Ways Of Reducing Agression

Ways of reducing agression for the biological, psychodynamic, and the social learning theories of agression.

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  • Created by: jaaaz_v
  • Created on: 01-02-15 12:12

Ways Of Reducing Aggression : Biological Theory

The biological theory of agression claims that agression is caused by the biological factrs of a person, and so states that we can reduce how agressive a person is by altering their biology.

This is often done through drugs, such as Ritalin, which is used for people with ADHD to reduce the agression formed in the brain. The drug stimulates activity in the brain and has been found to be effective at reducing agressive behaviour thats caused by ADHD. Ritalin stimulates the pefrontal cortex, and helps to control the agressive instincts caused by the limbic system.

An alternative method of reducing agression biologically is through psychosurgery, which involves either removing or destroying parts of the brain that aren't working as they should. Research has shown that its usually the limbic system that is responsible for causing agresssive behaviour, and so its usually the limbic system thats removed. Psychosurgery isn't used often because it puts patients at high risk of permanent brain damage.

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Ways Of Reducing Aggression : Psychodynamic Theory

Freud suggested that we can reduce our agressive behaviours by redirecting our agression into other activities using ego defence mechanisms such as displacement or sublimation.

He suggested that we can release agression through catharsis, which is the process of getting rid of our emotion by watching other people experience emotion. This method was often used in ancient Greece, where playwrights filled their plays ith violence as they believed audiences watching it would get any buildup of agression out of their system.

Another way Freud believed we could release agressive instincts is by finding a safe activity that lets us release energy, this method is called sublimation. He believed that if we find a safe activity (like a sport) it an help to reduce the build up of agressive instincts, which makes it less likely for us to have an agressive outburst for no reason.

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Ways Of Reducing Aggression : Social Learning Theo

The social learning theory of agression says that we learn agression through observing and imitating others, and so to reduce agressive behaviours, we should observe more non-agressive role models. It may also be effective seeing a role model being punished for displaying agressive behavviours. 

Experiments have shown that watching agressive role models being punished discouraged people from imitating their agressive behavours, and that watching non-agressive role models being rewarded encouraged non-agressive behaviours to be copied.

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