Theories for Aggressive Behavior - Assignment Example

Introduction Human life encompasses a multitude of inter-related emotions that reflect the of his mind, spanning his life. Aggression and angerare two of those emotional states that at all level of expressions, from minor to intense, adversely affects the physical and mental state of the person. Aggression broadly refers to a behavior that is intended to hurt someone. The diversity of reasons may be attributed to the acts of aggression that may result in harming others or oneself because a person loses his ability of objectivity and rationale when he or she is angry. Hence, aggression is not good for our welfare and needs to be rationalized to find its root cause and thereby find best measures to control it. Theories for aggressive behavior Aggression is a complex socio-psychological behavior with huge implications for the people that often results in acrimony and violence. Through the ages, social scientists and psychologists have tried to analyze aggressive behavior. Renowned psychologist, Sigmund Freud had stated that aggression is innate human characteristic and is motivated my sexual drives. Later, his Eros theory of Human behavior proposed that death evokes negative energy which results in aggression. Konrad Lorenzo believed that instinct for survival is the main reason for aggressive behavior (Konrad, 1963). The aggressive behavior can be explained through the theory of survival of the fittest and the inherent tendency of man or animal to exhibit violent tendencies in an environment that may threaten his survival. Hence the survival tendency can be considered as one of the vital reasons for aggression. The evolution of aggressive behavior, therefore, becomes relevant and which is observed to have undergone through myriad patterns of survival in the fast transforming world where the equations for survival has changed tremendously. ‘The sociobiological perspective holds that aggression is an innate part of human beings, an evolutionary relic of the distant past’ (McFarland, 1995). The biological theory and the scientifically explained theory of neuro-chemical roots of the behavior are important aspect of analysis that explain the causes that cuts across people coming from different socio-cultural background. But the socio-psychological analysis is more important because socio-psychological factors have extensive and varying impact on the behavioral pattern of the man coming from different background. Social learning theory is perhaps the most significant hypothesis that not only conforms with the changing paradigms of the socio-cultural and religious imperatives but it is also able to amalgamate the previous assumptions and theories of aggression to analyze the aggressive behavior of man in the fast evolving times. This is highly pertinent in the contemporary times when the information explosion and advancing technology has penetrated every nook and corner of the world and exposed people to the diversity of media which has considerable influence. The children and the young adults have innate desire to emulate their peer and therefore are exposed to damaging influence if they fail to set good examples of exemplary behavior. Social determinants of aggression Human race is characterized by behavioral traits that are dictated by an inherent desire to excel and compete with others. The people of all ages are driven to achieve certain short term and long term goals and objectives. When they are unable to get what they want, they are prone to frustrations which result in overt and covert forms of aggression. Overt forms of aggressions are reflected in violent behavior and acts of violence to hurt somebody. Threats of survival or impending violence are also propagators of aggressive behavior. Predators or people exhibiting physical violence against others in order to maintain a superior position are often inclined to promote aggressive stance in their personal and professional life. The other people who are faced with aggression are also persuaded to retaliate so as to safeguard their interests and or survival in the fiercely competitive environment. Such instincts are inherent characteristics and only come to the fore when confronted with dire consequences affecting one’s life. In the contemporary times, the socio-cultural paradigms have become strong tools of aggressive behavior. Hostile aggression is driven by anger that are impulsive and attempt to inflict harm on a target person or population (Aronson, 1999; Berkowitz, 1990; Geen, 1995). Some cultures and religious teachings promote intolerance and biases that are against the universal values and fast transforming social order. In such situations, the fundamentalists and the religious fanatics adopt aggressive social policies and behavioral norms that are detrimental to the societal peace and peaceful co-existence within the society that comprises of people coming from different color, race, culture and religions. Terrorism and militancy are overt and covert expressions of aggressive behavior that is based on hatred and religious extremism. Sexual dominance is predominantly aggressive in context whose effects can be observed in all areas of human interaction. Even amongst animals, sex is one of the major motives for aggressive behavior. Sex differences have been consistently observed across cultures in that males typically will exhibit greater levels of aggression than females (Anderson & Bushman, 2002; Geen, 1995; Perry, Perry, & Weiss, 1989). In human beings, sex and gender biases are major reasons for aggressive behavior. In the rapidly changing environment of personal and professional rivalry, aggressive behavior has become an effective factor in the cutting edge competitive milieu. While men continue to use sexual aggression as a means to dominate the fairer sex, the women are increasing adopting more aggressive behavior to countermand the male dominance. External factors of aggression There are various external factors that may influence aggression in the human behavior. The environmental factors like excessive heat, noise and pollution are known to cause aggression amongst people and force them to act in aggressive manner against strangers. These environmental determinants need to be addressed and analyzed because they provoke aggressive behavior even amongst people who are normally non aggressive and peace loving. One of the most damaging external causes of aggression is alcohol and drug abuse. The aggressive behavior caused by alcohol and drugs has wide ranging implications on the society at large. Alcohol and drugs are often the most widely used means of inciting aggressive and violent behavior that not only harms the individual but has cascading harmful effects on the family and others who may come across him/ her directly or indirectly. Apart from the physical violence, the consumption of alcohol also has adverse impact on the health and general welfare of the people which may result in continued aggressive behavior. The video and mass media is another significant determinant of aggressive behavior amongst children and impressionable adults. The violence in the films and television becomes motivators for children and adults which they try to replicate in their life. Such type of aggressive behavior is prevalent in the children and young adults who watch such programs and video without parental guidance and proper information. Internet has also emerged as the most menacing influence that may cause irreparable damage to the young minds because it exposes them to the huge database of unimaginable information that may be misused by them and inculcate aggressive behavior. Situational aggressive behavior is increasingly being blamed for burgeoning aggression in the society. Aggressive behavior in the war and riots are causing people to react in aggressive manner that goes beyond rational human instinct. Mindless terrorist attacks have resulted in tit for tat results that rouse the aggressive instinct of the common man who becomes victim of those attacks and killings. People having mental illness, ADHD1 and other such medical factors also show aggressive and anti social behavior that needs to be understood on the wider perspectives. The overt and covert behavioural pattern among the children, defined by the confrontational anti social behaviour and the concealed or covert anti social behaviour, including frequent aggressive outbursts have pronounced influence on the society and are largely contributed to their relationship with their peers specially their parents. . “Research evidence suggests that ADHD is a trait which is highly hereditary in nature, making heredity one of the most well-substantiated etiologies for ADHD” (Barkley, 1997. These types of adhd children are more susceptible to criminal acts of omission and commission than the rest of the adhd. Cathartic effect of aggression Recent studies have shown that sometimes aggressive behavior has cathartic effect on the well being of the emotionally disturbed person. Exhibiting aggression relieves internal tensions and generates positive energy within the individual so that he is better able to cope with the adversities of life. In Japan, the government has put human dummies on the roadside for the people to relieve tension caused by present market conditions! Conclusion Aggression and violence are intrinsically linked and are capable of causing huge damage to social fabric that cuts across national boundaries, race and culture. There is urgent need to address the problem of increasing aggression in the society and analyze the inherent causes so that effective measures could be taken up to reduce aggressive behavior amongst the children and the young people. While the cultural and religious paradigms are observed to promote collective violence, the role of mass media and internet also needs to be looked into so that the wider interests of the children can be protected. Reference Anderson, C. G., & Bushman, B. J. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 27-51. Aronson, E. (1999). The social animal (8th ed.). New York: Worth Publishing Barkley, R.A. (1997). Biological etiologies associated with ADHD. In R.A. Barkley, ADHD and the nature of self-control. (29-46). New York: Guilford Press. Berkowitz, L. (1990). On the formation and regulation of anger and aggression. American Psychologist, 45(4), 494-503. Freud, Sigmund. (1961). Civilization and its discontent. New York. W. W. Norton & Company. Konrad Lorenz. (1963). On Aggression. San Diego: Harcourt Brace. Geen, R. G. (1995). Human aggression. In A. Tesser (Ed.), Advanced social psychology (pp. 383-417). New York: McGraw-Hill. McFarland, D. (1995). Animal Behavior. Reading, MA: Benjamin/Cummings. Perry, D. G., Perry, L. C., & Weiss, R. J. (1989). Sex differences in consequences that children anticipate for aggression. Developmental Psychology, 25(2), 312-319. Read More