Experimental Study Psychology

If given adequate funds to perform research in this area, I would like to expand upon this research. I would use more of the population, older and younger men. I would pull from prisoners and those known to have aggression, anger issues and those known not to have issues. I would expand the independent variables to include using violent and non-violent video games, watching violent and non-violent movie clips, handling machine guns, unloaded of course, a baseball bat or maybe a machete. Some un-inhibiting items such as a stuffed animal, a Bible, or interacting with a child with a game. The saliva tests before and after the interactions are adequate and reliable. I would have the subjects also undergo a baseline blood pressure and heart rate check before and repeat that after the interaction. Also, answer a few questions before and after and perform a physical aggression test to determine their aggression levels.

The time to aggression onset was the outcome variable. The data used to calculated change over time was the baseline observation data and the last know observation data collected. This information was used to calculate the linear slope in the study with regards to change. The observed baseline measurements included psychosocial variables, nonaggressive physical agitation, patient-caregiver mutuality and nonaggressive physical agitation. A time of event variable was the time to the beginning of aggression.

The cognitive-neoassociation theory of aggression, otherwise known as the negative affect theory, was proposed by the American social psychologist Leonard Berkowitz. The theory suggests that certain experiences, or affects, can contribute toward the onset of aggressive feelings or behaviour. These affects can range from weather conditions (e.g. high temperatures) to unpleasant external stimuli (e.g. odours and sounds). Concurrently, the theory advocates that merely observing different types of aggressive behaviour can prompt aggression within the viewer. Given these points, an intriguing question comes to mind: might the implications of this theory be that repetitive exposure to catalysts of aggression increases a person’s inclination to be confrontational?

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

The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical review of a recent study examining the effects of violent video games on aggressive behavior in young children. Let me first provide a brief summary of the study. (a) The hypothesis is that violent video games cause aggression in young children. (b) The target population is young children. (c) The samples are young school age children and the sample sizes are sixty children separated into two groups with 30 children being in the experimental group and 30 children being in the control group. (d) The independent variable is violent video games and the dependent variable is aggression. (e) The result of the experiment were

behaviors. Longitudinal studies have proved dissimilarities between violent and non-violent behavior whereby aggressive and violent behavior were more stable.

Trying to reduce aggression while also using aggression is ineffective at lowering these rates in children . Studies have been done to show the correlation between

The study showed that with the more aggression that was presented the more opt the subject was to substance abuse. This would include drug use, alcohol use, or any unhealthy escape to release anger and or

To understand the research in its entirety, it’s important to note the two types of aggression that were

QP engaged Maunica in participating in a CBT activity geared towards the aggression cycle. QP explained to Maunica that the activity examine the aggressive cycle and progressive muscle relaxation technique that can help to reduce anger level. QP explained to Maunica the three phases of the aggression cycle, which consist of escalation, explosion, and post explosion. QP asked Maunica to list some things that can cause her anger to escalate. QP asked Maunica, what level has her anger reached. QP reviewed with Maunica thing that triggers her anger. QP brainstormed with Maunica some of her anger cues. QP reviewed with Maunica negative consequences that are associated with anger explosion. QP assisted Maunica in identifying the cues that occurs

Bushman has been studying the causes, consequences, and answers to human aggression is and how to deal with such aggression. McRaney details Bushman’s 1990s studies regarding catharsis and if effects truly manage one’s emotion. During the time of Bushman’s study, self-help books regarding personal aggression all advised to vent anger as catharsis seemingly helps reduce it. As part of Bushman’s experiment, he grouped 180 students into three parts. “One group read a neutral article. One read an article about a fake study that said venting anger was effective. The third group read about a fake study that said venting was pointless,” (McRaney 122). Bushman’s entire process had followed the scientific method, where hypotheses are proven through experimentation, and the notion of dividing students into groups is the first step. Every student was then required to write an essay about abortion, a subject which can be touchy and contain strong feelings. The students were then told that their essays were graded by the other students, where half of the group received an exceptionally high score, making them happy and satisfied, and the other half receiving a terrible score, leaving them passionately angry. After receiving their grade, the students were given a choice of activities: reading a story, punching a punching bag, or watching comedy (McRaney 122). Those who read the article about how venting anger is effective and became angry over their bad essay feedback chose the punching bag, where those who received positive feedback chose the nonaggressive activities. Bushman had proved that through his study, catharsis is only influenced after being exposed to the concept of venting anger. Revenge and closure is the second part of Bushman’s study where students who received bad scores were told either to punch a punching bag again or wait a small amount of time. They were put up against people who had graded their essay to press a button

The presence of siblings who serve as a target for aggression is an indirect effect and increases the risk of becoming physically aggressive in the high aggression trajectory group. Well noted direct risk factors in the high aggression trajectory group include: maternal age, alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy; maternal antisocial history during school years; antisocial fathers and inter-parental conflict. Preschoolers coping with high levels or intensity of family conflict struggle emotionally and may express their hostility physiologically through heart rate activity or skin conductance response monitored preschoolers for heart rate and skin conductance whilst they were watching an angry interaction between two adults. Girls from high

There were placebo pills that were said to either freeze their mood or to enhance their mood. Basically the participants were asked to write a short paper and then they were all harshly criticized and the researchers were looking to see how their mood was affected, and if venting about their anger would help. Questionnaires and other methods were also involved in this study but they were used for other measures than the catharsis theory and I felt they were not important to include in the analysis of their research. In sum, Bushman, Baumeister, & Phillips (2001) found that individuals who do show aggressive behavior or any type of venting, do ultimately improve their own mental

2) The researchers already knew that certain personal and social factors played roles in relation to aggression. Also, they knew that aggression is seen more in males than in females, as well as being more prominent in older adolescents. Specifically for Chinese adolescents, it was already known that there was high educational pressure that contributed to stress and eventually could lead to aggression. This brings culture and race into consideration for this study since the focus was Chinese adolescents. Also, they researchers didn’t know much about the impact of the possible relationships between the factors that could lead to aggressive behavior, which is part of what

Lorenz and Freud have, in a large section of their work labelled aggression as mostly negative and destructive, but looking at its positive side, aggression is necessary as it contributes to our growth and development, independence, self-assertion, can address and remedy inequality and social injustice and above all promotes the survival of many