Aggression or Understanding Self - Report Example

AGGRESSION Contents Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………..2 2. Meaning & Definition………………………………………………………………….2 3. Types & Causes…...…………………………………………………………………….3 4. Research & Analysis …………………………………………………………………..3 5. Significance / Consequences …………………………………………………………5 6. Remedies ………………………………………………………………………………..7 7. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………..7 8. References ………………………………………………………………………………8 1. Introduction “The tendency of aggression is an innate, independent, instinctual disposition in man … it constitutes the most powerful obstacle to culture” – Sigmund Freud. Most aptly put! Aggression in all its fiery glory, although deemed necessary for existence, has the tendency to disrupt the harmonious balance and cause insurmountable misery and pain both, to ourselves as well as to those around us. This report, on Aggression strives to take a deep insight into the various aspects of Aggression including its basic meaning, definitions, and types as well as analyze the various consequences and remedies available at our disposal to combat or prevent it. 2. Meaning & Definition The term Aggression has various connotations and has been described in various ways by a host of psychologists and researchers. But the Aggression in simple terms signifies an act of hostility initiated to cause physical or mental harm or injury. An accidental harm or injury caused cannot be termed as aggression. The act of aggression is often deliberate. According to psychology and behavioral sciences, the term aggression is described as a physical, verbal or mental act caused with an intention of inflicting damage or injury. According to Buss (1961), aggression is defined as “a response that delivers noxious stimuli to another organism” (Krahe, 2001, Pp.10). 3. Types & Causes The type of aggression mostly stems from its causes, and hence has various forms and categories. However, in the most basic form, aggression can be categorized as physical, verbal and mental. According to Moyer (1968), Aggression or aggressive behavior can be further categorized into seven different types such as Predatory aggression, Inter – male aggression, Fear induced aggression, irritable aggression, territorial aggression, maternal aggression and instrumental aggression. However, in humans, aggression can also be caused / learned by imitation for instance, prolonged exposure to violence through media, either television; internet or video games may cause aggressive behavior in young children. Some other significant contributing factors which might lead to aggressive behavior include consumption of alcohol, mental pain or discomfort, frustration, etc. Continuous exposure to discomfort may cause irritation and provoke aggressive responses for instance, working in extreme temperatures hot / cold. There have been several researches and studies that suggest that even the presence of a violent object such as gun or knife, may trigger aggressive behavior. Gender and age also plays a significant role in stimulating anger or aggression. Various studies suggest that males are generally more physically aggressive as compared to females. This major difference is found to be the most major gender difference across all cultures and age groups. However, even young children display aggressive behavioral characteristics especially when exposed to fear, or during exposure to family conflicts as well as while undergoing mental trauma. 4. Research & Analysis This section describes and discusses various aspects / factors related to Aggression / aggressive behavior such as developmental factors in aggression, social learning theory of aggression, aggression as a manipulative behavior and situational influences on aggression. Developmental Factors in Aggression The manner of interpretation of the stimulus plays a major role in assessing whether an individual would react in an aggressive manner or not. For instance, frustration often causes irritability thereby leading to aggression, especially if they are interpreted as being a deliberate gesture to cause irritation. The degree or intensity of anger generated depends on two basic components: strength of the physiological arousal and the manner in which it is expressed or labeled. According to Zillmann (1979), physiological arousal from a neutral or irrelevant source may be transferred to the arousal elicited by an aversive stimulation through a process of misattribution (Krahe, 2001, Pp. 38). Social Learning Theory of Aggression One of the most noted psychologist, researcher and a major theorist of all times, Albert Bandura, has been one of the most significant contributor to the theory of aggression. According to one of several experiments carried on by him on young children, the social behavior of children exposed to aggressive situations often tend to replicate such aggression even in a new situation. This theory further goes on to prove that aggressive behavior, like any other social behavior, is a ‘learned’ conduct (Knutson, 2007, Pp.202). Aggression as Manipulative Behavior The term manipulation can be described as a deliberate thought process caused to inflict / impose one’s own wish or desire on others. It could also be described as a form of covert aggression. Manipulation is an art of skillfully planning and plotting to achieve what one desires from others even though they may or may not want to give it. Individuals, who are manipulative, often display dishonesty as an inherent characteristic trait and use it conveniently to have their own way, to use it as a too to maintain power or control over others. Unlike other forms of aggression, the intention of causing harm is not apparent in manipulative aggression. Destructive manipulative behavior is one such type of aggression which is caused by anxiety and mental health disorder. The use of destructive manipulative behavior is largely related to fear of close friendships, general distrust of others, difficulty in forming and maintaining meaningful interpersonal relationships, the desire to be liked and appreciated by everyone, decreased acceptance of rational authority as well as unsatisfied desires and emotions. Such behavior, could however, be prevented by helping the person/s using destructive manipulative behavior to identify the unfulfilled needs and desires and influence him / her to use alternative methods to achieve the same. Situational Influences on Aggression One of the most crucial factors contributing towards display of aggressive behavior is acute alcohol intake which leads to sexual aggression in men. Research on this topic reveals that a continuous exposure to intoxicating drinks leads to sexual arousal and hence leading to sexual aggression. Various theories have been put forward to relate the consumption of alcohol and aggressive behavior. According to one such theory, consumption of alcohol impairs the part of the brain which is responsible for allocating our working memory. Thus, men who are under the influence of such intoxicating drinks often disregard the social implications of their acts and react purely to provocative cues around them (Krahe, 2001, Pp.67). Gender differences in aggression Males are presumably more prone to physical aggression as compared to females, since they are biologically stronger. However, this does not negate the fact that females are less aggressive. The form of aggression observed in females may vary according to the type of conflict, similar to males. Also, cultural differences play a significant role in the type of aggressive behavior displayed by both the genders. In most of the cultures across the globe, physical violence in females is discouraged and they are conditioned since childhood to avoid being in physical conflicts whereas for males, it is rather a matter of pride and show of masculinity, when it comes to engaging in or displaying physical aggression. The most dominant factors in aggression – power and capacity could be physical as well as verbal and social, which can be adopted by females for influencing power over others. Environmental Stressors According to certain studies, researchers have found that the presence of certain environmental factors often lead to aggression among individuals. For instance, factors such as temperature, crowd, noise etc induce irritation and stress and cause aggressive behavior. It is a well established fact that the rise in temperature often leads to heightened tension and aggression. Cases of violence such as rape, murder and physical assault are reportedly higher during temperature rise and extreme heat. But it does not imply that people living in hotter countries are relatively more prone to aggressive behavior. Excessive crowd is often related to aggression. For instance, a large number of cases of physical assault have been observed during traffic congestion. It is often believed that confrontation could lead to diffuse aggression, and overcrowding in family or closed relationships doesn’t lead to aggression. Also the perception matters, since crowd can be uplifting and fun for certain people while for yet others it might be irritating and uncomfortable. Noise on the other hand is an unwanted sound and cause aggression if it is unexpected or unpredictable. Noise causes distraction and people find it difficult to concentrate on their tasks which makes them irritable especially in cases where it is beyond their control and hence may cause aggressive behavior. 5. Significance / Consequences Aggression or Anger is sometimes considered as a key tool, and hence are necessary for our survival. A certain degree of self aggression is required in sports or in competitions. It provides strength and vigor to excel. In fact, there have been regular incidences where athletes and sports persons are reported to have used certain drugs / steroids that stimulate the human brain and lead to aggression. It is also necessary for survival and could be used to overpower the enemy or attacking force. It is often used for self protection as well as protection of a group which is close to the individual. 6. Remedies Controlling and preventing aggressive behavior is necessary to create and maintain harmony. The development of aggressive symptoms in young children as well toddlers can be prevented by good parenting. Good parenting during childhood stage could further go on to prevent antisocial behavior in people who are genetically prone to aggressive behavior. According to some researchers, aggression is associated with the presence of brain chemicals such as serotonin and monoamine oxidase A and the levels of these chemicals are controlled by genes. However, such genetic disorders can also be overcome by good upbringing of the children. It is also observed that continuous exposure of children to acts of violence at home, domestic or otherwise make them prone to aggression. Thus during this early stage, keeping children away from aggressive behavior is the best remedy to prevent them from replicating such learned behavior in the future (Krahe, 2001, Pp.211). 7. Conclusion Aggression is construed as an innate behavior by some researchers, like Sigmund Freud and Konrad Lorenz while yet others, such as Cogner, Huesmann, Neppl etc, believe aggression to be a learned conduct. Aggression in response to a stimulus is considered normal human trait but if caused in the absence of such stimulating event, is regarded as a result of a mental disorder. “Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love”- Martin Luther King, Jr. References: Krahe, B. (2001). The Social Psychology of Aggression, Psychology Press, Pp.10. Knutson, J. F. (2007). The Control of Aggression: Implications of Basic Research, Transaction Publishers, Pp.202. Moyer, K. E., (1968). Kinds of Aggression and their physiological basis. Communications in Behavioral Biology. Read More