Aggression

1
Aggression
2
Origins of Aggressive Behavior
I. Instinct (Freud) A. Catharsis hypothesis
(Feshbach) II. Social Learning (Modeling) A.
Television violence 1. Disinhibition (Liefer
Roberts) 2. Desensitization (Linz et al., 1989)
B. Punishment of children 1. Identification
with the oppressor (Freud) 2. Delinquent boys
(Bandura Walters) .
3
Expression of Aggression
I. Aggression results from a drive state A.
Dollard Miller (Frustration-Aggression) B.
Berkowitz (Modified F-A Hypothesis) 1. Cues with
aggressive value II. Arousal and Aggression A.
Sexual arousal B. Alcohol C. Physical
activity III. Information processing A.
Zillmann (Excitation Transfer misattribution
of the source of arousal)
4
Origins of Aggressive Behavior
I. Instinct (Freud) A. Catharsis hypothesis
(Feshbach) II. Social Learning (Modeling) A.
Television violence 1. Disinhibition (Liefer
Roberts) 2. Desensitization (Linz et al., 1989)
B. Punishment of children 1. Identification
with the oppressor (Freud) 2. Delinquent boys
(Bandura Walters) .
5
Origins of Aggressive Behavior
I. Instinct (Freud) A. Catharsis hypothesis
(Feshbach) II. Social Learning (Modeling) A.
Television violence 1. Disinhibition (Liefer
Roberts) 2. Desensitization (Linz et al., 1989)
B. Punishment of children 1. Identification
with the oppressor (Freud) 2. Delinquent boys
(Bandura Walters) .
6
Origins of Aggressive Behavior
I. Instinct (Freud) A. Catharsis hypothesis
(Feshbach) II. Social Learning (Modeling) A.
Television violence 1. Disinhibition (Liefer
Roberts) 2. Desensitization (Linz et al., 1989)
B. Punishment of children 1. Identification
with the oppressor (Freud) 2. Delinquent boys
(Bandura Walters) .
7
Origins of Aggressive Behavior
I. Instinct (Freud) A. Catharsis hypothesis
(Feshbach) II. Social Learning (Modeling) A.
Television violence 1. Disinhibition (Liefer
Roberts) 2. Desensitization (Linz et al., 1989)
B. Punishment of children 1. Identification
with the oppressor (Freud) 2. Delinquent boys
(Bandura Walters) .
8
Milgram Shotland

• Support of CBS
• Created version of Medical Center
• Varied consequences in TV show (punished,
  rewarded, no consequences, no anti-social model)
• Frustrated subjects or not
• RESULTS nothing

9
Origins of Aggressive Behavior
I. Instinct (Freud) A. Catharsis hypothesis
(Feshbach) II. Social Learning (Modeling) A.
Television violence 1. Disinhibition (Liefer
Roberts) 2. Desensitization (Linz et al., 1989)
B. Punishment of children 1. Identification
with the oppressor (Freud) 2. Delinquent boys
(Bandura Walters) .
10
Leifer Roberts

• IV Watching violent TV shows or not
• DV What is likelihood of violent response?
• Situation given
• Kids are calling you names what do you do?
• Choice of responses given
• Call names back
• Get an adult
• Hit them
• etc.

11
Leifer Roberts

• All pairs of responses given
• Position of hitting in response hierarchy
  determined for each child

12
Origins of Aggressive Behavior
I. Instinct (Freud) A. Catharsis hypothesis
(Feshbach) II. Social Learning (Modeling) A.
Television violence 1. Disinhibition (Liefer
Roberts) 2. Desensitization (Linz et al., 1989)
B. Punishment of children 1. Identification
with the oppressor (Freud) 2. Delinquent boys
(Bandura Walters) .
13
Linz, Donnerstein, Adams (1989)

• Subjects shown two-hour video, either
• scenes of violence against women (slasher movies
  Tool Box Murders The Prowler Nightmare)
• exciting, non-violent (auto race nonviolent sex)
• DV shown violent dependent measure film clip
• RESULTS Subjects in violent viewing condition
  had significantly lower heart rates during
  dependent measure film clip

14
TV Violence Viewing and Aggressive Behavior are
correlated

• What are three possible explanations for this
  correlation?
• TV violence ---gt Aggression
• Aggressive people ---gt Watch violent TV
• Third variable (e.g., class) causes both

15
TV Violence Viewing and Aggressive Behavior are
correlated
Aggressive behavior
Social class
Violent TV watching
16
Huesman--22 year studyCross-lag Panel Correlation
TV violence TV Violence Aggression Aggressi
on
Time 1 Time 2 (8 years old) (30 years old)
17
Huesman--22 year studyCross-lag Panel Correlation
TV violence TV Violence Aggression Aggressi
on
Larger over time correlation
Time 1 Time 2 (8 years old) (30 years old)
18
Origins of Aggressive Behavior
I. Instinct (Freud) A. Catharsis hypothesis
(Feshbach) II. Social Learning (Modeling) A.
Television violence 1. Disinhibition (Liefer
Roberts) 2. Desensitization (Linz et al., 1989)
B. Punishment of children 1. Identification
with the oppressor (Freud) 2. Delinquent boys
(Bandura Walters) .
19
Origins of Aggressive Behavior
I. Instinct (Freud) A. Catharsis hypothesis
(Feshbach) II. Social Learning (Modeling) A.
Television violence 1. Disinhibition (Liefer
Roberts) 2. Desensitization (Linz et al., 1989)
B. Punishment of children 1. Identification
with the oppressor (Freud) 2. Delinquent boys
(Bandura Walters) .
20
Origins of Aggressive Behavior
I. Instinct (Freud) A. Catharsis hypothesis
(Feshbach) II. Social Learning (Modeling) A.
Television violence 1. Disinhibition (Liefer
Roberts) 2. Desensitization (Linz et al., 1989)
B. Punishment of children 1. Identification
with the oppressor (Freud) 2. Delinquent boys
(Bandura Walters) .
21
Bandura Walters

• Interviews with 52 adolescent boys and their
  parents 26 antisocial 26 control
• In delinquent boys
• Fathers punished sons for aggression more
• Controlled aggression within the home
• Greater aggression (verbal and physical) outside
  the home
• Greater hostility toward fathers

22
Modeling Effect of Using Physical Punishment

• Teaching children that it is legitimate to use
  violence to try to change someone elses behavior
  that you dont like, particularly if you are
  bigger and stronger than they are.

23
When would you need to use physical punishment?

• Running in traffic?
• Jack Embry, psychologist in Arizona, did study
  for AAA Traffic Safety Foundation
• Punishment for many kids actually increased kids
  running in traffic to get attention
• Young children need to be protected and be in a
  safe environment

24
Unintended Consequences of physical punishment

• Not always successful in changing behavior
• Teaches children to be violent and to accept
  violence as a part of life
• Creates fear, anger, helplessness in child
• Teaches wrong moral lesson (Kohlberg)
• Can actually increase misbehavior
• Reduces childrens self-esteem
• Children can habituate to it resulting in
  parents escalating to more serious abuse

25
Alternatives to Physical Punishment

• Not using physical punishment does not mean that
  inappropriate behavior has no consequences
• Younger children
• Time out Expressing disapproval, disappointment
• Reinforcing desired behavior
• Older kids (and should start at an early age)
• Active listening
• Negotiation

26
Boston Globe April 19, 2000
27
Expression of Aggression
I. Aggression results from a drive state A.
Dollard Miller (Frustration-Aggression) B.
Berkowitz (Modified F-A Hypothesis) 1. Cues with
aggressive value II. Arousal and Aggression A.
Sexual arousal B. Alcohol C. Physical
activity III. Information processing A.
Zillmann (Excitation Transfer misattribution
of the source of arousal)
28
Expression of Aggression
I. Aggression results from a drive state A.
Dollard Miller (Frustration-Aggression) B.
Berkowitz (Modified F-A Hypothesis) 1. Cues with
aggressive value II. Arousal and Aggression A.
Sexual arousal B. Alcohol C. Physical
activity III. Information processing A.
Zillmann (Excitation Transfer misattribution
of the source of arousal)
29
Expression of Aggression
I. Aggression results from a drive state A.
Dollard Miller (Frustration-Aggression) B.
Berkowitz (Modified F-A Hypothesis) 1. Cues with
aggressive value II. Arousal and Aggression A.
Sexual arousal B. Alcohol C. Physical
activity III. Information processing A.
Zillmann (Excitation Transfer misattribution
of the source of arousal)
30
Expression of Aggression
I. Aggression results from a drive state A.
Dollard Miller (Frustration-Aggression) B.
Berkowitz (Modified F-A Hypothesis) 1. Cues with
aggressive value II. Arousal and Aggression A.
Sexual arousal B. Alcohol C. Physical
activity III. Information processing A.
Zillmann (Excitation Transfer misattribution
of the source of arousal)
31
(No Transcript)
32
Expression of Aggression
I. Aggression results from a drive state A.
Dollard Miller (Frustration-Aggression) B.
Berkowitz (Modified F-A Hypothesis) 1. Cues with
aggressive value II. Arousal and Aggression A.
Sexual arousal B. Alcohol C. Physical
activity III. Information processing A.
Zillmann (Excitation Transfer misattribution
of the source of arousal)
33
Expression of Aggression
I. Aggression results from a drive state A.
Dollard Miller (Frustration-Aggression) B.
Berkowitz (Modified F-A Hypothesis) 1. Cues with
aggressive value II. Arousal and Aggression A.
Sexual arousal B. Alcohol C. Physical
activity III. Information processing A.
Zillmann (Excitation Transfer misattribution
of the source of arousal)
34
Expression of Aggression
I. Aggression results from a drive state A.
Dollard Miller (Frustration-Aggression) B.
Berkowitz (Modified F-A Hypothesis) 1. Cues with
aggressive value II. Arousal and Aggression A.
Sexual arousal B. Alcohol C. Physical
activity III. Information processing A.
Zillmann (Excitation Transfer misattribution
of the source of arousal)
35
Expression of Aggression
I. Aggression results from a drive state A.
Dollard Miller (Frustration-Aggression) B.
Berkowitz (Modified F-A Hypothesis) 1. Cues with
aggressive value II. Arousal and Aggression A.
Sexual arousal B. Alcohol C. Physical
activity III. Information processing A.
Zillmann (Excitation Transfer misattribution
of the source of arousal)
36
Curvilinear relationship of arousal and aggression

• Moderate arousal inhibits aggression
• High arousal facilitates aggression

Aggression
AROUSAL Control Moderate
High
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Expression of Aggression
I. Aggression results from a drive state A.
Dollard Miller (Frustration-Aggression) B.
Berkowitz (Modified F-A Hypothesis) 1. Cues with
aggressive value II. Arousal and Aggression A.
Sexual arousal B. Alcohol C. Physical
activity III. Information processing A.
Zillmann (Excitation Transfer misattribution
of the source of arousal)
38
Zillmann--Excitation Transfer

• Subjects aroused (rode bicycles and provoked
  (given unjustified shocks)
• Then insults administered after bicycle riding
• Subjects get opportunity to shock person who
  insulted them
• Aggression at provoking agent less immediately
  after bike riding than if sometime later

39
Misattribution of arousal

• Excitation Transfer
• Excited in situation A
• Arousal transferred to situation B
• If provoked, individuals mislabel the arousal
  they have, and attribute it to the provocation

40
Conclusion

• Factors that increase aggressiveness
• Violent television
• Punitive child rearing
• Availability of guns
• Aggressive cues increase likelihood of
  aggressiveness
• Misattribution of arousal can also play a role