Research into Environmental Stressors on Aggressive Behaviour

ESSAY TITLE: “Aggression is necessary for survival: Discuss. Base your answer on psychological theories and models introduced in class.”

at are the Strengths and Weaknesses of Observational, and Experimental Studies on Children’s Aggressive Behaviour?

Data consistently shows that Southern U.S. has higher violent-crime rates than other regions of the United States (Anderson, 2001). The heat hypothesis and the southern culture of honor hypothesis are among the many explanations for the high violence rates in the south. The heat hypothesis claims, heat increases aggressive behaviors (Anderson, 2001). However, Baron and Bell tested the hypothesis and found contradicting results. They found, high heat reduces aggression if there are other discomforting factors involved. Accordingly, Baron and Bell found, aggression increase if heat is the only discomforting variable upon a person. Cohen tested the southern “culture of honor” and found significance in the explanation. He states, crimes rates

Initially, the concept of our aggression being easily impressionable by seemingly miniscule factors like the weather seems far-fetched. However, numerous studies have found that there is a significant correlation between increasing temperatures and violent acts (cite textbook - hot temperatures section). As noted in the textbook, a study conducted by the American psychologist Craig A. Anderson and his colleagues found that across fifty cities, high summer temperatures were associated with a multitude of diverse crimes (cite). Furthermore, labratory experiments yielded the same results: individuals in rooms with higher temperatures were more aggressive toward confederates than individuals in rooms with cooler

Once the temperature gradually increases, many individuals leave the comfort of their homes to go out and explore the world around them. Usually during the spring and summer months, this phenomenon is clearly apparent; children are outside playing, teenagers are spending time with their friends, and adults are casually walking about. Although more individuals are spending more time outdoors due to the ascension in temperature, there has also been a rising tendency of violent and hostile behavior. Subsequently, researchers Douglas T. Kenrick and Steven W. MacFarlane delve further into this subject matter in their study. These two individuals are interested in investigating the relationship between high sweltering temperatures and aggressive behaviors. Additionally, these researchers are exploring the correlation between hostile conduct and the response of honking a car’s horn. This provides the base foundation, which is necessary, for this study; thus, it will allow for the researchers to be able to build their course of action.

Psychologists have suggested that people can be born with a predisposition to be aggressive. This portrays that genes have an influence on human aggression and there is lots of research to support this.

S. Lee, J. Manganello, J. Rice, C. Taylor (2010) preformed a study to understand childhood aggression. The journal article of Mothers’ Spanking of 3-Year-Old Children and Subsequent Risk of Children’s Aggressive Behavior starts by saying that they are not the first to perform this research and many of studies have displayed connection between corporal punishment with children and child aggression. They are testing their research with new controlling factors, which have not been controlled together before. (Lee et al., 2010) The main goal of the article is to determine the association between the use of corporal punishment against 3-year-old children and recognize later aggressive behavior among those children.

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.

In addition, Anderson et al. (1989) used the physiological-thermoregulatory model to evaluate different studies to find the relationship between temperature and behavior. When a person is hot or uncomfortable, they become aggressive. Anderson tested the hypothesis, but did not have enough results to support it. This topic has been a well-known interest that researchers have studied and tried to prove a relationship between the two variables. However, there are studies that have proven high crime rates during the

One study that use self-reporting linked environmental variables and personality to physical aggression for both

The one theory that I chose from the five theories of aggression is frustration aggression. The frustration aggression theory is being describes as frustration which is blocking of a goal creates a motive for aggression. Fear of Punishment or disapproval may cause the aggressive behavior to be displaced against some other target, or oneself. As an example, last week I was trying to take a test for this class; however, I did not pay attention on the date that is supposed to be posted it. My birthday was on friday, so I wanted to take it so I can be free over the weekend. Soon as I opened up my computer on the test page , it was blank with the time running. I freak out; on top it my boyfriend would not stop blowing up my phone. I became very

I read the article Behavioral School Psychology Goes Outdoors: The Effect of Organized Games on Playground Aggression” written by H. Murphy, J. Hutchison, and J. Bailey from Florida State University. While conducting this research project, there was a focus placed on the inappropriate, largely aggressive behavior of the students on the playground prior to the beginning of the school day. In this quantitative research study, the researchers studied the behavior of 344 k-2 student while on the playground before the beginning of the school day. It was observed that the students were very aggressive with each other during the time they were on the playground before the start of the school day. The purpose of this study was to see if “When dealing with large groups, antecedent environmental manipulation may be more practical than providing consequences for the behavior exhibited by identified individuals” (Murphy, Hutchison, & Bailey, n.d.).

A violent neighborhood may produce high levels of parental emotional distress, which may increase the use of restrictive discipline. For example, parents might prohibit their child from visiting friends after sundown because it is too dangerous. After repeatedly hearing this message, this child may characterize the world as dangerous and hostile, resulting in disproportionate fear and the belief in aggression as a means of self-protection. These parents might also be particularly intolerant of disobedience due to the constant threat of neighborhood violence, and may use more punitive parenting tactics in attempt to protect the child. However, this may consequently result in a child’s development of strong positive beliefs about aggression, contributing further to the normalization of aggression. This speaks to the significance of the parent-child relationship in promoting aggression in response to exposure to out-of-home

For males and females, there is substantial evidence for environmental factors effecting aggressive behavior, particularly factors in the home, such as parental attitudes, parental discipline, role models and television violence.

Disagreeable Environment’s cause aggression. Ever been working and sweating outside, had someone cause pain by accident and you