PSYC 215 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Hit By Pitch, Relational Aggression, Construals

• School: McGill University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 215
• Professor: Mark Baldwin

Document Summary

Stable relations between groups can turn to aggression: Hostile aggression = behaviour intended to harm another, either physically or psychologically, and motivated by feelings of anger and hostility. Instrumental aggression = behaviour intended to harm another on the service of motives other than pure hostility (such as attracting attention, acquiring wealth, or advancing political or ideological causes). Many acts of aggression involve a mix of hostile and instrumental motives. (football player intentionally harms another = agressivity or to get a reputation for fearless, to help his team win, etc. ) Aggression is not only for sociopaths, but situations give rise or release people"s aggressive tendencies. Biological factors predispose people to act aggressively (testosterone, neural connection densities) Anger raises the temperature of the body + accelerate heart rate. Research found that # of hot days = strong predictor of elevated violent crime rates (but not nonviolent crime rates). People are also more violent during hot months than during cooler months.