Aggression in Sport

Aggression: An unprovoked attack, any offensive activity, practice, a hostile or destructive mental attitude or behaviour.

AQA: aggression in sport-

·         Behaviour that harms another human being.

·         Behaviour that is intentional.

·         Behaviour that is outside the laws or rules of the game or activity.

Hostile aggression: The intention to harm outside the rules, often as an emotional response to another performer or situation, the sole purpose being to cause harm or injury.

Instrumental aggression: aggression that intends to harm as a means to another goal. E.g. if you rugby tackle an opponent with great force with the intention of making them fear you or be winded and out of the game, the primary motivation is to put them out of the game.

Assertive Behaviour: the use of physical force that is within the rules or ethics of a sport and is therefore legitimate.

Channelled aggression: feelings of aggression that are diverted into useful, positive actions.

Instinct theory (Freud)

     Aggressive impulses build up within individual, if not released, directed inwards, if not then would be psychologically damaging.

  Thus necessary to release destructive energy either in legal ways (sport) or illegal (criminal activity).

 Aggression is displaced from non-acceptable to more acceptable situations. E.g. away from home and onto sports pitch.

 Displacement of aggression with accompanying release of driving force known as catharsis.

Catharsis: the release of pent-up emotions or feelings of aggression through harmless channels, such as the physical and emotional activity of sport.

A cathartic experience allows a release of emotion and tension so that the individual feels less aggressive.

Criticisms:

·         No biological basis for aggression had been found.

·         Research has shown that societies do not show similar levels of aggression.

·         It implies that aggressive behaviour is emotional or spontaneous (hostile or reactive) where as there are times when it is pre-planned (instrumental).

·         Social learning clearly has an inhibiting or controlling effect on people- even if it is highly variable.

·         Social studies show that aggression can be learnt.

Recent gene research:

Geneticists have isolated gene (PET-1) that seems to have controlling effect on levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. When gene absent or defective…