PSYC 2120 Lecture Notes - Chemical Substance, Amygdala
15 Apr 2013
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Document Summary
Aggression is an intentional behaviour aimed at causing either physical or psychological pain. Hostile aggression is an act of aggression stemming from feelings of anger and aimed at inflicting pain. Instrumental aggression, aggression as a means to some goal other than causing pain. For example, in a professional football game, a defensive lineman will usually do whatever it takes to thwart his opponent (the blocker) and tackle the ball carrier. Sigmund freud, who theorized that human beings are born with an instinct toward life, which he called eros, and an equally powerful death instinct, thanatos, which leads to aggressive actions. Freud believed that aggressive energy must come out somehow, lest it continue to build up and produce illness. Also according to freud, society performs an essential function in regulating this instinct and in helping people to sublimate it, that is, to turn the destructive energy into acceptable or useful behaviour.
