PSYC104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Reciprocal Altruism, Kinship Terminology, Homicide
30 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Aggression and Violence
Social Learning Accounts
- The role of learning and modelling (people become violent by watching violence
- E.g. Bobo doll experiments (Albert Bandura)
- E.g. Greitemeyer and Mugge (2014) found significant relationship between violent
video games and aggression
Social Learning Problems
- Doest eplai the origis of hua iolee
- Why have humans behaved aggressively through history and cultures?
- Why are people attracted to violence?
- Is the human aggression learned or instinctive or both?
Instinctive Accounts
- Aggression as an instinct
- Aggression functions to assert power and dominance (Darwin)
- Threat and appeasement displays
Freud and Lorenz
- The death istit ; a drie for iolee Freud
- Fightig istit; aggression is vital for survival for competition (Lorenz)
- Aggression is a healthy, adaptive instinct but needs appropriate channeling
- Catharsis (purifying discharge, gets rid of aggressive energies)
Instinct Theory Problems
- No evidence for aggressive energy reservoirs inside people
- Catharsis doest ork iolee reeds iolee
Current Thinking
- Aggression and violence involves a complex interaction between nature and nurture
- But what is it for? Why?
Evolutionary Account
- Functions of aggression (what is achieved?)
- How has aggression worked to enhance reproduction in evolution
- No oralit ioled hats right ad rog
Functions of Aggression
- Take the resources of others (e.g. food, shelter, counties)
- Defend ourselves from attacks and protect our own resources (self defence)
- Builds a reputation (scares others)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Problems
- Short term and long term consequences
- Aggression breeds aggression leading to revenge cycles
- Who gives in first?
- Cultures of honour (losing is shameful)
- Feuds and vendettas lasting years
Men, Women and Violence
- Are men more violent than women? Yes
- Youg ale sdroe 15 fast driig, dagerous sports, hea drikig ad
violent behaviour more often
- Social factors of rewarding male violence
Testosterone
- Increases aggressive behaviour in animals
- Energies people and elicits pleasures of power and control especially competitively
- Young males have the most testosterone and are most violent
- Decreases in age
- Hoeer, ost riials dot hae high leels of testosteroe iig icreases
testosterone levels)
Female Aggression
- Violent females have higher testosterone levels
- Associated with aggression fantasies and behaviours
Evolutionary Origins
Females - need health, successful mate willing to invest resources in her and child
- May opt for two or more mates to secure good genes and commitment
Males - opt for quantity over quality
- Can pursue cheap (commitment) free sex cuz spreading his genes is easy
- End up trading quantity for quality to enhance reproductive success
Attractive men display status and resources
- Also compete with rivals
Male Sexual Jealousy
- More aggressive because they need to protect their resources, engage in
competitive and risky behaviours, control sexual behaviours by being violent
- Lead to wife beating and homicide (may be excused as a crime of passion)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
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