Chapter 1 Aggression Analysis

Research has identified different types of aggression to include instrumental, reactive, relational, bullying aggression (Berger, 2008; Merrell, Buchanan, & Tran, 2006; Cappella & Weinstein, 2006) and social aggression [ (Merrell, Buchanan, & Tran, 2006; Cappella & Weinstein, 2006) ].

The general aggression model (GAM) is the most contemporary theory of aggression as of 2015. The GAM, as discussed by Anderson and Bushman (2002), focuses on addressing and discovering the biological, environmental, psychological, and social factors that influence aggression. This aggression model “accounts for both short- and long-term effects of an extensive range of variables of aggression (Warburton & Anderson, 2015, p.375)” due to its biosocial-cognitive approach. Benjamin (2016) describes the opportunity for appraisal presented within this theory. GAM articulates the influences on a person’s immediate appraisal of the situation. “This immediate appraisal occurs automatically, and includes an interpretation of the situation and an

Social Psychological Theories of Aggression Social learning theorists propose that behaviour, such as aggression is learnt through observation, imitation and behaviour shaping. This behaviour is learnt automatically through observation of male and female role models, for example parents, peers and media characters. Whether or not this behaviour is imitated depends on the type of reinforcement that the role model receives. Vicarious reinforcement involves the outcome of a role models behaviour, for example if a child observes a parent acting aggressively and receiving positive rewards for they are more like to be imitate this behaviour in the future, than they would be if the role model

For many years, girls have been bullying other girls. However, this bullying isn’t usually physical like the type of bullying seen in boys. Girls tend to bully each other through types of alternative aggression. These alternative aggressions are invisible to most, except by the bully and the victim. Along with alternative aggression, girls use relational aggression to bully one another. They ruin each other’s social statuses, sometimes to raise their own. Girl bullies are sneaky, they find ways to avoid confrontation. These girls will cyberbully and gang up on someone with other girls. Girls know how to sneak around and have awful outcomes.

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

Two psycho-biologically distinctive modes of aggression, affective and predatory, have received substantial experimental and clinical attention during the past 30 years. Affective aggression in humans is a defensive mode of violence that is accompanied by high levels of sympathetic arousal and emotion, usually anger and fear, and is a time-limited reaction to an imminent threat. Predatory aggression in humans is an attack mode of violence that is accompanied by minimal automatic arousal, and is planned, purposeful, and emotionless.

There are many different ways that behavior can be explained, especially on the terms of nature vs. nurture. Aggression is a behavior that has been extensively analyzed in a complex manner and the causes of it can be explained many different ways. Aggression can be defined as hostile or destructive behavior that can cause injury or destructive outlook especially when caused by frustration. Nature can be defined as aspects of behavior that have been inherited or are genetic, while nurture is all aspects that are influenced by environmental characteristics and experience. Many factors, both biological and environmental, influence and promote aggressive behaviors, such as hormones and neurotransmitters, genetics, family life, past experiences, and hobbies.

385). Furthermore, my subject was displaying physical aggression because he was harming other children by means of physical injury like, pushing and hitting, in order to get what he wanted (Berk, 2012). Although my subject was not meaning to intentionally hurt other children, his aggressive acts made him not well liked by the other children; thus, he failed at that time to form friendships.

Some may perceive aggression as unhealthy and anti social but managed in a positive way can be empowering and enabling to individuals, groups and society as a whole.

An example of aggression, I look at the Ray Rice situation. What Ray Rice did was so incredibly wrong and I am not at all standing up for him, but when I watch the video and read the different articles, you can see that he really didn’t use much force when he pushed her, but it still knocked her out because of the strength he has. (Badenhausen, 2014) As

Meyers and Dewall 2015, has defined aggression as “any act intended to harm someone physically or emotionally.” Ferguson and Beaver 2009 defines aggression as “behavior which is intended to increase the social dominance of the organism relative to the dominance position of other organisms.” This definition is more directed towards the evolutionary influences of violence. Human ancestors lived in a survival of the fittest world. In order to survive, they needed to be the strongest, smartest and most dominant. Another definition from The World Health Organization (2009) states that violence is “the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual against oneself, another person pr against a group or community, that either results in or has high like hood of resulting injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment or deprivation.” Aggression does not always have to be negative. Violence is accepted in some forms such as for sport, self-defense, defense of others, war, etc. For the purpose of this paper, aggression will be looked at in a negative way. To try to understand violence, the Nature verse Nurture lens will be

The purpose of this research is to delve into what aggression truly is, and what it means. This paper will seek to answer, the question of aggression being a byproduct of anger and thereby a negative emotion or if aggression is an impulse derived from survival instincts. For the intent of this paper, the definition of aggression that will be used throughout this work is derived from that article by Ben Karpman titled "Aggression", published in the 1950 October edition of the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. "Aggression … is the expenditure of energy in order to secure what is needed from the environment" (Karpman 697). While this definition was established quite a long time ago it is a staple of the psychology community and the work of

Relational aggression (RA) is defined as nonphysical behaviors that aim to deliberately cause harm to another individual by destroying relationships, harming social status or self-esteem, or public embarrassment (Crick, Werner, Casas, O’Brien, Nelson, Grotpeter, & Markon, 1999). Examples include behaviors such as purposely ignoring a peer, spreading rumors, creating undesirable gossip, and excluding a peer from group activities, (Crick, 1996; Crick & Grotpeter, 1995; Crick, Ostrov, & Werner, 2006). RA can occur as early as preschool years, and plays a huge role in the interactions among this population with behaviors such as covering one’s ears as a sign of ignoring another peer (Bonica, Arnold, Fisher, Zeljo, & Yershova, 2003; Crick et al.,