PSYO 252 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Social Learning Theory, Cyberbullying, Reinforcement
6 Jun 2018
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March 26th, 2018 – Aggression
• Wrongful Convictions in North America
o 75% on convictions are based on eyewitness identification
▪ 25% were other factors
• What is Aggression?
o Aggression is defined as behavior that is intended to harm another individual
▪ Can be physical, emotional, verbal, etc.
o Examples?
▪ Ie. If you intend to punch someone, but miss – that is aggression because there
was intent
▪ Ie. If you got drunk and got in your car and ran over someone – this is not
aggression because you never intended to harm the individual
o Violence refers to extreme acts of aggression
• Types of Aggression
o Proactive Aggression (instrumental): Harm is inflicted as a means to a desired end
▪ Hitmen
▪ Examples
• War (take property, take earnings)
• Both a hitman and the one who hired them would be responsible
o Reactive Aggression (emotional): Harm is inflicted for its own sake (outburst)
▪ No premeditation
▪ Examples
• Bar fight, hissy fit
• Culture and Aggression
o Cultures differ with respect to:
▪ The forms that aggression typically takes
▪ Peoples attitudes toards arious kids of aggressio
• Figure 11.3 – Gun Related Murders in the Developed World
• Table 11.1 – The Violent Crime Clock
o During our 3 hour lecture that will average out to:
▪ 5 murders, 40 rapes, 254 aggravate assaults, and 410 violent crimes in the USA
• North American Gun Culture
o Teachers in K-12 Classes
▪ 39 states prohibit teachers from bringing firearms to K-12 school. However,
most of those 39 states allow teachers to bring firearms, if they are granted
permission from their schools (school boards)
▪ Trump proposing federal law to permit teachers to carry handguns
• If this law is passed, the the shool oard aot sa o to alloig
handguns in schools
o For the record, the police and military do not permit weapons in their classrooms
• Table 11.2 – Introduction of cultures who have zero tolerance for aggression
• Gender Differences in Aggression
o Universal finding that men are more violent (extreme forms of aggression) than women
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▪ Difference stables over time an place
▪ Females often are more indirectly aggressive
• Talkig ehid peoples ak: Bett is suh a *th
• Gender Difference in Aggression May Depend on your Definition
o There is no clear sex difference in reporting feelings of anger, but HUGE sex difference in
expression of anger
▪ Women feel it at the same level as men, but have been socialized not to express
it the same way (same with men and sadness/crying)
• The Role of Testosterone
o Initial confidence in a link between testosterone and aggression is weaker and less
reliable than expected
o Research shows that people with higher testosterone tend to be more selfless
▪ Not aggressive
• The Role of Serotonin
o The neurotransmitter serotonin appears to restrain impulsive acts of aggression
▪ Low levels of serotonin associated with high levels of aggression
▪ Boosting serotonin can dampen aggressiveness
• Puttig iolet people o ““‘Is (Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
in prison decreases their aggressiveness
• The Struggle for Self-Control
o How does alcohol increase aggression?
▪ Alcohol reduces anxiety, which lowers inhibitions against aggression
▪ Intoxication causes alcohol myopia (short-sightedness), a disruption in the way
we process information
• Aggression is even acceptable in a third-party setting if there has been alcohol consumed
• How Is Aggression Learned?
o Aggression can be positively as well as negatively reinforced
▪ Positive reinforcement: aggression produces desired outcomes
• Ie. You punch a guy in the head & steal his wallet
▪ Negative reinforcement: aggression presents or stops undesirable outcomes
• Ie. You punch a bully in the head & the bullying stops
• Social Learning Theory
o The theory that behavior is learned through the observation of others as well as through
the direct experience of rewards and punishments
o Bandura et at.s 96 Boo doll stud
o Consistent with the cycle of violence
o Nonaggressive models can reduce violence
o This has lead to research about intergenerational violence
• Corporal Punishment
o Positive correlation between corporal punishment and several categories of subsequent
antisocial behaviors
• Culture of Honor
o A culture of honor emphasizes honor and status, particularly for males, and the role of
aggression in protecting that honor
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find more resources at oneclass.com
