Aggression+part+1

AggressionAggression

OverviewOverview

• Aggression does not appear to have one, Aggression does not appear to have one, single cause or root. Much of Personality single cause or root. Much of Personality Psychology deals with issues and concepts Psychology deals with issues and concepts that have many causes, many variables that that have many causes, many variables that impact the issue, and Aggression is no impact the issue, and Aggression is no different.different.

ResearchResearch

• Thus, research has looked into Thus, research has looked into

• I. biological predispositions (it’s I. biological predispositions (it’s innate, evolutionarily adaptive, innate, evolutionarily adaptive, biological),biological),

• II. learning history (either classical, II. learning history (either classical, operant, or modeling), operant, or modeling),

• III.emotional states leading to maladaptive III.emotional states leading to maladaptive thinking processes or lack of skills and thinking processes or lack of skills and

• IV.culture as influencing the amount of IV.culture as influencing the amount of aggression a person displays. aggression a person displays.

Variables leading to or influencing Aggression:Variables leading to or influencing Aggression:I. Biological causesI. Biological causes

• Innate – Psychoanalytic/dynamicInnate – Psychoanalytic/dynamic

• Evolutionary TheoryEvolutionary Theory

• Biological – hormones, brain structures, Biological – hormones, brain structures, geneticsgenetics

I. Biological causesI. Biological causes

• 1. It is innate – Psychoanalytic and 1. It is innate – Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic theories support this idea. Psychodynamic theories support this idea. Thanatos is our basic biological drive towards Thanatos is our basic biological drive towards aggression, destruction and death. aggression, destruction and death.



• Evolutionary Theory- Aggression is Evolutionary Theory- Aggression is adaptive for us, just as it is for animalsadaptive for us, just as it is for animals


I. Biological causesI. Biological causes

• 2. Researchers using Evolutionary Theory and 2. Researchers using Evolutionary Theory and Animal Models also propose the idea that Animal Models also propose the idea that aggression is an innate instinct that is crucial aggression is an innate instinct that is crucial for the survival of our species. We must for the survival of our species. We must aggress to defend our young, territory, and aggress to defend our young, territory, and other resources. other resources.

Evolutionary theory, Evolutionary theory, cont.cont.

• Much of human aggression does not seem Much of human aggression does not seem to fit the models and theories that to fit the models and theories that describe innate aggression, however. describe innate aggression, however.

• Altruistic aggression (a strong member of Altruistic aggression (a strong member of a family protecting a weaker one; a few a family protecting a weaker one; a few select soldiers going to war for an entire select soldiers going to war for an entire country) is supported by research, but the country) is supported by research, but the other theories (that we fit animal models) other theories (that we fit animal models) are not well supported by research for are not well supported by research for humans.humans.

Differences between humans and Differences between humans and animal models:animal models:

• Animals have ritualized aggressive acts Animals have ritualized aggressive acts that release aggressive energy without that release aggressive energy without leading to injury (deer “head wrestling” leading to injury (deer “head wrestling” by interlocking their antlers). by interlocking their antlers).

• Animals have clear stimuli or conditions Animals have clear stimuli or conditions that trigger aggression – one animal that trigger aggression – one animal sniffing around the primary source of sniffing around the primary source of food for another animal. food for another animal.

• Animals have clear signals to stop Animals have clear signals to stop aggression – dogs lie on their backs to aggression – dogs lie on their backs to submit and the aggressor stops.submit and the aggressor stops.

Differences between humans and Differences between humans and animal models, cont:animal models, cont:

• Animals tend not to aggress on their own Animals tend not to aggress on their own species or on their own family members. species or on their own family members. Again, if they do, clear signals make them Again, if they do, clear signals make them stop. stop.

• Humans (and some social primates) are Humans (and some social primates) are the only member of the animal kingdom the only member of the animal kingdom that regularly engages in violent that regularly engages in violent aggressive attacks against other aggressive attacks against other members of our own species in staggering members of our own species in staggering magnitudes. Humans aggress against magnitudes. Humans aggress against their spouses and children.their spouses and children.




• Biological – brain structures, hormones, Biological – brain structures, hormones, geneticsgenetics

Biological causes –brain Biological causes –brain structures, hormones, structures, hormones,

genetics. genetics. • 1. There is empirical support for some 1. There is empirical support for some

biological bases of human aggression, but it biological bases of human aggression, but it rarely explains the large part of the picture in rarely explains the large part of the picture in human aggression. Read all 3 pages of the human aggression. Read all 3 pages of the following website:following website: http://brainconnection.positscience.com/topics/?main=fa/aggression

http://brainconnection.positscience.com/topics/?main=fa/aggression

http://brainconnection.positscience.com/topics/?main=fa/aggression

Biological – brain Biological – brain structuresstructures

• A. certain brain structures when electrically A. certain brain structures when electrically stimulated will lead to aggressive behaviors, stimulated will lead to aggressive behaviors, showing there is an anatomical structure that showing there is an anatomical structure that is involved in aggression, but most humans is involved in aggression, but most humans have this structure and the differences in have this structure and the differences in level of aggression in people cannot be level of aggression in people cannot be explained by differences in the amount of this explained by differences in the amount of this structure being stimulated. structure being stimulated.

Biological - hormonesBiological - hormones

• Regarding hormonal etiologies for aggression, Regarding hormonal etiologies for aggression, studies supporting hormonal causes focus on studies supporting hormonal causes focus on physical aggression as opposed to verbal physical aggression as opposed to verbal aggression. aggression.

• Positive correlations between testosterone Positive correlations between testosterone levels and amount of physical aggression levels and amount of physical aggression have been found.have been found.

Biological – hormones, Biological – hormones, ProblemsProblems

• Correlation does not mean CausationCorrelation does not mean Causation

• Proving that Hormonal differences are Proving that Hormonal differences are causing differences in aggression is causing differences in aggression is difficult to prove, as acting aggressively difficult to prove, as acting aggressively causes increases in hormones just as causes increases in hormones just as increases in hormones cause increases increases in hormones cause increases in aggression. in aggression.

• Plus, if it were truly hormones then all Plus, if it were truly hormones then all males would be more aggressive than males would be more aggressive than all females and that isn’t the case. See all females and that isn’t the case. See Gender Differences Discussion below.Gender Differences Discussion below.

Biological – hormones, Biological – hormones, alternative explanationsalternative explanations

• It may be that a third variable It may be that a third variable (extroversion, social dominance, (extroversion, social dominance, impulsivity, competitiveness or impulsivity, competitiveness or nonconformist thinking) is increased by nonconformist thinking) is increased by testosterone and that leads to the testosterone and that leads to the likelihood of problems being solved via likelihood of problems being solved via aggression. aggression.

• Operant conditioning also is involved in Operant conditioning also is involved in that if aggressive behavior is emitted due that if aggressive behavior is emitted due to this extroversion or nonconformist to this extroversion or nonconformist thinking and if this behavior is reinforced thinking and if this behavior is reinforced as a child, that child grows up to continue as a child, that child grows up to continue using aggression, since it works.using aggression, since it works.

Gender Differences Gender Differences studiesstudies

• Research finding Gender “differences” in Research finding Gender “differences” in aggression state that these differences prove aggression state that these differences prove that males are more aggressive than females that males are more aggressive than females and that this means biology (usually and that this means biology (usually testosterone) is the cause of aggression.testosterone) is the cause of aggression.

Problems with Gender Problems with Gender Differences studies:Differences studies:

• Operational definition of aggression Operational definition of aggression (physical vs verbal or direct vs indirect) (physical vs verbal or direct vs indirect)

• Method of study (if participants know they Method of study (if participants know they are being observed, they “do gender” are being observed, they “do gender” leading males to be more physically leading males to be more physically aggressive than females;also, self report aggressive than females;also, self report vs observation). vs observation).

• Thus, Gender differences in Aggression Thus, Gender differences in Aggression seem to be due more to socialization than seem to be due more to socialization than to different levels of aggression or to different levels of aggression or hormones.hormones.

Biological - GeneticsBiological - Genetics

• Twin studies- do not support a genetic cause Twin studies- do not support a genetic cause of aggression or criminality. Environment is of aggression or criminality. Environment is imp.imp.

• Some genetic abnormalities (XYY) have Some genetic abnormalities (XYY) have higher rates of criminality (1/1000 births but higher rates of criminality (1/1000 births but 1/35-100 in jail), but they also have lower 1/35-100 in jail), but they also have lower IQ’s and tend to not do violent crimes and IQ’s and tend to not do violent crimes and most XYY’s don’t become criminals. So, most XYY’s don’t become criminals. So, they may just be people who are too big to they may just be people who are too big to go unnoticed or are not smart enough to get go unnoticed or are not smart enough to get away with their crimes vs someone more away with their crimes vs someone more aggressive. aggressive.

Variables leading to or influencing Aggression:Variables leading to or influencing Aggression:I. Biological causes- summaryI. Biological causes- summary




• Research support shows these variables are Research support shows these variables are not capable of explaining or predicting most not capable of explaining or predicting most of human aggressionof human aggression

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