User:Jenny O/Aggression

Aggression
Additional resource: Aggression keywords Aggression is an interesting and complex concept. It is important to note that aggression is a behaviour, it is not an affective or cognitive process, it involves an intent to harm (i.e., actual harm does not have to occur) and the victim wants to avoid that harm. Violence is a form of aggression with the intent of causing extreme harm (such as severe injury or death). Thus, all violence constitutes aggression, but not all aggression constitutes violence. Humans and animals perpetrate aggression as a social act, but human aggression can be restrained by cultural influences. Accordingly, aggression may be considered as social or antisocial behaviour depending on the context.

Both instinct and learning are thought to contribute to aggression in humans. Humans are believed to have innate aggressive impulses that developed during the course of evolution. From an evolutionary perspective (e.g., Lorenz) there are several benefits to aggression in animals and indeed humans who have evolved to live as social and cultural beings. These are: protection, defense for young, dispersion of individuals to decrease competition for resources, structuring animal society and establishing bonds.

According to Bandura's Social Learning Theory we can learn aggressive behaviours through processes such as modeling (see observational learning & Bandura’s classic Bobo doll study). However, and maybe more importantly, we are also able to learn to constrain (or encourage) aggression through cultural learning and socialisation.

A range of factors contributes to aggression and arise from inner, interpersonal and external sources:


 * Inner factors
 * Personality (Type A, ‘Big 5’: agreeableness & emotional stability, hostile attribution)
 * Cognitive biases (Hostile attribution, perception & expectation biases)
 * Frustration (Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis)
 * Unpleasant moods
 * Believing aggression placates anger (not anger per se)
 * Excitation transfer (misattribution of arousal)
 * Perpetrator’s gain < victim’s loss (magnitude gap)
 * Combined biological and social/cultural factors
 * Social immaturity (high rates in toddlers)
 * Gender/hormones (higher in young men)
 * Selfishness or narcissism
 * Disinhibition, wounded pride, lack of self-control


 * Interpersonal factors
 * Direct provocation or humiliation
 * Influence
 * Strong desire for reward
 * Perceived success of attainment
 * Disregard for morality or risk
 * Proximity to others (kin, relationships e.g., domestic violence, sibling aggression)


 * External factors
 * Relative deprivation (feeling disadvantaged relative to others)
 * Cues (e.g. weapons effect)
 * Mass media
 * Chemical influences (testosterone, serotonin, alcohol, nutrition)
 * Social & cultural norms (e.g. running amok)
 * Unpleasant environments:
 * Hot weather, odours, noise, crowding
 * Crowd behaviour: deindividuation, disinhibition
 * Emergent Norm Theory (crowd lacks clear norms: often results in antisocial behaviour)
 * Social Identity Theory (social identity derived from a group)

There are many aspects of human psyche (arising from one’s self-concept, self-esteem, self-presentation: e.g., conscience, self-control) and culture (e.g., rules, laws, mores) that enable us to restrain aggression. Although the sophisticated human brain and our ability to develop and engage in culture can distinguish us from other animals, it does not necessarily protect us from our own stupidity. Quite paradoxically, there are also aspects of our psyche and culture that clearly facilitate aggression. Unfortunately, as the textbook reminds us, it is only humans who have tools to increase aggression (weapons), kill for ideas (religion, honour, political ideals), engage in war, and develop substances (alcohol and other drugs) that increase aggression and violence.