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Learning Objectives
To describe several theoretical perspectives on aggression. To examine several important determinants of human aggression.
AGGRESSION
What is Aggression?
Aggression is the intentional infliction of harm to others. Behavior directed toward the goal of harming another living being who is motivated to avoid such treatment. Aggression, in its broadest sense, is behavior, or a disposition, that is forceful, hostile or attacking
Sigmund Freud
Human violence stems from built-in (inherited) tendencies to aggress to others. Aggression stems mainly from a powerful death wish (Thanatos) possessed by all persons. This instinct is initially aimed at self-destruction but is soon redirected outward, toward others.
Konrad Lorenz
Aggression springs mainly from an inherited fighting instinct that human beings share with many other species.
Overt Aggression
General Affective Aggression Model (GAAM) a modern theory of aggression suggesting that
aggression is triggered by a wide range of input variables; these influence arousal, affective states and cognitions and other factors determine whether, and in what form, aggression occurs.
source of strong provocation; displaced aggression occurs because the person who perform it are unwilling or unable to aggress the initial source of provocation.
Hostile Aggression: Aggression in which the prime objective is inflicting Instrumental Aggression: Aggression in which the primary goal is not harm
to the victim but attainment of some other goal, such as access to valued resources. motives in others actions when these actions are ambiguous.
Hostile Attributional Bias: The tendency to perceive hostile intentions or Sexual Coercion: (One form of Aggression related to Gender). Large gender
differences exist with respect to one form of aggression: sexual coercion. Males are much more likely to engage in such behavior than are females.
Catharsis Hypothesis - The view that providing angry persons with an Incompatible response technique a technique for reducing
opportunity to express their aggressive impulses in relatively safe ways will reduce their tendencies to engage in more harmful forms of aggression. aggression in which individuals are exposed to events or stimuli that cause them to experience affective states incompatible with anger or aggression.
Aggression can be reduced by apologies admissions of wrongdoing that include a request for forgiveness and by engaging in activities that distract attention away from causes of anger. Aggression can also be reduced by exposure to non-aggressive models, training in social skills, and the induction of affective states incompatible with aggression.