1. aggression

2. definition focus on harm not pain
can cause pain cause pain in order to help
intent is crucial
So….
Intentional, with aim to cause harm or pain with no benefit to target

3. Physical aggression Different from most behaviors most can express
explain arousal, explain behavior
sex and aggression restricted

4. sex Cannot always express impulse rules about expression
when, where, with whom
penalties for breaking rules
but
healthy, normal, acceptable

5. Aggression Also restricted but not normally acceptable not healthy
not generally allowed

6. Two questions What causes aggressive feelings?
what causes them to be expressed?

7. Why the impulse? Evolution yes, helpful but for women as well as men
for almost all animals

8. innate Seems to be part of human nature boys more than girls?
Physical vs. verbal

9. Problems of studying Real-world studies laboratory problems
cannot allow real aggression
cannot use strong stimuli
physical aggression rare
hard to generalize

10. Frustration-aggression
Frustration - anger, aggressive feelings
less or none when justified
does not always produce actual aggression

11. cues Leonard Berkowitz guns serve as cues - maybe
Situation elicits or discourages - yes

12. Guns and murder Yes, a correlation not necessarily due to cue
mostly ease of killing

13. Learning aggression Yes, affected by rewards/punishments
also by imitation, social pressure, etc.
But….

14. abusive parent produces aggressive child?
most not also abusive
many abusive parents were not abused
so connection is not clear
link is pretty weak and best

15. Father-absent families
More juveniles in trouble with the law
yet fathers are the violent ones (usually)
so might expect more aggression
main factor is poverty and lack of attention

16. Conclusion - what matters
Being physically abused minor factor
quality of family life
attachment, attention
parenting in general

17. Corporal punishment??? - con
Why hit kids and no one else?
Not effective - has reverse effect
makes angry
kids model and become aggressive

18. Corporal punishment?? - pro
Parents in unique position
no evidence of bad outcomes
is effective in preventing behavior
parents are people also

19. also Cultures differ in acceptance how child perceives is crucial
may matter more when not accepted

20. Sub-culture Extremely important criminal, gangs, macho, etc.
Vs. education, cooperation, moral
by society or parts of society

21. But remember Even in “bad” neighborhood
some are aggressive - some are not
even in “good”neighborhood

22. Catharsis Acting reduces feelings? Yes
mainly when against cause of anger
and this reduces aggression - probably

23. vicarious Watching reduces feelings - rarely
maybe when cause is the one being harmed
then it may reduce aggression

24. Pornography and aggression

25. More porn but less violence
More explicit pornography
Violent sexual crimes declined
if porn causes violence,
why has it declined?

26. Experimental research
Very difficult - weird situation
demand
equating the programs
one or two programs???

27. Real-world research Magazines and rape - wrong! Macho culture
most explicit not related

28. Use by offenders and prevent crime Marshall - yes they use more
all others - no, either same or less
and may use to reduce urge
and prevent crime

29. Erotica almost always reduces aggression
no evidence of actual aggression
desensitization?? To porn yes...

30. Ethics? Informed consent what is the rationale maybe just permission
debriefing removes it

31. TV violence and aggression
Aggressive kids watch more TV violence
small correlation - .1 to .3
only 1% to 10% of variation
so a relatively minor factor

32. Method - not so easy
Measuring tv viewing
measuring aggressiveness

33. They are correlated
Must ask why?

34. experiments Gives permission to be aggressive? Endorses the program?
Hard to measure aggression in lab
why is this program being shown?
Gives permission to be aggressive?
Endorses the program?

35. Field studies Measure TV violence and aggression at time one
measure again later
look for effect

36. If TV causes aggression

37. If no causal effect

38. Video games yes – correlation Is it causal? Hard to study
Experiments unrealistic

39. Explain the correlation
Personality - some are aggressive
they act aggressively and like violent media
same as with boys and girls

40. Social explanation Single parents, poor family
lack attention and other activities
they are less happy - more aggressive
they have less to do - watch more tv etc.
they are monitored less - more violent tv