Methodology of Aggression

How to study Aggression?• Real-world

• Advantages• Naturally occurring• No experimenter bias

• Disadvantages• Dangerous• Unethical• No cause-and-effect

• Laboratory• Advantages – flip side of above• Disadvantages – flip side of above

Can we ask about aggression?• Archival

• Advantage • Bias free - experimenter

• Disadvantage• Bias – original purpose/coder• Not collected for researchers purpose

• Verbal (self, other, personality, state, trait)• Advantage

• Bias free (subject) if unaware, no social desirability• Measuring what is inappropriate, culturally discouraged

• Disadvantage• Bias from respondent can occur

Can we observe aggression?• Naturalistic Observations

• Advantages• Actual aggression• Naturally occurring context

• Disadvantages• Not very common• Need to eliminate research bias• Difficult to code

• Naturalistic INTERACTIONS• Advantages

• Same as above• Disadvantages

• No longer same as above• But now… Ethical?

Do we need causation?• Causation?

• Laboratory Observations• Behavior• Verbal• Pain – five senses

Experiment

Correlation v. Causation

Depressed Mood Impaired Sleep

Depressed Mood Impaired Sleep

Family Conflict

Depressed Mood Impaired Sleep

Cause?

Cause?

Cause?

Cause?

Apply what we have learned

• Does watching violent TV make children aggressive?• How would you conduct a correlational study

testing this research question? • How would you conduct an experimental study

testing this research questions?

Do we need causation?• Causation?

• Laboratory Observations• Behavior• Verbal• Pain – five senses