Aggression is something that people will experience throughout life whether they are experiencing it directly or indirectly. Throughout the years, aggression has been studied in many different forms and ways. It ranges greatly and can range all the way from destructive behavior down to an insulting remark. Direct aggression would be referred to as a physical altercation or incident and indirect aggression would someone spreading gossip throughout a group of people Aggression comes in many different shapes and sizes. Defining the term aggression has been a major argument throughout the scientific community for many years. The most widely accepted definition of the term aggression was defined by Buss ( 1961: 1) as “a response that delivers noxious…
One social psychological theory of aggression is Bandura’s social learning theory, in which he combines both social and cognitive psychology in his social cognitive perspective of human behaviour. Bandura believed that behaviour was not only motivated by psychological factors but also by more socio-environmental factors. He argued that the individual and the environment were linked, something which he called reciprocal determinism. Bandura believed that the presence of a role model from whom behaviour could be imitated was the key part of the social learning theory, and that this role model would either be similar to the person imitating the behaviour (e.g. same age or gender) or is in a position of power (e.g. celebrities or parents). Despite this the individual imitating the behaviour still needs to have a level of self confidence in order to imitate, which Bandura referred to as self-efficacy.…
Bandura’s Social Learning Theory suggests that acts of aggression are learnt through the observation of role models. His original “Bobo Doll” study showed that when exposed to aggressive behaviour small children copied this behaviour, not just by being physically aggressive but even copying the verbally aggressive behaviour. However this study focuses on children who are supposed to learn in this manner, this doesn’t demonstrate that this would also be true in older children or adults who already have a set moral compass that would interfere with copying aggressive behaviours. However Bandura’s later study showed that if children saw someone get punished for aggressive behaviour they were less likely to be aggressive themselves when they were allowed to play with the bobo doll but if they saw someone get rewarded for this aggressive behaviour then they were much more likely to act aggressively themselves, this shows that vicarious reinforcement is important to the learning of aggression through the social learning theory, as receiving direct positive reinforcement leads to people having high self efficacy making them very likely to repeat the aggressive behaviour that they were rewarded for. In terms of aggression this reward could come in many forms such as acceptance from a violent gang they want to be a part of or just attention from a parent or teacher. Moreover, Walter and Thomas' study in 1963 further supported this theory as the results of the study demonstrated that aggressive behaviour was a result of imitation of role models. However, the social learning theory does not explain what triggers aggression. Additionally, the study emphasises nurture and learning through observation - ignoring nature and biological explanations.…
Deindividuation theory is a social psychological explanation of aggression. It explains how rational individuals can become aggressive hooligans in a mob or crowd as it suggests that losing their sense of identity and self awareness deindividuates people. Individuals in groups fail to see the consequences of their actions, and the social norms they would normally follow are forgotten and this is when aggressive behaviour occurs. Deindividuation causes people unquestioningly to follow group norms instead of personal norms and sometimes these group norms lead to aggression. According to Zimbardo, in a crowd we feel anonymous and unaccountable and thus are less concerned about negative evaluations by…
Explain and give examples of each type of cause. Which – inner, interpersonal, or external – do you think are most powerful? Why?…
The social learning theory is based on operant conditioning which suggests that children learn to be aggressive by observing the behaviour of those around them, particularly the behaviour of significant others, such as parents or elder siblings. By seeing others being rewarded or punished for their behaviour, the child experiences vicarious reinforcement. From these models, children therefore learn about the nature of aggressive behaviour, the situations it is appropriate and its likely consequences. In addition to learning about the likely outcomes of aggressive behaviour, children also develop confidence in their ability to use aggressive behaviour to get what they want. Children who are confident that they will be able to use aggressive behaviour effectively to achieve their ends are high in self-efficacy; those with less confidence in their ability to use aggression are low in self-efficiency and may decide to use other methods.…
In modern society various people partake in acts of aggression and violence. Regardless of age or gender, expressing aggression and participating in violent actions are frequent obscenities in many cultures today. In the documentary Girlhood, Liz Garbus follows two young women who have encountered numerous misfortunes in the past that led them to implement their violent offences. Both girls work towards their freedom from the rehabilitation center in Baltimore, Maryland and finally become productive members of society. The movie comes to an end with one of the girls, Shanae, after much perseverance, overcoming her appalling behaviours and graduate from high school. Megan, the other young offender continues to practise delinquent behaviours and struggle…
There are many social psychological explanations for aggression that try and explain the cause of aggression. The social learning theory originated from work by Tarde who looked at key characteristics of imitation and the ways in which our social behaviours and responses could be shaped by the actions of others.…
For decades sports psychologists have disputed the question of whether aggression in any form is instinctive/ biological or is modelled by our interaction in society i.e. we learn it. Aggression is defined by Coakley (2014) as “verbal or physical actions grounded in intent to dominate, control, or do harm to another person” and emphasizes the two main components: that the behavior is aimed at another human with intention to inflict harm and that the behavior is reasonably thought to be as such that can actually cause harm. Frankl (2001) cites Bredemeier (1983) definition of aggressive behavior in sport as: "The intentional initiation of violent and or injurious behavior; 'Violent' means any physical, verbal or nonverbal offense, while 'injurious…
Yamasaki, K., & Nishida, N. (2009). The relationship between three types of aggression and peer relations in elementary school children. International Journal of Psychology, 44(3), 179-186.…
n the article, “Abusive Relationship among the Young” by Miriam Hill, the author explains that many abusive relationships repeat over time and certain factors and ideals lead women to stay, but there is help for those who want to escape and leave. First, the author discusses the recurrence and repetition that many abusive relationships may have. Next, Hill mentions the elements that lead to abuse and how it happens as well. The author describes that name calling, drinking, fighting and punching are all causes and effects of abuse and these are major signs that something is to be done. Then, the writer explains the concept on why girls would stay in abusive relationships, and how they frequently find ways to avoid breaking up and divorcing…
As teens develop emotionally, they are heavily influenced by their relationship experiences. Healthy relationship behaviors can have a positive effect on a teen’s emotional development. Unhealthy, abusive or violent relationships can cause short term and long term negative effects, or consequences to the developing teen. Victims of teen dating violence are more likely to do poorly in school, and report binge drinking, suicide attempts, and physical fighting. Victims may also carry the patterns of violence into future relationships.…
Aggression among the youth can also influence their career decision. They might opt for careers that are more violent or boost their self- esteem. Opting for a military career is not uncommon as the pleasure in flaunting machismo gains prominence. Gun violence is not uncommon. Teens get aloof from the spiritual world. Fake and unreal objects begin dominating their real…
For this paper, I am interested in the topic of adolescent dating violence and whether or not intervention practices are effective. While I am still focusing my efforts on this one question, over the duration of my research thus far, several more questions have popped up for me. I am interested in the current practices of secondary schools in addressing this issue of dating violence. However, I realize that just like colleges, high schools vary drastically in their education and policies surrounding these issues. As a student who is involved with sexual assault education and reform here at Georgetown, I wish I could do the same at the high school level. Looking back at my high school experience, I realize that even though I went to an amazing…
The recent epidemic of girl on girl violence and cyber bullying has parents, teachers, psychologists, and society wondering, where has all this come from? Something must be done to reduce or eliminate this behavior of teens in 2010. While most people want to know who is to blame, the more important question is why.…
