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Psychology 301 Social Psychology Lecture 8, Sept 25, 2008

Psychology 301 Social Psychology Lecture 8, Sept 25, 2008. Aggression Instructor: Cherisse Seaton. Review: Social Learning Dramas Attitude formation Defining Aggression Development of aggression Punishment and aggression Social learning – Bobo doll study. Overview.

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Psychology 301 Social Psychology Lecture 8, Sept 25, 2008

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  1. Psychology 301Social Psychology Lecture 8, Sept 25, 2008 Aggression Instructor: Cherisse Seaton

  2. Review: Social Learning Dramas Attitude formation Defining Aggression Development of aggression Punishment and aggression Social learning – Bobo doll study Overview

  3. Readings for this section • Aronson et al. Chapter 11

  4. Social Learning Dramas • Only by invitation • Voluntary • Social Norms - not necessarily cultural practices • Intention is to address issues that are already problematic, not to impose Western ideals • Universal Human Rights • Model common problems people face and possible solutions: giving people choices

  5. Social Learning Dramas • Provide Information/ raise awareness • E.g., Addressing AIDS myths • Provide effective strategies • Increase self-efficacy • Guide, motivate and support behaviour in attempts to exercise control over own lives • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjIbKaSXM3A

  6. Social Learning Dramas • Contrast modeling • Plotlines address common dilemmas – tailored to specific issues • Often depict positive outcomes as well as contrasting negative outcomes • Models positive strategies as well as adverse consequences • Negative models exhibiting detrimental lifestyles • Positive models exhibiting beneficial lifestyles • Transitional models changing from detrimental to beneficial behaviours

  7. Social Learning Dramas • Viewers see others changing their lives for the better • Highlights effective ways of overcoming situations • Model how to manage setbacks and overcome failures • Depicted outcomes provide incentive for change • Vicarious motivators • Example viewer response: • “After watching Angoori die in child birth, I won’t allow my daughters to be married at an early age”

  8. Aggression • Defining aggressive acts: • Physical harm – accidents? Intentions? • Psychological harm • Intent • Prosocial aggression – e.g., war, police • Antisocial aggression • Perception of victim

  9. Is it Aggression? • Throwing a dish against the wall during an argument • A person slams a door shut after an argument • A prison ward executes a criminal • A depressed person commits suicide • Sticking a pin in a voodoo doll • Throwing someone’s computer out of a window • Supervisor giving negative feedback • Drunk driver • Gossiping about someone • Killing animals for food • A hunter kills an animal for a trophy • A man mentally rehearses a murder • One person calls another a racial slur

  10. Aggression • Definition: • “Intentional behaviour aimed at causing either physical or psychological pain” (p.357) • Hostile aggression • “An act of aggression stemming from feelings of anger and aimed at inflicting pain” • E.g., A jealous man kills his wife and her lover • Instrumental aggression: • “Aggression as a means to some goal other than causing pain” • E.g., A hit man kills an unfaithful husband for 1,000 dollars

  11. Formation of Attitudes • 1.) Classical conditioning • 2.) Instrumental/operant conditioning • 3.) Cognitive Social Learning

  12. 1. Classical conditioning • Positive & negative associations • Desensitization • Frequent exposure to aggression/ violence may reduce sensitivity • Numbing effect • Emotional response • Physiological response • E.g., Individuals exposed to violent film showed lower physiological response when subsequently viewing aggressive interaction between preschoolers than did those exposed to an equally exciting non-violent program (Thomas et al., 1977)

  13. 2. Operant conditioning…. • Suggests that punishingaggressive acts will decrease the frequency of aggressive behaviour, • Learned consequences • While rewarding acts of aggression will increase the frequency of aggressive behaviour. • E.g., Bullying

  14. Punishment & Aggression • Eron et al. (1963) • Longitudinal study of 875 3rd graders • Ss = 206 girls; 245 boys • Variables: • Parents level of punishment: • Low intensity • Medium • High intensity

  15. Variables: • Peer rated aggression

  16. Results • Peer related aggression scores (at school)

  17. Results • Level of punishment at age 8  aggression 8, 18, 30 (peer-rated, teacher-rated, & self-rated) • Severity of punishment, in particular the physical component, predicted higher levels of aggression (Lefkowitz, Walder, & Eron, 1963) • Intergenerational effects of punishment (Lefkowitz, Huesmann, & Eron, 1978)

  18. Parenting style and children's aggressive behaviour • Punitive parenting • Physical punishment, • Yelled and shouted • Child aggressive behaviour • Fights • Bullying

  19. Why does physical punishment increase aggression? • a.) Develops negative associations with the parent. • b.) Punishing  arousal and upset  decreased learning • c.) The act of ‘punishment’ itself, usually takes the form of an aggressive act, thereby providing an aggressive model • But… • Doing nothing is not a good option because aggression is also associated with… • Lack of monitoring • Excessive sibling fighting

  20. Options: • 1). Reinforce prosocial and mature behaviour • 2). Offer alternative behaviours • 3). Mild punishment (verbal reprimands / time-outs)

  21. Mild punishment • Mild punishment is effective if… • 1. Regularly and predictably follow the undesirable action • 2. Applied immediately • 3. Clearly explain the bad behaviour • Don’t make idle threats

  22. Bullying • Schoolyard bullies • Norwegian & Swedish • Ss = 4th – 7th graders • Mild but swift • Bullying reduced up to 50% • Mild punishment changes attitudesand behaviour more than severe punishments • Induce child to justify own restraint • Insufficient justification

  23. Attitudes and Aggression • According to Cognitive Dissonance theory, when we hurt someone, we come to dislike or hurt that person as a way of justifying our cruelty • Prejudicial attitudes • Blaming the victim – bullying

  24. 3. Social Learning • The social learning theory suggests that we learn social behaviours, such as aggression, by observing others and imitating them. • Vicarious reinforcement -- seeing and recalling the model being reinforced.

  25. Bobo doll studies • Ss = children • Watch a film in which an adult attacks a large inflated Bobo doll. • Experimental manipulation (IV): the end of the film differed • 1. the model is punished for treatment of the doll • 2. the model receives no consequences • 3. the model is rewarded for aggression to doll • DV: child’s behaviour toward bobo doll

  26. Bobo doll studies • Bandura (1961, 1963) • 5 min film clip • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDtBz_1dkuk

  27. Vicarious Consequences

  28. Next class… • The big debate: T.V. violence • Social Learning of Aggression

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