Aggression
Objectives:
➢ Explain the how do evolutionary, cultural, and learning
explanations of aggression differ.
➢ Cite some situational and social causes of aggression
➢Teach students some ways on how to decrease aggression
Question
Is Aggression Innate, Learned, or Optional?
Aggression
➢ Intentional behavior aimed at causing physical harm or
psychological pain to another person
➢ It should not be confused with assertiveness
➢ True aggression involves the intent to harm another
Types of Aggression
Hostile Aggression
• Aggression stemming from feelings of anger and
aimed at inflicting pain or injury
Instrumental Aggression
• Aggression as a means to some goal other than
causing pain
The Evolutionary View
Who is more aggressive, men or women?
The Evolutionary View
➢ More than 90% of all mass murders (defined as killing at
least four people in one location) are committed by men
(Hillshafer, 2013)
➢Men are more likely than women to get into spontaneous,
unprovoked acts of “picking a fight” with a stranger
➢ Evolutionary psychologists argue that physical aggression is
genetically programmed into men because it enables them to
defend their group and perpetuate their genes.
Culture and Aggression
➢ Most social psychologists, therefore, believe that aggression
is an optional strategy:
We humans are born with the capacity for aggressive behavior,
but how, whether, when, and where we express it is learned
and depends on our circumstances and culture
(Berkowitz, 1993)
Gender and Aggression
➢ Physical Aggression
➢ Relational Aggression: occurs when efforts are made to
damage another person’s relationships
Learning to Behave Aggressively
Social-cognitive learning theory
The theory that people learn social behavior (e.g., aggression
or altruism) in large part through observation and imitation of
others and by cognitive processes such as plans, expectations,
and beliefs
Observational Learning: a process where we observe others
and imitate them
Social Situations and
Aggression
W H AT A R E S O M E S I T U AT I O N A L A N D S O C I A L C A U S E S O F A G G R E S S I O N
A N D S E X U A L A S S A U LT ?
Frustration-Aggression Theory
The theory that frustration—the perception that you are being
prevented from attaining a goal—increases the probability of an
aggressive response
Relative deprivation: the feeling that you have less than what
you deserve or less than people similar to you have
Provocation and Reciprocation
Individuals frequently aggress to reciprocate the aggressive
behavior of others. This response is reduced if there are
mitigating circumstances or the recipient believes the other
person’s behavior was unintentional.
Weapons as Aggressive Cues
The increase in aggression that can occur because of the mere
presence of a gun or other weapon
How to Decrease
Aggression
DOES OBSERVING VIOLENCE INCREASE VIOLENCE?
Catharsis and Aggression
Catharsis: The notion that “blowing off steam”—by behaving
aggressively or watching others do so—relieves built-up anger
and aggressive energy and hence reduces the likelihood of
further aggressive behavior
What Are We Supposed to Do
with Our Anger?
➢Venting versus Self-Awareness
What Are We Supposed to Do
with Our Anger?
➢Venting versus Self-Awareness
➢Training in Communication and Problem-Solving Skills
What Are We Supposed to Do
with Our Anger?
➢Venting versus Self-Awareness
➢Training in Communication and Problem-Solving Skills
➢Countering Dehumanization by Building Empathy
Summary
Is Aggression Innate, Learned, or
Optional?
➢ Aggression: intentional behavior aimed at doing harm or
causing physical or psychological pain to another person
➢ Hostile aggression is defined as having as one’s goal the
harming of another
➢ Instrumental aggression inflicts harm as a means to some
other end
Is Aggression Innate, Learned, or
Optional?
➢The Evolutionary View: Evolutionary psychologists argue that
aggression is genetically programmed into men because it
enables them to defend their group and perpetuate their genes
➢Culture and Aggression: Most social psychologists believe that
human beings are born with the capacity for aggression, but
whether or not it is expressed is influenced by situational and
cultural factors and is therefore modifiable
Is Aggression Innate, Learned, or
Optional?
➢Gender and Aggression
➢Physical aggression: in provocative situations, to pick
fights with strangers, and to commit crimes of violence
➢ Relational aggression: acts that harm another person
through manipulation of the relationship
➢Learning to Behave Aggressively Social-cognitive
learning theory
What are some situational and social
causes of aggression?
➢ Frustration-aggression theory: states that frustration can
increase the probability of an aggressive response
➢ Provocation and Reciprocation
➢ Weapons as Aggressive Cues
How to Decrease Aggression?
➢Catharsis: predicts that venting one’s anger or watching
others behave aggressively would serve to “get it out of your
system” and make people less likely to behave aggressively
themselves
What Are We Supposed to Do with
Our Anger?
➢Venting anger usually causes more harm than good, but
stifling serious feelings is often not useful either.
➢It is more effective to become aware of anger and then to
deal with it in ways that are more constructive than yelling or
hitting: cooling off;
➢becoming more self-aware
➢learning to communicate your feelings in a clear but
nonjudgmental or insulting way;
What Are We Supposed to Do with
Our Anger?
➢taking responsibility for acts that anger others, through
understanding and apology;
➢learning how to solve the problem that has made you and
the other person angry; and
➢strengthening empathic skills
What Are We Supposed to Do with
Our Anger?
➢taking responsibility for acts that anger others, through
understanding and apology;
➢learning how to solve the problem that has made you and
the other person angry; and
➢strengthening empathic skills
end