Instrumental Aggression Essay
Are Humans Innately Aggressive or Do We Learn To Be Aggressive?
013587
The debate on nature and nurture occurrence of aggression had been going on for centuries. Psychologist had not found any strong evidence supporting either one of the approach. Looking deeply into aggression, we can say that there are 2 main types of aggression, which are instrumental and hostile aggression (Peter Mitchell & Fenja Ziegler, 2013). Instrumental aggression is referring to someone acting aggressively to achieve a certain goal. Children fighting for a toy is an example of instrumental aggression. Whereas, if an individual act aggressively just to release his or her frustration, we can say that hostile aggression is expressed. One simple example of hostile …show more content…
aggression is parents abusing a child out of anger. As aggression is accountable for most of the violent crimes, pressure for researcher on finding the root of aggression increased in order to reduce crime rate in their country or even the world. By understanding aggression well, we can help to prevent one from behaving aggressively and who knows, we can even help them to avoid from committing crimes.
Psychologists had their own definition for aggression. Bandura (1973) defined aggression as a “behaviour that results in personal injury or destruction of property” (Michael A. Hogg & Graham M. Vaughan, 2011). Whereas, Scherer, Abeles & Fischer (1957) sees aggression as a “behaviour intend to harm another of the same species” (Michael A. Hogg & Graham M. Vaughan, 2011). According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, it defines aggression as “spoken or physical behaviour which is threatening or involves harm to someone or something” (Paul Procter. (Ed.), 2005). In short, aggression is referred as a behaviour expressed by an individual which will bring harm to others, physically or mentally alike. Innate aggression is referred to inherited and inevitable to aggression, whereas, learned aggression is referring to environmental or social factors causing an individual to behave aggressively (). Hence, psychologist siding innate aggression are finding biological evidence to support their hypothesis, whereas, psychologists who was on the nurtured side of aggression will be finding evidence about an individual imitating observed behaviour expressed by other individual.
Innate Aggression
Twins and Adoption Studies. In order to prove the validity of the innate aggression, some researcher had done some survey on twins and adopted children. The method used in the twins study is by comparing the consistency result between identical and non-identical twins. As most of the identical twins are sharing the same gene while non-identical twins has only up to 50% similarity in gene. If aggression was innate, then consistency in identical twins should be higher than non-identical twins. As expected, McGuffin and Gottesman (1985) found that the consistency of aggression shown on identical twins are 15% higher than aggression expressed on non-identical twins (Adam D. Clarke, 2011), which supported the innate aggression hypothesis. This conclusion is similar with the adoption study on children. Hutchings and Mednick (1973) had done a study of over 14000 adoptions in Denmark. They found that if adopted children with biological parents having violence crime record (especially father), then the child is more likely to be involved in violent crime though there is no violence record in their foster family (Adam D. Clarke, 2011). Although both studies had shown persuasive evidence towards innate aggression, it is important to note that in both studies, it is still impossible to wipe out the environmental factors acting on these studies as well. In the twins study, there is still high level of consistency of aggression occurring on non-identical twins. This is possible to think that there are other factor to be taken account in the twins study, the shared and non-shared environment where the twins grew up. On the other side, the adoption study had been done only in Denmark. The result obtained may occur bias as the sample used is limited to only one culture.
Biological Factors. Further explanation on the innate aggression is that human has gene that control aggression. It was found that a gene called monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) that is on the X chromosome have relationship on aggressive behaviour in human (Brunner HG, 1993). MAOA gene is responsible to produce MAOA enzyme that is accountable to break down neurotransmitter in the brain. An analysis on the X chromosome of 28 members of the Dutch family is done and Brunner found that male with defective MAOA gene have excessive level of neurotransmitter in their urine. This condition had led men to be predisposed to aggression. This study can also explain why men is more likely to be aggressive than women. But this study had a relatively small sample and larger sample should be included to make it more persuasive. However, it was found that the result of deficiency on this gene will take effect only when the individual was maltreated during childhood (Caspi & Moffitt, 2006). This study had found that if a child is maltreated and had a deficiency on MAOA gene, this child is nine times more likely to grow up to be aggressive than those who have not been maltreated. This suggests that unpleasant childhood experience triggers aggressive behaviour. This finding is consistent with the ‘Diathesis Stress Model’ which suggests that genetically predisposed aggressive can only be manifested when it is triggered by environmental factors (Emma Dixon, 2012). This research had successfully gain worldwide attention as the result from this study can help us to come out with a way to cope aggression, which is to prevent child abuse or maltreatment of children.
Learned Aggression
Social Learning Theory.
Whereas, the nurture approach claims that the deposition of aggression in human is mostly a learned behaviour. Albert Bandura comes up with the Social Learning Theory (1977), which states that “most human behaviour is learned observationally through modelling” (Kendra Cherry, 2013). Bandura and his colleagues had done the ‘Bobo Doll Experiment’ (Bandura, A., Ross, D & Ross, S.A., 1961). In this experiment, he picked 36 nursery school children randomly and divides them into 3 groups equally while placing them in 3 different rooms, each with a bobo doll in it. The first group is asked to observe adult playing aggressively with the bobo doll. The second group is exposed to adult playing peacefully with the bobo doll while the last group is not exposed to any adult. After that, they were allowed to play on their own in the same room and the third group show not much aggression in playing. As a result, the first group of children, both boys and girls, exert the most aggressive character while playing with the bobo doll. Whereas, the second and third groups played peacefully with the bobo doll. Result of this experiment had proved Bandura’s modelling hypothesis. However, since the bobo doll is not a human subject, it is difficult to relate the result with real life. We can even say that the child is just merely imitating the adult’s actions on the bobo doll instead of referring them as behaving aggressively, because to consider an action as a behaviour it has to be consistent and
long-term.
Operant Condition. B. F. Skinner (1953), a behaviourist, claims that our mind develops as a result of environmental influences (Richard J. Crisp and Rhiannon N. Turner, 2011). Behaviourist like him believes that human’s mind is in a ‘blank state’ when we are born, our mind then is developed by changes in the environment around us (Richard J. Crisp and Rhiannon N. Turner, 2011). They suggest that the process of learning can be observed when there is a change in behaviour. Skinner later developed the Operant Conditioning, saying that an “individual’s behaviour is a function of its consequences” (Brian Francis Redmond, 2013). Meaning that, to increase the possibility of a child repeating a behaviour, rewards should be given. Whereas, if we want to prevent the child from continuing a behaviour, punishment or removal of desirable outcome is encouraged. Hence, using this perspective, since aggressive is a behaviour, we can say that aggression can also be learned like any other behaviour expressed in human. When adult does not react appropriately on a child’s aggressive behaviour, the more likely that the child will learn to be more and more aggressive. Therefore, parents should learn how to teach their children in an appropriate manner so that their children will not grow up to be more and more aggressive.
Since the debate on innate and learned aggression seems like it is never going to come to an end, instead of insisting to find which approach is the only reason for aggression, I personally think that we should come to a conclusion whereby aggression is inherited in us and we are victims of it since born, but it is undeniable that environmental factors is the stimulus that triggers the aggression to be expressed on us. Meaning that that we may have genetic vulnerability towards aggression, but it does not cause us be aggressive, it is the environment that stimulates us to be aggressive. In short, I would say that aggression is the combination of both nature and nurture factors. Hence, before we can say that we should not be blame to be aggressive since it is in-born in human, I would say that we are still be responsible for our own act and think twice before we try to behave aggressively as we will still have to face the consequences of being aggressive. As stated in the Three Character Classic: “People at birth, are naturally good. Their natures are similar; their habits make them different”. If we grow up as an aggressive adult, it is not the gene to blame, instead it is ourselves to be blame for not restricting aggression in our life. We as human have the responsibility to learn to be civilized.
(1619 words)
Reference
1. Adam D. Clarke. (2011). Aggression. Retrieved November 8, 2013, from http://www.brain-freeze.co.uk/files/psyaggressionnotes.pdf
2. Bandura, A.; Ross, D.; Ross, S.A. (1961). Transmission of Aggression through Imitation of Aggressive Models. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 63 (3): 575-582.
3. Brian Francis Redmond. (2013). Reinforcement Theory. Retrieved October 17, 2013, from https://wikispaces.psu.edu/display/PSYCH484/3.+Reinforcement+Theory
4. Brunner HG. (1993). MAOA Deficiency and Abnormal Behaviour: Perspectives on an Association. England: John Wiley & Sons LTD.
5. Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T.E. (2006). Gene-environment Interactions in Psychiatry: Joining Forces with Neuroscience. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7, 583-590.
6. Emma Dixon. (2012). Discuss the Role of Genetic Factors in Aggression. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from http://survivingpsychology.blogspot.com/2012/09/psya3-role-of-genetics-in-aggression.html
7. Jen Taylor & Josh Nellist. (2005). Aggression. Retrieved November 7, 2013, from http://nazaggression.tripod.com/genes.html
8. Kendra Cherry. (2013) Social Learning Theory: An Overview of Bandura's Social Learning Theory. Retrieved November 8, 2013, from http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/sociallearning.htm
9. Michael A. Hogg & Graham M. Vaughan. (2011). Social Psychology. (6th ed., pp. 454). London: Pearson Education Limited.
10. Paul Procter. (Ed.). (2005). Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. (2nd ed., pp. 24) Singapore: Cambridge University Press.
11. Peter Mitchell & Fenja Ziegler. (2013). Fundamental of Developmental Psychology. (2nd ed., pp. 270). Hampshire: Psychology Press.
12. Richard J. Crip and Rhiannon N. Turner. (2011). Essential Social Psychology. (2nd ed., pp. 249). Great Britain: MPG Books Group.
http://www.slideshare.net/baileykeeler/aggression-3663359
013587
The debate on nature and nurture occurrence of aggression had been going on for centuries. Psychologist had not found any strong evidence supporting either one of the approach. Looking deeply into aggression, we can say that there are 2 main types of aggression, which are instrumental and hostile aggression (Peter Mitchell & Fenja Ziegler, 2013). Instrumental aggression is referring to someone acting aggressively to achieve a certain goal. Children fighting for a toy is an example of instrumental aggression. Whereas, if an individual act aggressively just to release his or her frustration, we can say that hostile aggression is expressed. One simple example of hostile …show more content…
aggression is parents abusing a child out of anger. As aggression is accountable for most of the violent crimes, pressure for researcher on finding the root of aggression increased in order to reduce crime rate in their country or even the world. By understanding aggression well, we can help to prevent one from behaving aggressively and who knows, we can even help them to avoid from committing crimes.
Psychologists had their own definition for aggression. Bandura (1973) defined aggression as a “behaviour that results in personal injury or destruction of property” (Michael A. Hogg & Graham M. Vaughan, 2011). Whereas, Scherer, Abeles & Fischer (1957) sees aggression as a “behaviour intend to harm another of the same species” (Michael A. Hogg & Graham M. Vaughan, 2011). According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, it defines aggression as “spoken or physical behaviour which is threatening or involves harm to someone or something” (Paul Procter. (Ed.), 2005). In short, aggression is referred as a behaviour expressed by an individual which will bring harm to others, physically or mentally alike. Innate aggression is referred to inherited and inevitable to aggression, whereas, learned aggression is referring to environmental or social factors causing an individual to behave aggressively (). Hence, psychologist siding innate aggression are finding biological evidence to support their hypothesis, whereas, psychologists who was on the nurtured side of aggression will be finding evidence about an individual imitating observed behaviour expressed by other individual.
Innate Aggression
Twins and Adoption Studies. In order to prove the validity of the innate aggression, some researcher had done some survey on twins and adopted children. The method used in the twins study is by comparing the consistency result between identical and non-identical twins. As most of the identical twins are sharing the same gene while non-identical twins has only up to 50% similarity in gene. If aggression was innate, then consistency in identical twins should be higher than non-identical twins. As expected, McGuffin and Gottesman (1985) found that the consistency of aggression shown on identical twins are 15% higher than aggression expressed on non-identical twins (Adam D. Clarke, 2011), which supported the innate aggression hypothesis. This conclusion is similar with the adoption study on children. Hutchings and Mednick (1973) had done a study of over 14000 adoptions in Denmark. They found that if adopted children with biological parents having violence crime record (especially father), then the child is more likely to be involved in violent crime though there is no violence record in their foster family (Adam D. Clarke, 2011). Although both studies had shown persuasive evidence towards innate aggression, it is important to note that in both studies, it is still impossible to wipe out the environmental factors acting on these studies as well. In the twins study, there is still high level of consistency of aggression occurring on non-identical twins. This is possible to think that there are other factor to be taken account in the twins study, the shared and non-shared environment where the twins grew up. On the other side, the adoption study had been done only in Denmark. The result obtained may occur bias as the sample used is limited to only one culture.
Biological Factors. Further explanation on the innate aggression is that human has gene that control aggression. It was found that a gene called monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) that is on the X chromosome have relationship on aggressive behaviour in human (Brunner HG, 1993). MAOA gene is responsible to produce MAOA enzyme that is accountable to break down neurotransmitter in the brain. An analysis on the X chromosome of 28 members of the Dutch family is done and Brunner found that male with defective MAOA gene have excessive level of neurotransmitter in their urine. This condition had led men to be predisposed to aggression. This study can also explain why men is more likely to be aggressive than women. But this study had a relatively small sample and larger sample should be included to make it more persuasive. However, it was found that the result of deficiency on this gene will take effect only when the individual was maltreated during childhood (Caspi & Moffitt, 2006). This study had found that if a child is maltreated and had a deficiency on MAOA gene, this child is nine times more likely to grow up to be aggressive than those who have not been maltreated. This suggests that unpleasant childhood experience triggers aggressive behaviour. This finding is consistent with the ‘Diathesis Stress Model’ which suggests that genetically predisposed aggressive can only be manifested when it is triggered by environmental factors (Emma Dixon, 2012). This research had successfully gain worldwide attention as the result from this study can help us to come out with a way to cope aggression, which is to prevent child abuse or maltreatment of children.
Learned Aggression
Social Learning Theory.
Whereas, the nurture approach claims that the deposition of aggression in human is mostly a learned behaviour. Albert Bandura comes up with the Social Learning Theory (1977), which states that “most human behaviour is learned observationally through modelling” (Kendra Cherry, 2013). Bandura and his colleagues had done the ‘Bobo Doll Experiment’ (Bandura, A., Ross, D & Ross, S.A., 1961). In this experiment, he picked 36 nursery school children randomly and divides them into 3 groups equally while placing them in 3 different rooms, each with a bobo doll in it. The first group is asked to observe adult playing aggressively with the bobo doll. The second group is exposed to adult playing peacefully with the bobo doll while the last group is not exposed to any adult. After that, they were allowed to play on their own in the same room and the third group show not much aggression in playing. As a result, the first group of children, both boys and girls, exert the most aggressive character while playing with the bobo doll. Whereas, the second and third groups played peacefully with the bobo doll. Result of this experiment had proved Bandura’s modelling hypothesis. However, since the bobo doll is not a human subject, it is difficult to relate the result with real life. We can even say that the child is just merely imitating the adult’s actions on the bobo doll instead of referring them as behaving aggressively, because to consider an action as a behaviour it has to be consistent and
long-term.
Operant Condition. B. F. Skinner (1953), a behaviourist, claims that our mind develops as a result of environmental influences (Richard J. Crisp and Rhiannon N. Turner, 2011). Behaviourist like him believes that human’s mind is in a ‘blank state’ when we are born, our mind then is developed by changes in the environment around us (Richard J. Crisp and Rhiannon N. Turner, 2011). They suggest that the process of learning can be observed when there is a change in behaviour. Skinner later developed the Operant Conditioning, saying that an “individual’s behaviour is a function of its consequences” (Brian Francis Redmond, 2013). Meaning that, to increase the possibility of a child repeating a behaviour, rewards should be given. Whereas, if we want to prevent the child from continuing a behaviour, punishment or removal of desirable outcome is encouraged. Hence, using this perspective, since aggressive is a behaviour, we can say that aggression can also be learned like any other behaviour expressed in human. When adult does not react appropriately on a child’s aggressive behaviour, the more likely that the child will learn to be more and more aggressive. Therefore, parents should learn how to teach their children in an appropriate manner so that their children will not grow up to be more and more aggressive.
Since the debate on innate and learned aggression seems like it is never going to come to an end, instead of insisting to find which approach is the only reason for aggression, I personally think that we should come to a conclusion whereby aggression is inherited in us and we are victims of it since born, but it is undeniable that environmental factors is the stimulus that triggers the aggression to be expressed on us. Meaning that that we may have genetic vulnerability towards aggression, but it does not cause us be aggressive, it is the environment that stimulates us to be aggressive. In short, I would say that aggression is the combination of both nature and nurture factors. Hence, before we can say that we should not be blame to be aggressive since it is in-born in human, I would say that we are still be responsible for our own act and think twice before we try to behave aggressively as we will still have to face the consequences of being aggressive. As stated in the Three Character Classic: “People at birth, are naturally good. Their natures are similar; their habits make them different”. If we grow up as an aggressive adult, it is not the gene to blame, instead it is ourselves to be blame for not restricting aggression in our life. We as human have the responsibility to learn to be civilized.
(1619 words)
Reference
1. Adam D. Clarke. (2011). Aggression. Retrieved November 8, 2013, from http://www.brain-freeze.co.uk/files/psyaggressionnotes.pdf
2. Bandura, A.; Ross, D.; Ross, S.A. (1961). Transmission of Aggression through Imitation of Aggressive Models. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 63 (3): 575-582.
3. Brian Francis Redmond. (2013). Reinforcement Theory. Retrieved October 17, 2013, from https://wikispaces.psu.edu/display/PSYCH484/3.+Reinforcement+Theory
4. Brunner HG. (1993). MAOA Deficiency and Abnormal Behaviour: Perspectives on an Association. England: John Wiley & Sons LTD.
5. Caspi, A., & Moffitt, T.E. (2006). Gene-environment Interactions in Psychiatry: Joining Forces with Neuroscience. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7, 583-590.
6. Emma Dixon. (2012). Discuss the Role of Genetic Factors in Aggression. Retrieved October 30, 2013, from http://survivingpsychology.blogspot.com/2012/09/psya3-role-of-genetics-in-aggression.html
7. Jen Taylor & Josh Nellist. (2005). Aggression. Retrieved November 7, 2013, from http://nazaggression.tripod.com/genes.html
8. Kendra Cherry. (2013) Social Learning Theory: An Overview of Bandura's Social Learning Theory. Retrieved November 8, 2013, from http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/sociallearning.htm
9. Michael A. Hogg & Graham M. Vaughan. (2011). Social Psychology. (6th ed., pp. 454). London: Pearson Education Limited.
10. Paul Procter. (Ed.). (2005). Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. (2nd ed., pp. 24) Singapore: Cambridge University Press.
11. Peter Mitchell & Fenja Ziegler. (2013). Fundamental of Developmental Psychology. (2nd ed., pp. 270). Hampshire: Psychology Press.
12. Richard J. Crip and Rhiannon N. Turner. (2011). Essential Social Psychology. (2nd ed., pp. 249). Great Britain: MPG Books Group.
http://www.slideshare.net/baileykeeler/aggression-3663359