Social learning theories - Essay Example

At the time when populations were expansively diffused, the implications of any particular aggressive act were primarily restricted to individuals whom the act was aimed at. Under circumstances of modernised life, in which the wellbeing of groups of inhabitants depends upon harmonious functioning of complex mutually supporting systems, aggressive behaviour that can be effortlessly carried out without demanding complicated mechanism immediately damages enormous numbers of people (Geen, 2001). Interest over the destructive implications of aggression confuses the reality that such behaviour normally has purposeful importance for the user.

Certainly, there is a characteristic distinct to aggression that commonly generates circumstances cultivating its incidence. Dissimilar to social behaviours that are not useful without a degree of reciprocity satisfactory to the partakers, aggression does not necessitate eager receptiveness from others for its effectiveness (Moeller, 2001). An individual can harm and destroy to self-benefit despite of whether the victim agrees to it or not. Through destructive behaviour, or authority through verbal and physical coercion, individuals can gain important resources, modify rules to suit their personal desires, acquire power over and haul out compliableness from others, get rid of circumstances that negatively influence their wellbeing, and break down barriers that hamper or interrupt realisation of desired objectives.

Hence, actions that are harsh for the victim can be gratifying for the one committing the aggressive act. Though aggression has several various roots its practical value certainly contributes greatly to the occurrence of such behaviour in the dealings of everyday existence (Moeller, 2001). Throughout the years several theories have been suggested to clarify why individuals act