anger and aggression

8/3/2019 Anger and Aggression

1/23

Anger and Aggression


2/23

Anger and Aggression

What gets us angrywhat kinds of situations, people?

Is anger more common with friends, family, strangers,

competitors/adversaries?

Is anger a positive or negative emotion?

Does anger ever do any good?

Would humans be better off without anger?


3/23

Causes of Aggression

Territoriality

Impeding free action (B.F. Skinner, Behaviorism)

Maintaining Social HierarchiesSocial hierarchies common across species, cultures

Hierarchies maintained by threats

Aggressive sequence:Aggression SurrenderReconciliationFrustration and Aggression


4/23

Frustration and Aggression TheoryBasic Idea: Aggression arises when basic goals, needs,

desires are frustrated. Aggression a form of displacement

Lindzey, G. 1950: Frustration Prejudice

Frustrate subjects (40 Harvard males,

20 high anti-sem, 20 low anti-sem)

1. Cant eat, drink 12 hrs before study

2. Drink 1 QT water, cant pee

3. Clumsy blood test

4. Failure at group task

5. Outcome anti-sem subs show increased

anti-Semitism


5/23

Punishment and Rewards

Due to Own Discomfort

(Berkowitz, et al. 1981)

0

5

10

15

20

Cold Water Tepid Water

Rewards

Punishments

General Effect


6/23

Giving Punishment that Supposedly Helps Performance

vs. Punishment that Hurts Performance,

Due to Own Discomfort(Berkowitz, et al. 1981)

0

1

2

3

4

5


Punishment hurts

Punishment Helps


7/23

Giving Punishment that Supposedly Helps Performance

vs. Punishment that Hurts Performance,

Due to Own Discomfort(Berkowitz, et al. 1981)

0

1

2

3

4

5


Punishment hurts

Punishment Helps


8/23

Terror Management Theory and Aggression

Human Dilemma

Humans only species aware of its own mortality

Humans, like all animals, instinctively flee danger

BUT

Mortality awareness is danger humans cant flee

Culture provides defense against existential terror ofmortality awareness.

* Promise of immortality (e.g., religion)

* Promise of meaningful life, transcends mortality


9/23

Threat to Cultural Worldview and Violence

If mortality is greatest fear, and

If cultural worldview is my only defense against mortality fears,

Then how do I feel towards those who challenge my culturalworldview?

Murder for religious, ideological beliefs

Martyrdom for religious, ideological beliefs


10/23

Terror Mgt and Violence:

Experimental Evidence

Mortality Salience Manipulation

Briefly write describe the emotions that the thought of

your own death arouse in you.Jot down, as specifically as you can, what you think will

happen to you as you physically die.

Control Condition Neutral: Write about eating a meal,watching TV

Control Condition Negative: Dental pain, social rejection


11/23

Results of Terror Mgt Experiments

Hostile Attitudes

Increased Anti-Semitism

Harsher criminal sentences to repeat offenders

Harsher ratings of anti USA essay writer

Increased hostility to African Americans

Hostile Behavior

Distance from Turk vs. fellow German

Hot sauce administered to person with opposing views


12/23

Culture and Aggression:

Yanomamo and Inuit


13/23

Culture and Aggression

Interdependent Cultures: UtkuEnviron. requires cooperation and tolerance

Adios to crazy, savage researcher

Individualistic/Pride Based Culture:

Yanomamo

Environment more benign, cooperation less necessary

Lets rip-off the sappy researcher

What is the MOST violent industrialized society? USA


14/23

Violence in the USA

Percent of adolescent boys involved in 1 + fights

Percent of adolescent girls involved in 1 + fights

Percent of adolescents who bring knife to school

Percent of adolescents who bring gun to school

50%

25%

23%

3-5%

Percent of men 12-19 encounter violent crime8%

All stats under-reported


15/23

Individualistic vs. Collectivist Cultures

Individualistic: Self interest promoted

"I Self"

Collectivist: Group interest promoted

"We self"Individualist: Your gain can be my loss

Collectivist: Your gain is our gain is my gain

Violence in "we self" culture is bizarre; like self-mutilation.

BUT: Also authoritarian vs. libertarian societies


16/23

Thanatos: Instinct for Destruction

(Freud)Destruction, mayhem is fun

Movies, novels, plays, video games

That dog is gonna die moviesjustify our

blood lust.

Does anger do any good???


17/23

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

When in the course of human events, it becomes

necessary for one people to dissolve the political bandswhich have connected them with another, ., a decent

respect to the opinions of mankind requires that theyshould declare the causes which impel them to the

separation..But when a long train of abuses andusurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object,evinces a design to reduce them under absolutedespotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw

off such government, .The history of the present King of Great Britain

is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, allhaving in direct object the establishment of an absolute

Tyranny over these States.


18/23

Prisoners Dilemma Cooperation Game

Cooperate Defect

Cooperate Both gain

small reward

Player #1 gains

big reward, #2

loosesDefect Player #2 gains

big reward, #1

looses

Both player

loose

Player 1 Player 2


19/23

HOSTILE EMOTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS:

ANY GOOD ONES?

Contempt

Anger

Withdrawal

Whining

Not Good

Sometimes Good

Not Good

Not Good


20/23

Function of Anger in Interpersonal

Relationships(Averill, 1981)

Subjects: 80 married, 80 singles

Subs complete daily emotion self-reports

Results: 66% report anger 1-2 a week

44% annoyance once a day

Anger due to: frustration, violation of expectation,

lost of pride, damage to property, self

Anger source: Most often someone known, liked

Why get angry? Assert authority, rights

Change the offender

Strengthen relationship


21/23

Does Anger do Any Good?Averill, continued

Feelings about being angry: most DONT like it

Was expression of anger beneficial?

Percent of Expressers saying yes:Percent of Targets saying yes:

62%70%

Anger relationship readjustment

Anger is act of commitment, is pledge to see problem

through

But, anger can lead to cycle of violence


22/23

Seeing Anger

Chouchourelou, Matsuka, Harber, & Shiffrar,

under review


23/23

anger and aggression

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