Aggression-**Baron: lecturing on aggression- detected a smug indifferenceoConvinced there is more to it then what we generally perceiveo**Definition: behavior directed toward the goal of harming another living being who ismotivated to avoid such treatmentoAggression is a behavior (not an emotion, need, motive, belief, or attitude<-- could lead to aggression)-Observable action --> thinking about is not aggression [i.e. I wanted to kill my boss]oAggression: intent to harmoAggression --> directed toward live recipientoVictim is motivated to avoid aggression -Theories of AggressionoHostile & Instrumental Aggression-Hostile aggression: aggression stemming from feelings of anger & aimed at inflicting pain-Instrumental aggression: aggression as a means to come goal other than causingpain [means to an end]oDrive Theories: aggression helps to reduce drive state (frustration)-Instinct Theory (Freud)Eros (life instinct) vs. Thanatos (death instinct)Catharsis: invest energy into an object or event --> emotional release that stops aggression -Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis** (might ask question for exam, more than likely from the text book)Frustration always elicits the motive to become aggressiveAll aggression is caused by frustration**Displacement: aggression against a substitute target will stop frustrationoSocial Learning (Bandura)-Aggression= Imitated form of social behavior-Modeling: behaviors that are learned or copied from real or symbolic models-** Bandura, Ross & Ross (1961) "Bobo Doll" study-Some cultures teach non-violent behavioroFactors that influence aggression-Biochemical FactorsSerotonin: brain chemical that may inhibit aggressive impulses-***violent criminals have low serotonin levels (Davidson, Putnam & Larson, 2000)-Tryptophan: amino acid that produces serotonin in the brain (depletion of tryptophan produces an increase in aggression in humans)Testosterone: hormone linked w/aggressionXYY Syndrome: 1 in 1,000 male babies have extra Y chromosome-15 in about 1,000 male criminals in prison where found to have XYY-Direct ProvocationLex Talion: (Exodus 21:22-25) Hebraic law of physical retaliation based on reciprocityVerbal provocation (insults) can trigger aggression just like physical provocationAttributions often act as a mediator between provocation & aggression-Use social judgments of other people to decide whether or not to become aggressive-Mitigating Information: situational info that indicates If a person should or should not be held responsible for their actions-Is this person really responsible for this behavior?-NGRI (not guilty by reason of insanity) & self-defense pleas: Person is not legally responsible for aggression-NGRI is very rarely used-Gender DifferencesForensic statistics (men are 10 times more likely to be arrested for violent crimes)Boys tend to exhibit overt aggression (hitting, kicking); girls end to show covert aggression (gossiping, back stabbing, spreading false rumors)Provocation & gender-Early research -> men are always more aggressive than women (no provocation)-If provoked, women will react almost as aggressively as men-Provocation depends on interpretation (men see road rage as personal insult, women don't)Aggression & the victim's gender-Damned woman driver effect: women receive more honks than men (from both female & male drivers)-Line cutting -> both females & males are aggressive to a female line cutter-General ArousalExcitation Transfer Theory: arousal generated in one context may transfer & intensify a subsequent emotional state-If you create a situation that creates excitation or arousal, and atrigger arises, the arousal transfers over to the trigger-Roller coaster experiment: post roller coaster ride, grad student insults individual that comes off the roller coaster, given the right trigger, the excitation will transfer to another context, [hit the insulter]-Sporting events; players, post-game aggression against insulting fan, bar fights- stimulating environment -Environmental FactorsCertain things in the environment that causes aggression [higher environmental pollution, noise pollution, temperature-->higher rate of aggression]Long-Hot Summer effect: as temperature increases in urban settings, alltypes of violent crimes also increase-Amygdala, close to insula --> close to each other interplayNegative Affect Theory: (Baron): noxious stimuli (noise, heat, crowding) causes a negative emotional response that may increase aggressive behavior-As temperature increased, aggression gives way to escape or fatigue-Later research challenged this idea (won't be on exam)-Model of Incompatible Responses: some behaviors are mutually exclusive (engaging in one behavior precludes engaging in an opposite behavior)Humor is incompatible with anger & should therefore decrease aggression-Non-hostile humorAlso may be true for empathy & mild sexual arousal ***text book, porn & aggression, violent porn desensitize individual to violence? Video games & desensitizing?**** (multiple choice question)-***[essay] DE individuation: a state of anonymity that may produce a decrease in inhibition against deviant behaviorDifferent levels"the shadow" of human nature comes out, 'the voices of consciousness quite'Zimbardo (1970) --> DE individuation & aggression-Shock by participants-Appearance--> kkk looking, normal, or highly individuated state (had a sign with their name, home address & phone number)-People highly DE individuated gave high rates of shock, people highly individuated reluctant to give shock-Cyber bullying**DE individuation = decrease in private self-consciousness (person is focused on victim)Aggression against an unidentified victim -Always easier to aggress against somebody if you can't see them suffer [drive by shootings]-Distance makes a differenceBaiting behavior: crowd encourages aggression ** Mann(1981): 21 cases of subjects contemplating suicide (buildings mostly) 10 out of 21 cases, crowd gathers to encourage individual to commit suicide-Archival research (Newspaper accounts on NY Times)-When does baiting behavior increase?-3 characteristics that all 10 cases shared-During evening hours-If person was between the 6th & 12th floors of a building-The further up the more dehumanized/depersonalized-During the summer months-SimilarityResearch subjects are