Aggressive Tendencies
It's difficult to think about why people intentionally harm other individuals, however, several theories attempt to explain human aggression. Some hypothesize that aggressive behaviour is not simply an innate quality but a part of our personality that is learned. The belief that all humans are instinctively aggressive offers little insight into methods of reducing anti-social behaviour. By looking at how aggression is formed through experience, however, we can make inferences into what type of people are more likely to aggress and the factors that perpetuate an aggressive personality. I believe that aggression is most predominant under 3 conditions: (1) under high levels of frustration (2) when there is a payoff in response to acting out and (3) when it is learned through observation. Because the frustration-aggression theory and the social learning theory offer insightful clues into the development of aggression, I will discuss them in detail.The frustration-aggression theory posits that feelings of aggression are brought on when we are prevented from obtaining a goal. This theory basically claims that the loss of control and lack of power, emotions that typify frustration, lead to aggression. Several factors can increase fru
There is no doubt that aggression pays off. Secondly, they begin to see violence of a "fact of life" that is inescapable, regardless of the repercussions. Instead Bandura argued that aggression is learned in two basic ways: (1) from receiving and/or expecting payoffs following aggression and (2) from observing aggressive models. Because anti-social behaviour must show intent to be labled aggressive, even the most "random" acts of aggression are assumed to have some kind of reward. It helps to consider the definition of "aggression" and look at how it is generally learned. Therefore, observing high levels of repeated violence not only facilitates aggressive tendencies, but also inhibits pro-social behaviour (empathy). If after performing an aggressive act an animal or human receives a positive reinforcement (such as food or a toy), they are likely to repeat the behavior in order to gain more rewards. The second method that is covered by the social learning theory is observational learning. Lastly, research has shown that increased levels of TV violence desensitize viewers to human suffering. "The closer the goal, the greater the expectation of pleasure that is thwarted; the greater the expectation, the more likely the aggression. "This theory explains both road-rage and sky-rage most appropriately, in which individuals strike out in an effort to gain control over uncontrollable circumstances. The first method of learning aggressive behavior is through simple instrumental conditioning. Sadly, research shows that people are impacted by the aggressive behaviour they see in several ways. The male who acts the most macho and aggressive gets the praise of certain groups of males.
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