ESSAY TITLE: “Aggression is necessary for survival: Discuss. Base your answer on psychological theories and models introduced in class.”
ABSTRACT
Basing itself on the fact that one of the fundamental purposes of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security and to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace.( See attachment 1). The next two paragraphs, are from headlined front page cover article as appeared in the (Sunday Times Magazine-03/04/2011): ‘Your typical, stressed, panicky westerner is in constant alarm mode. It’s the fault of our caveman brains again. We are designed to have a
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Aggression can also be directed inward taking the form of group violence by individuals or nations. It may be a response to any number of factors including fear, injustice, pain, threat, invasion, lack of control, feelings inadequate or frustrated.
Categories
Aggression is something that is seen in all walks of life being that it's one of the defining characteristics humans have in common with other species within the animal kingdom. It is both an emotional reaction intending to harm- an act of hostility, and, a means of maintaining social order. Just as animals compete over food, mates and homes, to establish their superiority, human beings mainly young males in particular fight for respect, resources and acceptance as partners in relationships pursuing these goals by boasting, bragging, showing off and humiliating other competing males. There are a number of psychological theories and models that have been advanced to explain aggression. In the main they fall under two broad categories.
1) Instinctive, and,
2) Learned response theories
In psychological term, aggression refers to a range of behaviours resulting in both physical and psychological harm to oneself, others or objects in the environment occurring in a number of ways, including:
1) Physical,
2) Verbal,
3) Mental, and,
4) Emotional.
Instinctive response theories
The first theory
According to Berkowitz (1993) aggression refers to goal-directed motor behavior that has a deliberate intent to harm or
Aggression is a natural part of human behavior, and can even be adaptive in certain situations. However, when aggression manifests itself in violent behaviors, it becomes problematic. Patterns of aggression change throughout childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, and these changes usually differ between males and females (Loeber, 1997). Physical aggression is typically greatest early in life and decreases during adolescence, whereas more serious violence tends to increase with age, particularly during adolescence (Loeber, 1997). Despite the changes that occur in aggressive tendencies throughout childhood and adolescence, aggression is seen as a very stable trait, almost as stable as
Aggression is defined as behaviour directed towards another living being with the intent of harming or injuring them in someway, and can be defined as either
Aggression is verbal or physical behavior intended to cause harm. Although we may not like to admit it, we all participate in aggressive behavior at some level and at some time in our lives. Do evolutionary factors play a large role in aggression? What was Freud 's theory about violence? What does more recent research say about a likely evolutionary role for violence? What does Hawley 's research say about this?
To understand the research in its entirety, it’s important to note the two types of aggression that were
Aggression is defined as “any form of behavior directed toward the goal of harming of injuring another live being who is motivated to avoid such treatment” (Baron, 1994). While hostile aggression is thoughtless behavior that is driven by a desire to hurt others. In addition, “Hostile aggression occurs when the primary goal of an action or behavior is to make the victim suffer. Hostile aggression behavior includes punching someone out of anger or pushing someone down the stairs causing physical and mental injury to that person. Individuals who participate in hostile aggression, then, are simply seeking to harm or injure the target of their attack” (Anderson & Bushman, 2011). Whereas, instrumental aggression primary goal is to cause harm or injury to another person for any type of reward. Some example of instrumental aggression include shoplifting, terrorist attack, armed robbery and a kid who bullies others to get their lunch or
Aggression can be represented as any behavior intended to cause physical, emotional, or psychological injuries to another person. Instrumental aggression can be characterized as acts used to obtain an object or privilege without intending to hurt another person. Hostile aggression is when a person tries to inflict the target with some pain and suffering. Playing violent video games could lead youth to act and think more aggressively.
Aggression in accordance with Fiske (2004) is the behaviour which has intention of harming others. The intention for this behaviour could be for various reasons and can be displayed in various ways, from verbal psychological abuse to actual physical harm, although depending on the severity of the harm caused it can be classed as violence, which is extreme aggression.
Aggression-behavior that is intended to harm another individual. Aggressive behavior can be words lash out in anger. Rumors about someone is another form of aggression. Children who are bullied sometimes act out with violence and sometimes tragic is the result, usually death. Especially when teenagers are involved. They keep teasing and spreading gossip that finally the individual just has had enough and doesn't think about the outcome of his or her actions. Even failure to act can be aggressive if that failure is intended to hurt someone such as not helping someone you know will be hurt by the outcome
Aggression is defined by Anderson & Bushman (2002) as ‘any behaviour directed toward another individual that is carried out with the immediate intent to cause harm whereby the perpetrator believes the behaviour will harm the target’ although there is no one explicit definition. This essay will illustrate the main biological, social and biosocial theories surrounding the question of whether aggression is innate or acquired, or indeed a combination of both.
Aggressive behavior is a major factor in short and long term physical and mental health, education, and long term adult relationships, and work opportunities. Repetitive aggressive and victimization increases the risk of reduced self-esteem, anxiety, depression and social isolation and poor physical health including substance abuse and suicide.
The biological/nature side of the argument should not be ignored, although it is less of a factor than the lifestyle and culture people grow up in. The fight-or-flight response is a biological effect that happens under stress, where adrenaline is pumped up to either protect or escape from harm. This can cause aggressive behavior if the fight response is chosen. Another important facet is genetic/mental disabilities that can cause extreme aggression for no apparent reason, along with genetic predisposition for extra receptors in the body that cause anti-social behavior and moodiness, which can be a precursor
As Humans, we use the word aggression in our day to day conversation to characterize our behavior and perhaps behaviors of others. We conclude that people are aggressive if they scream at or hit another individual, however, other harmful acts such as the killing of enemy soldiers during the war might be regarded as an aggressive act by everyone. Social psychologists have spent lots of time trying to determine what should be considered aggression and reasons why individuals exhibit aggressive behaviors towards other. Hence, for many decades social psychologists have carried out various psychological research on aggression and new evidence has emerged on the problems that researchers are exploring the fundamental construct of aggression for a long time continue to experience, raising new questions and posing new perspectives about aggressive behaviors.
In a key since, we ask ourselves are violent humans conceived or created. What makes a human violent or aggressive? Maternal neglect? Physical Abuse? A male physically hitting a female? Impaired problems? Peer/gang pressures? Violence showed on television or violent music lyrics? So in an attempt to understand what makes a human violent or aggressive; we have to remember that not all violence is the same, the brain facilitates all behavior. To understanding the origins of violence and aggression; violence is an intermixture of things such as physical violence that can be impulsive, defensive, predatory or remorseless aggression. Aggression is not violence. An aggressive person may not be violent. Aggression is a behavior
Aggression and violence are not the same. While a person who commits an act of violence may be acting with aggression a person with an aggressive in nature (Aggression and Violence, 2016). Aggression does not have harmful intent other than violence. Violence may be predatory in nature. Violence can develop from situational or environmental factors and may result from a mental condition or from a personal or cultural beliefs (Aggression and Violence, 2016). Aggression and violence both have negative effects.