to 23 Before Dying in a Siege." On Tuesday, April 20, 1999, two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, of Columbine High School, shocked the nation when they entered the school armed with guns and explosives, killing fellow students and a teacher before...
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...WHY ARE INDIVIDUALS AGGRESSIVE?Aggression is difficult to define, it is a complex phenomenon, and depending upon the context the term can be made to carry either positive or negative connotations, it can be attacking behaviour that may be either self-protective and self-assertive or to the infliction of injury toward oneself or toward others, to the total destruction of others. Is aggression biological determined or the product of learning and environmental influences.? This essay, will consider instinctive theory, the frustration - aggression hypothesis, and social learning theory. It should then be possible to draw a conclusion to see if any or all of the theories discussed are the cause of aggression. Brain disorders, hormonal and chemical imbalances, environmental factors, such as heat, noise, air pollution and overcrowding, although contribute to the causes of aggression will not be discussed during the course of this essay. No universally adopted definition of aggression exists, for the purpose of this discussion, the definition of Gross will be used.Gross defines aggression as :- "The intentional infliction of some form of harm on others" (Gross page 444)Freud proposed that aggression is an instinctive biological urge. According to Freud this instinct, is made up of the libido (pleasure) and "Thanatos" (the death wish) (pain). This basic instinct is present in the Id from birth, at first the aggression is relatively uncontrolled, but with the development of the Ego and...
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...The Nature and Nurture of Aggression OUTLINE: * Theories of Aggression * Psychological Influences on Aggression * Environmental Influences on Aggression * Reducing Aggression * A social Learning Approach * Cultural Change & World Violence Aggression – physical or verbal behavior intended to cause harm * kicks and slaps, threats and insults, gossip or snide “digs” (online bullying) Instrumental Aggression – aims to injure too – but only as a means to some other end. * Terrorism – a strategic tool used during conflict; attaining hero or martyr status. * Wars – an instrumental act of liberation and of self defense against presumed weapons of mass destruction. * Bully – seeks to demonstrate their dominance and high status. Theories of Agression * Agression an Instinct Is Aggression an Instinct? Aggressive energy is instinctive; if not discharged, it supposedly builds up until it explodes or until an appropriate stimulus releases it. * Mouse releasing a mousetrap * Neural Influences Researchers have found neural systems (specific areas of the brain) when stimulated produce aggression. * Amygdala * Prefrontal cortex * Genetic Influences Heredity influences the neural system's sensitivity to aggressive cues. Aggressiveness also varies among individuals. * Blood Chemistry Influences neural sensitivity to aggressive stimulation. * ALCOHOL – enhances aggressiveness...
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...814002322 Course title: Introduction to Social Psychology Course Code: PSYC 1004 Lecture Topic: Aggression Aggression Baron and Branscombe define aggression as “behaviour directed toward the goal of harming another living being who is motivated to avoid such treatment” (Baron & Branscombe, 2012). * Violence: “an extreme form of aggression, such as assaults, rape or murder” (). Types of Aggression * Instrumental aggression – aggression aimed at accomplishing a goal * Hostile aggression – aim of the aggression is to inflict harm * Indirect aggression – aggressive is not face to face * Direct aggression – aggressive act is face to face Theories of Aggression Instinct Theory: Through evolution, humans have inherited a fighting instinct similar to that found in many species of animals. Social Learning Theory: Human aggression is largely learned by watching other people behave aggressively, either in person or in films. It is also learned when we are rewarded for aggression. Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis: Our motivation for aggression increases when our ongoing behavior is interrupted or we are prevented from reaching a goal. Negative Affect Theory: Proposed by Leonard Berkowitz, it states that negative feelings and experiences are the main cause of anger and angry aggression. Sources of anger include: pain, frustration, loud noise, foul odours, crowding, sadness, and depression. Aggression as Biology Neural influences - electrical...
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...Social Psychology Tutorial – Practice MCQs LECTURE 1-Me, Myself, and I 1) When we compare ourselves to others who are more capable, we are engaged in a(n) _______. A) Downward social comparison B) Lateral social attribution C) Downward attribution D) Upward social comparison E) Upward attribution 2) Henry feels helpless at his job, feels that he cannot control his workday, and feels that he is useless, worthless and inept. These characteristics would probably mean that Henry has _______. A) Low self-esteem B) High locus of control C) High self-insight D) Low locus of control E) Negative possible selves 3) When we think of ourselves as members of specific social groups, we are thinking of our ________. A) sexual self-schema B) social-personal self C) personal self D) cultural self identity E) social identity 4) In meeting a new roommate, David stresses his studious qualities, an aspect of himself he wishes others to agree with, while being willing to underplay other potentially important aspects of himself. David is practicing a ________ approach in presenting himself to others. A) self-verification B) ingratiation C) self-enhancement D) self-denial E) neurotic LECTURE 2-Everyone is a Psychologist 1) Imagine that you see a friend arguing with a sales clerk in a store. You have never seen your friend argue with anyone in public before. Therefore, you think that the clerk did something to cause the argument. The theory that most directly explains...
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...Aggression: Biological or Learned? Abstract Aggression is any hostile behavior by an individual person that inflicts physical or psychological damage onto another individual. It can take on a physical form, such as physical acts of violence. It can also take on psychological forms, such as verbal threats or verbal abuse. There are many different theories which aim to explain how aggressive personalities are developed. Theorists who adhere to the Biological Approach to Personality believe that genetics play a large part. They argue that there are biological indicators which make certain people more prone to aggressive personalities. They argue that aggression is not necessarily inherited, but certain predispositions pared with certain factors in an individual’s upbringing can spawn aggressive adults. Theorists such as Albert Bandura believe that personality characteristics such as aggression are learned. According to the Behavioral/Social Learning Approach to Personality, individual personalities are developed through observation and experience. Specifically, aggressive personalities are learned much like other behaviors are learned as a child grows and experiences different things.Research has shows that children predisposed to violence and aggression grow up to be aggressive adults. Aggression, as defined by Merriam-Webster is “a forceful action or procedure (as an unprovoked attack) especially when intended to dominate or master” (Aggression, 2012). It is “hostile...
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...Outline and evaluate one or more social psychological theory of aggression. (24 mark) Aggression is defined as behaviour that is intended to harm or injure, this is directed towards another living being and can include physical injury. There are two approaches to aggression that I will be discussing in this essay, social learning theory and deinidividuation. Social Learning Theory (SLT) is defined as learning behaviour that is controlled by environmental influences rather than innate or internal forces. The behaviour shown by individuals during this theory of aggression is often referred to as modelling or observational learning; this is a form of vicarious experience. It is believed that humans are not born as aggressive individuals so the acts of aggression can only be acquired through direct experience and the observation of others. The behaviourists’ explanation emphasises on reinforcement. This is when certain behaviour is rewarded, encouraging it to be repeated and learned. Aggression that is associated with a reward is likely to be learned. Bandura et al (The Bobo doll) tested this theory of aggression and found that children who observed a model behaving aggressively towards a doll were likely to carry out the same behaviour when allowed to interact with the doll. His findings found that when left alone with the doll children would even improvise their own aggressive actions towards the doll. This behaviour was more commonly shown when the adult’s aggressive behaviour...
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...Deindividuation is the process whereby people lose their sense of individual identity and engage in unsociable, often antisocial behavior. Anonymity is a key concept, where people are likely to behave aggressively because of the loss of sense of individuality. Deiner stated it occurs when; self-awareness is blocked by environmental factors, there is a reduced need for social approval, there is a reduction in rational thinking and a decrease in inhibition. This suggests that collective behavior of violent crowds, mindless hooligans and social atrocities such as genocide can be explained by the deindividuation theory. To a large extent, deindividuation theory is based on the classic crowd theory of Le Bon (1895), were he recognized how behavior changed in a crowded situation. Le Bon suggested that a collective mind-set takes over and people start to act as one, as individual submerge and lose self-control. This suggests that the individual reduces its own morals and takes aboard morals of the group. Zimbardo further developed this idea, by emphasizing the importance of anonymity, as the release from internal restrains, produces emotional, impulsive and irrational behavior. Zimbardo supported his argument by carrying out an experiment on groups of four female undergraduates, where they were required to deliver electric shocks to another student to ‘aid learning’. Half of the ps wore hoods over there face and were never referred to by name, whereas the other half wore normal clothes...
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...another cause of the hooliganism is to reflect the search of high levels of emotional arousal after enduring long periods of boredom. The importance of this issue is demonstrated by the large number of incidents where several deaths have been the result of violence. One explanation for the occurrence of football hooliganism is the Frustration-Aggression theory (Freud and Dollard et al). Freud believed that when people get frustrated they displace it onto a scapegoat and not onto the source of the frustration. Dollard developed this by suggesting that frustration leads to aggression, which is what people displace onto another target. With relevance to football hooliganism, fans may become frustrated after either losing a game or watching poor play from players. Moreover, the fans are unable to relieve their aggression on the players themselves because they have legitimate power which prevents most people from expressing violence towards them. Therefore, they displace their aggression onto a scapegoat, which in this instance is the opposing team’s fans. A weakness of this theory is that Berkowitz showed that frustration does lead to aggression, but not specifically to prejudice. Thus there may be other factors involved such as pre-existing prejudice which is...
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...Discuss the role of neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggression. (24 marks) Testosterone is a hormone produced in the male testes and in female ovaries however males produce 10 times more than females. Testosterone has been linked to aggression and as it plays a part in increased muscle and bone mass, this suggests that it plays a structural role in influencing aggression. Testosterone has been shown to correlate with the level of aggression displayed by humans and animals. For example when levels of testosterone peak around the start of puberty there is also a corresponding level of aggression displayed in young males during this time. Testosterone modulates levels of various neurotransmitters that mediate effects on aggression. There seems to be a critical period early in life, where exposure to testosterone is essential to elicit aggression in adulthood. It is though testosterone helps sensitise androgen responsive system. There have been many experiments done to see the effects of adding and removing testosterone. All of which have been performed on animals due to methodological and ethical issues with testing on humans. It was found that male mice that are castrated at birth showed a decreased level of aggression. These findings were also supported by similar studies involving different species fo animals and so it is not solely specific to mice. Although castration research can be useful, castration disrupts other hormone systems as well as testosterone and os these...
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...Psychology of Aggression & Violence: Aggression: Behavior perpetrated or attempted with the intention of harming another individual physically or psychologically or to destroy an object. Violence: Actual, attempted, or threatened physical harm that is deliberate and non-consenting: * Includes violence against victims who cannot give full, informed consent * Includes fear-inducing behavior, where threats may be implicit or directed at third parties Types of Aggression: Hostile (or expressive) aggression: Occurs in response to anger-inducing conditions, such as real or perceived insults, physical attacks, or one’s own failures. (Goal = to make victim suffer. Intense and disorganized emotion) Instrumental aggression: Begins with competition or the desire for some object or status possessed by another person. Goal = obtain desired object. No intent to harm, although indifferent. Violence as a Choice: The proximal cause of violence is a decision to act violently .The decision is influenced by a host of biological, psychological, and social factors .Neurological insult, hormonal abnormality, psychosis, personality disorder, exposure to violent models, attitudes that condone violence. Cognitive Models of Aggression: Most research supports the notion that human aggression is primarily learned (early learning and socialization). Hostile attribution bias: Individual’s prone to violence are more likely to interpret ambiguous actions as hostile and threatening ...
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...Describe and evaluate social explanations for aggression (16 + 8 marks) There are a number of different theories which offer explanations for aggression. These include social psychological explanations and biological explanations. Some of the social explanations are social learning theory and deindividuation. Social learning theory was developed by Albert Bandura and is based on the behaviourist approach that our aggressive behaviour is learnt. He proposed that it is similar to operant conditioning where learning takes place due to observation and imitation. H explains that modelling has an influential role on the manner of the aggression, as if role models are seen t be aggressive this encourages those who observe them to exert similar behaviour. He also explains that vicarious learning takes place which is indirect rewarding of behaviour. AN example of this would include a child observing another child hitting someone in order to get the toy they desired. A number of factors influence the aggression levels learnt and shown in individuals, one of which is self-efficacy. This refers to the ability to perform the aggressive act, thus we are only likely to be aggressive if it is likely that we will succeed! Other characteristics of models influence whether someone will imitate behaviour, as if they have high power and status or are similar to he individual then this is likely to increase imitation. Therefore violence in the media is an increasing problem in the world today. ...
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...Social Learning Theory (SLT) suggests that children learn aggressive behaviour by observing others acting aggressively. They also learn under what situations people are likely to be rewarded for their aggressive behaviour or punished (this is known as vicarious reinforcement). As a result, they learn how to perform aggressive acts when appropriate (i.e. when rewards will follow), and will learn not to perform aggressive acts when they will be punished for it. For social learning to take place, the child must form a mental representation of the behaviour as well as an expectancy of any future outcome of them performing that behaviour. If opportunities for aggressive behaviour arise in the future, the child may display that behaviour provided the expectation of reward is greater than the expectation of punishment. SLT is supported by Bandura et al., who found that children who observed a model behaving aggressively towards a Bobo doll were more likely to reproduce the same behaviours when they were later allowed to interact with the doll; the children even improvised their own aggressive actions towards the doll. This was particularly the case when they saw the adult rewarded for their aggressive behaviour, thus supporting the claim that the expectation of reward influences the likelihood of a behaviour being performed. However, this study lacks validity because the children may have been aware of what was expected of them, leading to them displaying demand characteristics...
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