PSYC 105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Execution By Firing Squad, Observer-Expectancy Effect, Social Learning Theory
23 May 2018
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Aggression
Aggression
• A cat kills a mouse
• A doctor gives a shot to a child
• Tennis player smashes the racket after missing a shot
• Boy Scout tries to help an old lady, but trips her by mistake • A firing
squad executes a prisoner
• Definition of Aggression
• Any behavior directed against another living thing intended to harm or
injure • Emotional: provoked by pain
– aka Hostile aggression
• Instrumental: means to an end
Hostile Cognitive Biases
• Perceptions more important • Hostile Attribution Bias
• Hostile Perception Bias • Hostile Expectation Bias
Reducing Aggression
• Emotional: distract the person
• Instrumental: change the models, rewards, punishments, etc. that
influence the aggression
Traits Associated with Aggression • Irritability
• Rumination
• Emotional susceptibility
Explaining Aggression
• Intention
• Zillman and Cantor (1976)
– Ss. insulted by rude student-experimenter – Told student was anxious
about an exam – Reacted with less anger
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• Theories of Aggression
• Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis (Dollard et al., 1939) • Frustration
→ Aggression
– Displacement
• Berkowitz (1989)
– Negative affect is a precursor
– Anger, pain, or any other irritation
Priming Aggression
• Ss. primed with hostile words interpreted an ambiguous story as more
hostile than those participants who viewed neutral words
• Misinterpreted arousal?
Geen (1968)
• Ss were given a pill and read a sexually explicit story
• Confederate distracted them with electric shocks
• Experimenter misdirected their arousal
• Ss attributing their arousal to the shocks shocked the confederate more
Social Learning Theory
• Bandura (1973, 1977, 1983)
• Details how individuals can learn aggressive behavior
– Environmental focus • Basic belief is modeling
– rewards increase occurrence
– demonstrated in animals and people
• Learn by observing others and imitating their behavior
• Aggressive models show us it is acceptable to act aggressively in
particular situations
• “Bobo Doll” Study • Rewards for Humans
• Primary Reinforcers (unlearned) – Food, drink, sex
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Aka hostile aggression: instrumental: means to an end. Hostile cognitive biases: perceptions more important hostile attribution bias, hostile perception bias hostile expectation bias. Reducing aggression: emotional: distract the person, instrumental: change the models, rewards, punishments, etc. that influence the aggression. Traits associated with aggression irritability: rumination, emotional susceptibility. Explaining aggression: intention, zillman and cantor (1976) Ss. insulted by rude student-experimenter told student was anxious about an exam reacted with less anger: theories of aggression, frustration-aggression hypothesis (dollard et al. , 1939) frustration. Geen (1968: ss were given a pill and read a sexually explicit story, confederate distracted them with electric shocks, experimenter misdirected their arousal, ss attributing their arousal to the shocks shocked the confederate more. Social learning theory: bandura (1973, 1977, 1983, details how individuals can learn aggressive behavior. Environmental focus basic belief is modeling. Singer & singer (1980: kids & violent tv, children who watched more aggressive tv behaved most aggressively.
