Aggression

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(Neural)What is the Limbic system?
Network of structures deep in brain. Most important is amygdala - assesses environmental hazards, the reactivity of amygdala is what links to impulsive behavior such as aggression
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(Neural)What was Gospics research into the importance of the amygdala on aggressive behaviour?
The ultimatum game. Proposer offered to split money with participant. Accept or Decline. When connected to FMRI scans it showed amygdala reactivity as fast and heightened when rejected. Benzodiazepine = reduced rejections and amygdala activity
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(Neural)What is an evaluation of the Limbic system?
Amygdala doesnt work alone. Orbital Frontal Cortex is partly important, involved in impulse regulation. Gospics research is highly complex and includes 3 neural structures - amygdala, OFC and both.
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(Neural)What is Serotonin?
Neurotransmitter involved in communication impulses in neurons. Inhibitory effect on the brain - slows neuronal activity. Decreased levels of serotonin in OFC = less self-control and more impulsive behaviours.
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(Neural)What was Virkunnens research into serotonin and aggression?
Compared serotonin levels in violent impulsive and violent non-impulsive offenders. Those who were impulsive displayed disruption of serotonin functioning.
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(Neural)What is an evaluation of Serotonin?
Drugs that increase serotonin also reduce levels of aggression.
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(Neural) How does Bermans research show the effects of drugs on Serotonin?
Gave either a placebo or the real drug that enhances serotonin activity. played a labratory game where elecctric shocks were given/recieved in result of provocation. Real drug gave fewer, less intense shocks. only true if prior history of aggression
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(Hormonal) What is Testosterone?
Male hormone, higher levels of this androgen found in men as its responsible for masculine features. Regulates social behaviours. Animal studies, castration = less aggression.
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(Hormonal)What was Dolans research in Testosterones affects on aggression?
Positive correlation between levels of testosterone and aggression in 60men in a UK maximum security hospital - had history of impulsive violent behaviour (personality disorders)
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(Hormonal)What is the mixed evidence of the role of testosterone by Carre and Mehta?
High testosterone levels only lead to aggression when levels of cortisol are low. When cortisol is high testosterone's influence on aggression is blocked. Combined cortisol-testosteroneactivity is a better predictor of aggression than either is alone
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(Genetic)How do Twin studies affect aggression?
Heritability accounts for about 50% of variance. Cocarro, direct assualt = 50%+19%, verbal = 28%+7%. Tested on adult males, ignores other factors. If genetic factors were the only influence MZ concordance should = 100%
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(Genetic)How does the MAOA gene affect aggression?
Produce enzyme =monoamine oxadise A - mops up neurotransmitters. Dysfuntion MAOA gene=abnormal activity in MAOA enzyme. A variant = 'warrior gene' - low MAOA activity in the brain. High activity MAOA gene = less aggression
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(Genetic)What was Brunners research in the affects of low activity MAOA gene?
28 male members of dutch family who were repeatedly involved in impulsive violent behaviours - ****, assault. Found they had low MAOA activity levels and hand the low activity MAOA gene.
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(Genetic)How do Adoption studies affect aggression?
Similarities in aggressive behaviours. Adopted child + biological parent = genetic influences. Adopted child + adopted parent = environmental influences.
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(Genetic)What was Rhee and Waldmans meta-analysis in the affects of Adoption studies on aggression?
Direct aggression and anti-social behaviours. Found genetic influences accounted for 41% of variance in aggression, similar to the variance in twin studies.
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(Genetics) How do Gene-Environment interactions affect aggression?
Genes do not function in isolation.Low MAOA activity only relates to adult aggression if combined with an early traumatic event by the age of 15years. Diathesis-stress.
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(Genetics)What was Frazzettos research on GXE interactions?
Connection between antisocial aggression and low activity MAOA gene is adult males, only if experienced significant trauma in the first 15years. No childhood trauma = no high levels of aggression even with low activity variant.
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(Genetics)What is a negative of how aggression is measured?
Often uses self-report measures which reduces validity. Difficult to draw valid conclusions
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(Genetics)What is the problem with using Genetics to explain aggression?
Multiple genetic influences which significant but small effects. Stuart = Intimate partner violence - associated with a serotonin transporter gene aswell as the low activity form of MAOA gene.
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(Ethological)What is the ethological explanation of aggression?
Main function is adaptive. Beneficial to survival because a 'defeated' animal is rarely killed but forced to find territory somewhere else. Reduces competition and starvation. establish dominance hierarchy
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(Ethological)What is Ritualistic Aggression?
Set of behaviours carried out in a set order. Display of claws. Intra-species aggression often ends in appeasement displays (acceptance of defeat, inhibits aggression from victor) otherwise the existense of species would be threatened.
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(Ethological)What are Innate Releasing Mechanisms?
A built-in physiological procss or structure. Triggered by an environmental stimulus , releasing a sequence of behaviour.
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(Ethological)What are Fixed Action Patterns? (FAPS)
Stereotyped, universal, unaffected by learning, ballistic, single purpose, response to an identifiable stimulus.
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(Ethological)What was Tinbergens research on IRMs and FAPs?
Sticklebacks. Highly territoral - release highly stereotyped aggression, sign stimulus = red belly. No matter the shape of wooden figure, if a red belly = display aggression and attack it. FAPs were unchanging once triggered and ran its course.
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(Ethological)What is the supporting research for the Ethological theory?
Low activity variant MAOA gene has been shown to trigger aggression suggesting an innate basis.Suggests aggression is genetically determined and heritable. valid, supported by evidence that demonstrates genetic and physiological basis
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(Ethological)What is the negative of Cultural differences in this theory?
Can't be innate. Nisbett = North/south divide in US for homicide rates south>north. only true for reactive aggression (arguments). Culture of honour -learned social norms. cant explain why culture can override innate influences.
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(Ethological)What did Goodalls Chimpanzee study find against Ethological explanations?
Male chimps from one community systematically slaughtered all members of another group. Co-ordinated and premeditated. Violence carried on despite appeasement displays. Signals did not inhibit aggression
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(Evolutionary)What is Sexual Jealousy?
Major motivator of aggression in men. Not sure if they are truly raising their child, wasting his resources. Anti-cuckoldry behaviour in males.
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(Evolutionary)What are Mate Retention Strategies identified by Wilson+Daly?
Direct Guarding - male vigilance over partner. Wilson found women whose partner used these strategies likely to suffer physical violence, 73%=medical atten, 53% =feared lives. Negative Inducements - issuing threats of dire consequences for infidelity
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(Evolutionary)What was Shacklefords research into Intimate Partner Violence?
107 married couples<1yr. Questionairres, men =mate retention strategies women =spouse influence report. FOUND=positive correlation between the answers. Retention behaviors reliably predicted husbands use of violence
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(Evolutionary)What is Bullying?
Occurs due to a power imbalance, maladaptive behaviour, ancestors used as an adaptive behaviour to increase survival by promoting their own health.
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(Evolutionary)What did Volk argue about characteristics in Bullying?
Attractive to the opposite sex. In males it suggests dominance, acquistion of resources. Access to more females and minimal threat. In females, used as a method to control partner.
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(Evolutionary)What is the supporting research for Sexual Jealousy in aggression?
Many studies show mate retention strategies show associations. Shackleford study = direct guarding and negative inducements used by males. Indicates a clear link between the greater risk of infidelity, cuckoldry and aggression. Supports adaptive valu
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(Evolutionary)How do Evolutionary explanations account for Gender differences?
Males engage more in most aggressive acts. Campbell = female offspring motivated to be<aggressive to protect self and child and instead use verbal. Explains why some women are > non aggressive methods of resolving disputes
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(Evolutionary)What is a Real Life application of Bullying?
Devise more effective anti-bullying interventions. Understand why people bully to gain advantages, no sense to give up that power without some form of compensation. Need to increase the costs of bullying. Opportunity to show prowess.
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(Social Psychological)Frustration-Aggression - According to Dollard what is the cause of aggression?
Frustration always leads to Aggression and Aggression is always the result of Frustration.
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(Social Psychological)Frustration-Aggression -How does this Hypothesis link to catharsis from the psychodynamic approach
If attempt to achieve a goal is blocked by external factor we experience frustration which leads to an aggressive outburst. Cathartic because aggression is satisfied, reducing drive
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(Social Psychological)Frustration-Aggression - What are the 3 reasons aggression may not be expressed directly at source?
-Abstract (economy, government), -Powerful (risk of punishment), -Unavailable (moved to a different location)
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(Social Psychological)Frustration-Aggression - What was Geens study into this Hypothesis?
Male uni students. 1)impossible 2)ran out of time 3)insulted as failed. all participants then gave shocks to con. 3 gave strongest, then 2, then 1. All three gave more intense than nonfrustrated control group
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(Social Psychological)Frustration-Aggression - What was Berkowitz's study against this Hypothesis?
Frust. leads to a readiness but agg. is most likely with environmental cues. Participants given shocks in lab. Conf. were then shocked by participants. 2 guns present = 6.07. No guns = 4.67. Environ. cues stimulate aggression
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(Social Psychological)Frustration-Aggression - What was the supporting research
Meta-analysis of 49 studies of displaced aggression. Participants who were provoked but unable to retaliate more likely to aggress against an innocent party than those not provoked. Reliable phenomenon
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(Social Psychological)Frustration-Aggression - What was the research against this hypothesis
Participants who vented on punchbag became more aggressiver rather than less. suggests doing nothing is more effective. Outcome is very different than what was predicted, casting doubt on central assumption
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(Social Psychological)Frustration-Aggression - What did Berkowitz propose was wrong with the orginal hypothesis
Inadequate as it only accounted for aggression in some cases. Proposed negative effect theory. Frustration is just one aversive stimuli, outcome can be a range of responses. Frustration at a bad grade could lead to despair, anxiety, not just aggresio
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(Social Psychological)Social Learning Theory - What did Bandura suggest about aggression?
Can be learnt directly/indirectly. Often cannot be explained by direct forms of learning(positive,negative reinforcement and punishment). Rather an indirect mechanism accounts for social learning of most aggressive behaviour
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(Social Psychological)Social Learning Theory - What aggressive models are included?
siblings, parents, peers and characters in the media. More likely to copy the model if see consequences of reward. This is known as vicarious reinforcement
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(Social Psychological)Social Learning Theory - What are the four cognitive conditions needed for observational learning?
Attention (How much we watch), Retention (Form a symbol, mental representation) Reproduction (Transform mental into action) Motivation (reasoning behind)
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(Social Psychological)Social Learning Theory - What is self-efficacy?
The extent we believe our actions will achieve a desired goal. Efficacy develops each time we are aggressive. Brings confidence and rewards
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(Social Psychological)Social Learning Theory - What was the research done by bandura?
Found if a child saw an adult be aggressive the would also be aggressive towards BoBo doll. Non aggressive adults, aggression was non-existant in child.
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(Social Psychological)Social Learning Theory - What was the supporting research done by Poulin and Boivin?
Most aggressive boys aged between 9 and 12 formed friendships with other agressive boys. Lasting, stable and mutually reinforcing. These cliques were described as 'training grounds' for antisocial behaviour, saw positive consequence of aggression.
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(Social Psychological)Social Learning Theory - What are practical benefits of understanding behaviour from this perspective?
People are active influencers of their own environments, and so shape their own aggressive behaviour by selecting and creating their surroundings(reciprocal determinism). could be used to educate young people and encourage them to make better choices
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(Social Psychological)Social Learning Theory - What are practical benefits of understanding behaviour from this perspective?
when forming friendships, they will have more opportunity to model non-aggressive behaviour and in turn, reduce their own aggression levels and possibly criminal acts.
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(Social Psychological)Social Learning Theory - Why can this not explain all aggression?
Reactive aggression isnt explained. Children who use aggression to retaliate in heat of moment, tend to be hostile, dont use agg to achieve anything except retribution. Suggest a lack of role model, cognitive control, self efficicacy.
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(Social Psychological)Deindividuation - What is meant by Crowd behaviour?
We are easily identified by others, behaviour is constrained by social norms, live in society where most forms of aggressive behaviour are discouraged. We lose sense of individual self-identity and responsibility, greater discard for norms and laws
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(Social Psychological)Deindividuation - What did Zimbardo say about deindividuation?
Distinguished between individuated and deindividuated. In state - rational, normative. De state - emotional, impulsive, irrational, anti-normative, disinhibited. Loose self awareness. Stop monitoring and regulating behaviour. Ignore social norms.
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(Social Psychological)Deindividuation - What are the conditons of deindividuation?
Environment, drugs, alcohol, authority, mask, disguise
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(Social Psychological)Deindividuation - What is self awareness?
Likelihood of agg. is not due to anonymity directly, but the consequence.
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(Social Psychological)Deindividuation - What is public selfawareness?
Public - care about what other people think, reduced in crowds. realise we are one individual amongst many. Anonymous so behaviour is less likely to be judged. No longer care how others see us, less accountable for aggressive and destructive actions
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(Social Psychological)Deindividuation - What is private self awareness
Private - pay attention to our own feelings. Reduced in a crow, outwardly on events, less own beliefs
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(Social Psychological)Deindividuation - What was the experiment by Dodd
229 under, Classroom exercise, asked 'if you could do anything humanly possible with complete assurance that you would not be deteted, what would you do?', anonymous. 36%=antisocial 26% = criminal. A few said murder, ****, assassination 9%= prosocial
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(Social Psychological)Deindividuation - What did Douglas and McGarty do to support this theory?
online aggression, chatrooms and messaging. strong correlation between anonymity and flaming. Most agg were sent by those hiding idenity. Suggests existance in a context more relevant to today explosing in social media use, online trolls.
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(Social Psychological)Deindividuation -What was a study that didnt support this theory?
'Deviance in the dark' 8 participants all strangers. darkened room for 1hr do whatever with no rules impossible to identify each other. didnt take long for them to start kissing and touching each other intimately study was repeated kissing decreased
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(Institutional Aggression)What are dispositional explanations?Importation model
Argues that not completely insulated from everyday life. Inmates bring in subculture typical of criminality. Beliefs values norms attitudes and history of learning experience. Willingness for violence reflects lives. Agg is product of individual char
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(Institutional Aggression)What is the research for Importation model?
813 juvenile deliquents in california. Brought into confinement several negative dispostions such as experience of childhood trauma, high levels of anger, substance abuse. More likely to engage in suicidal activity, sexual misconduct compared to fewe
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(Institutional Aggression)Evaluation - What is supporting research?
561 male inmates, similar criminal histories and predispositions. 1/2 in low secure, 1/2 is second highes. 33% low 36% high, were involved in aggressive misconduct within 2yr. diff not stat signi. Field exp with random allocation
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(Institutional Aggression)Evaluation - What is an alternative explanation?
Importation is inadequate, ignores roles of prison officials. Administrative control model, poorly managed prisons more likely to experience the most serious form of inmate violence - weak indecisive leadership, few opportunities for education. influ
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(Institutional Aggression)What are situation explanations? Deprivation Model?
cause of institutional aggression within prisons is caused by environment, harsh conditions = more stressful. Aggression to cope. Deprived of freedom , safety, heterosexual intimacy. Creates competition
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(Institutional Aggression)What is the research for the Deprivation model?
Factors that predict aggression in 512 prisons in US. More common in prisons where there were higher proportions of female staff, hispanics, african-american. Independant of individual characteristic.
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(Institutional Aggression)Evaluation - What is supporting evidence?
some situational factors are influential. 35 inmate homicides in Texas. Motivations for behaviour linked to some deprivations identified by Clemmer. Particularly important were arguments over drugs, homosexual relationships.
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(Institutional Aggression)Evaluation - What is contradictory evidence?
Predicts lack of freedom and heterosexual contact. Evidence doesnt support this. 256 male, female inmates in 2 prisons - allows conjugal visits. no link between these visits and reduced aggression
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(The Effects of Computer Games) Bartholow and Anderson - What are experimental studies?
Lab, violent or non violent games for 10mins, Taylor Competitive Reaction Time Task., delivered blasts of white noise at chosen levels to (non-existant) opponent. Violent=higher noise levels
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((The Effects of Computer Games) Delisi - What are correlational studies?
227 Juvenile, history of aggression, structured interviews gather data on measures of aggression + violent game playing. Significantly correlated to how much they play + enjoy. So well established aggression should be considered a public health issue
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(The Effects of Computer Games) Robertson - What are longitudinal studies?
See if there was a link between 'excessive' TV viewing in childhood and aggressive behaviour in adulthood. 1037 people in NZ - viewing hours up to 26years. Watch most TV = diagnosed with antisocial personality and aggressive traits. No violentcontent
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(The Effects of Computer Games) Anderson - What are meta-analysis?
136 studies that included all 3 methods. Exposure to violent games = increase in aggressive behaviour. True for everyone across individualist and collectivist. No indication of publication bias. Effect of violent game playing > second hand smoking
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(The Effects of Computer Games) Evaluation - Experimental Studies?
Establish causal link between media aggression and behaviour. Labs are artifical and unrealistic, dont involve fear of retaliatio. Unethical to allow realist forms of aggression so researcher have to be creative in devising ways to measure aggression
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(The Effects of Computer Games) Evaluation - Correlational Studies?
Allow us to investigate realistic forms. Doesnt allow us to draw cause and effect, no variables are manipulated or controlled, no random allocation. The outcome does not help the direction of causality to be settled
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(The Effects of Computer Games) Evaluation - Longitudinal studies?
Investigates change over time. media influences in the long term can be studied. Views people as active consumers rather than passive recipients, realistic view of how people interact with media. Confounding variables - becomes difficult to seperate
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(Desensitation, Disinbition, CP) What is Desensitisation physiological affects?
Sympathetic nervous system. repeatedly view aggression, they become habituated to its affects - such as no increase heart rate, sweat activity. Stimulus that is usually Aversive has a diminishing affect, reduction in anxiety.
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(Desensitation, Disinbition, CP) What is Desensitisation psychological affects?
Promotes a belief that using aggression to resolve conflict is socially acceptable. Negative attitudes towards it are weakened, less empathy is felt.
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(Desensitation, Disinbition, CP) What is a study that supports Desensitisation?
A labratory study. Feature film Straw Dogs, contained prolonged graphic scene of ****. Re-enactment of a **** trial. Male viewers showed greater acceptance of **** myths and sexual aggression. Less sympathy shown to victim. Not find defendant guilty
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(Desensitation, Disinbition, CP) Evaluation - How does research in film clips and levels of arousal show desensitisation?
Participants who were habitual viewers of violent media showed lower levels of arousal when watch a violent clip. Reported higher levels of pleasant arousal and low levels of anxious arousal. Low arousal correlated with proactive agg in noise test
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(Desensitation, Disinbition, CP) What is Disinhibition?
Powerful social and psych inhibitions against agg learned in SLT. Usual restraints are loosened after exposure to violent media. Appears normative and socially sanctioned in such media, minimise effects of violence and suggests its justified rewarded
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(Desensitation, Disinbition, CP) Evaluation - what is the research support for Disinhibitons?
Film depicting agg as vengence gave more shocks. Media disinhibits agg behaviour when justified. Vengeance is a powerful justification, socially accepted. Link betwee removal of social constraints and subsequent agg behaviour
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(Desensitation, Disinbition, CP) What is cognitive priming?
Viewing agg gives us a script of how violent situations play out. Stored in memory so we are ready to be aggressive. Automatic, direct behaviour without being aware. Triggered with agg cues.
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(Desensitation, Disinbition, CP) How can song lyrics cause aggression?
Male listened to agg derogatory lyrics about women. compared to those who listened to neutral, recall negative qualit and more agg to F confed. Same results found for women.
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(Desensitation, Disinbition, CP) Evaluation - What are the practical applications for cognitive priming?
Life saving benefits. Habitually watch violent media access more readily. More likely to interpret cues as aggressive, resoprt to violence, dont consider other. Interventions reduce agg by challenging hostile cognitive bias, and encourage use alterna
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(Neural)What was Gospics research into the importance of the amygdala on aggressive behaviour?

Back

The ultimatum game. Proposer offered to split money with participant. Accept or Decline. When connected to FMRI scans it showed amygdala reactivity as fast and heightened when rejected. Benzodiazepine = reduced rejections and amygdala activity

Card 3

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(Neural)What is an evaluation of the Limbic system?

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Card 4

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(Neural)What is Serotonin?

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Card 5

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(Neural)What was Virkunnens research into serotonin and aggression?

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