PSYB10H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Relational Aggression, Inclusive Fitness, Social Rejection
Chapter 13: Aggression
Situational Determinants of Aggression
• Hostile aggression is motivated by anger and hostility, and has the primary aim of
harming others, either physically or psychologically, and motivated by feelings of anger
and hostility
o Instrumental aggression is behavior intended to harm others in order to achieve
a goal (such as attracting attention, acquiring wealth, or advancing political or
ideological causes)
• Hot weather affects levels of aggressive behavior and violence
o Hotter cities have higher rates of violent crime, and more violence occurs during
hot months than during cool months
• Media violence has been shown to promote aggressive acts in real life
o When a highly publicized suicide occurs, copycat suicides follow
o Children who watch violence on TV tend to commit serious crimes as adults,
opared to kids ho do’t
o Watching violent TV shows can also lead to more aggressive behavior in the
short run, as can playing violent video games
• Social rejection and isolation are powerful triggers of aggressive tendencies
• Income inequality at the level of nation, state, county, and neighborhood strongly
predicts aggression of just about every kind
Construal Processes and Aggression
• Anger-related thoughts of blame and revenge, as well as patterns of fight-or-flight
responses, make people more likely to respond aggressively when prompted by cues,
such as the presence of weapons
• Extreme forms of violence, such as genocide and rape, are often accompanied by
dehumanization, when people deny others their basic human nature and the unique
attributes that differentiate humans from other things
o Group loyalty predicts increases in dehumanization
• Catharsis is the release of a strong emotion, such as anger, by expressing it directly
• People can modify their tendencies toward anger, dehumanization, and aggression
through certain kinds of cognitive control. Looking upon frustrating things from a
distance makes people more peaceful
Culture and Aggression
• People in some cultures, including the U.S. South, are especially likely to adhere to a
culture of honor; they are inclined to respond to insults and actions that convey
malicious intent with violence or threats of violence
o Defied as a ulture defied y its eers’ strog oers aout their o
ad others’ reputatios, leadig to sesitiity to isults ad a illigess to use
violence to avenge any perceived wrong
o Such cultures exist where there is a history of herding, with the associated risks
of losing all wealth
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