I Want You to Stop the Killing in the City. People Is Dead and I Think That Somebody

Aggression

Dear Mr. Clinton,April 29, 1994

I want you to stop the killing in the city. People is dead and I think that somebody

might kill me. So would you please stop the people from deading. I’m asking you

nicely to stop it. I know you can do it. Do it. I know you could. Your friend, James.

James was killed in a drive by shooting on May 8th, 1994. He was 9-years-old

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

•Instrumental: means to an end

Reducing Aggression

•Emotional: distract the person

•Instrument: change the models, rewards, punishments, etc. that influence the aggression

Explaining Aggression

•Intention

•Zillman and Cantor (1976)

–Pts. insulted by graduate student

–Told student was anxious about an exam

–Reacted with less anger

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

•Pts. primed with hostile words interpreted an ambiguous story as more hostile than those participants who viewed neutral words

•Misinterpreted arousal?

Geen (1968)

•Pts were given a pill and read a sexually explicit story

•Confederate distracted them with electric shocks

•Experimenter misdirected their arousal

•Pts 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

•Secondary Reinforcers (learned)

–Money, material goods, and social status

Singer & Singer (1980)

•Kids & Violent TV

•Children who watched more aggressive TV behaved most aggressively

•Learning to act aggressively:

–by viewing others & by being rewarded for acting in an aggressive manner

Parke et al. (1977)

•Boys Camp Study

•Pts watched aggressive or non-aggressive films for a week

•Pts who viewed violent film were more violent in their subsequent behavior

Gender Differences

•Sexes differ on physical aggression

–Men: aggression that produces pain

–More pronounced in children

•Very similar in verbal aggression and in expressing feelings of anger

Indirect Aggression

•Intent is to harm without face-to-face encounter

•Bjorkqvist et al. (1992): Finland Girls

–Girls use more indirect aggression

Berkowitz (1984): Violent TV

•Pts watched a brutal boxing match or a non-violent foot race

•Given opportunity to shock another student as part of a learning expt.

–College boxer or speech major

•Pts who viewed boxing match were more aggressive toward the boxer

Cues to Aggression

•Berkowitz & LePage (1967)

–“Gun vs. Badminton Racket” Study

–“Toy Gun & Blocks” Study

•Josephson (1987)

–“SWAT Walkie-Talkie” Study

Aggressive Scripts

•Prominent source comes from the family

•Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz (1977)

–Abused kids tend to become abusive parents

–Kids seeing their parents fight are more likely to become abusers in marriage

Male-Female Aggression

•Marital rape

–Varies from 6% to 37%

–Instrumental aggression

•Husband’s aggression is reinforced through sexual gratification

Sex and Pornography

•Significant correlation between pornography and sexual fantasies that incorporate violence

•Court (1980)

–Legalization of pornography in Australia was related to an increase in the incidence of rape

Pornography and Violence

•Zillmann & Bryant (1984)

•Men & women watched 18 or 36 nonviolent X-rated films over 6-weeks

•Prior exposure to X-rated films = less aggression in response to provocation by same sex confederate than control group

Pornography and Violence

•Violent pornography increases aggression1. High arousal2. Negative emotional reactions3. Aggressive thoughts

•Donnerstein & Berkowitz (1981, 1987)

R-Rated Sexually Violent Films

•Men report:

–greater acceptance of interpersonal violence toward women

–greater acceptance of rape myths

•Women report:

–declined ratings on both scales

Alcohol

•Alcohol has positive effects

–relaxation

–tension reduction

–social lubricant

–even increases helping, altruism

Alcohol and Rape

•Campbell & Richardson (1982)

•Pts read about an acquaintance rape

•varied male and female drinking

•offender held more responsible if sober

•victim held more responsible if drinking