PSYC 241 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Social Learning Theory, Sympathetic Nervous System, Prefrontal Cortex
5 Dec 2016
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Physical or verbal behaviour intended to hurt someone. Hostile aggression: anger-driven; its goal is to harm, e. g. murders. Instrumental aggression: aims to injure as a means to some other end, e. g. Instinct theory and evolutionary psychology: freud and lorenz: aggression is instinctive behaviour (innate and universal) Needs to be discharged or will build up until it explodes. This theory fails to account for variation in aggressiveness: aggression is adaptive. It improves the odds of survival and reproduction, and affirms status. Neural influences: certain areas in the brain facilitate aggression, the prefrontal cortex acts like a brake on brain areas involved in aggressive behaviour, abnormal brains can contribute to abnormally aggressive behaviour. Genetic influences: genetics influence the reactivity of our sympathetic nervous system, and thus, our temperaments, genes predispose us to be more/less sensitive and responsive to maltreatment. Biochemical influences: blood chemistry influences neural sensitivity to aggressive stimulation, alcohol enhances aggressiveness. It reduces self-awareness because people focus on provocation.
