Aqa Gcse Psychology Unit 2 - Aggression

Front 1

What is aggression?

Back 1

Behaviour aimed at harming others.

Front 2

What are hormones?

Back 2

Chemicals released by our endocrine system that affect how our bodies function and how we behave

Front 3

What are chromosomes?

Back 3

The parts of each cell that carry the genetic information from our parents.

Front 4

What is the limbic system?

Back 4

The part of the brain that causes aggressive behaviour.

Front 5

What is the Prefrontal Cortex?

Back 5

The very front of the brain. Involved in social and moral behaviour and controls aggression.

Front 6

What are the Biological explanations of Aggression?

Back 6

-Males are more aggressive than females, due to the large difference in testosterone, as testosterone is thought to be responsible.

-Chromosomal abnormality, men with an extra Y chromosome (when the 23rd chromosome fails to divide, left with XYY) are thought to be more aggressive

-An interaction of different parts of the brain, i.e. Brain disease affecting either the limbic system or the prefrontal cortex.

Front 7

Describe the Charles Whitman case study.

Back 7

In 1966, Whitman climbed up the Uni of Texas' clock tower and shot 12 people with a big gun; the last of a series of aggressive acts throughout adult life. After being killed by the Texas Rangers, they found a tumour pressing on the part of his brain that causes aggressive behaviour, the limbic system.

Front 8

What is Freud's part of the Psychodynamic explanation of Aggression?

Back 8

Proposed by Freud, we have an unconscious drive that causes aggression, which is caused by an internal force, called Thanatos, which drives us towards self-destruction. This builds up, creates pressure, until we can't control it and we become aggressive. We prevent self-destruction by instead using ego defence mechanisms, to harm others instead.

Front 9

What is Thanatos?

Back 9

The part of our unconscious that causes our aggressive drive.

Front 10

What are ego defence mechanisms?

Back 10

Behaviour strategies used by the individual to protect themselves.

Front 11

What are the two Ego Defence Mechanisms Freud identified?

Back 11

-Displacement

-Sublimation

Front 12

What is Displacement?

Back 12

Being aggressive towards other people

Front 13

What is sublimation?

Back 13

Channelling our aggression into other acceptable activities.

Front 14

What did Dollard et al. add to the Psychodynamic explanation of Aggression?

Back 14

They argued that the Thanatos wouldn't just spill into aggression for no reason, but there needed to be a trigger. They proposed the frustration-aggression explanation. We need to be frustrated to release our aggression. I.e. Being late, losing things, arguing, etc.

Front 15

What is vicarious learning?

Back 15

Learning by observation.

Front 16

What is Monitoring?

Back 16

Judging whether our own behaviour is appropriate or not.

Front 17

What is Punishment?

Back 17

A stimulus that weakens behaviour because it is unpleasant and we try to avoid it.

Front 18

What is the Social Learning theory of Aggression?

Back 18

Caused by seeing how others behave and copying. This especially occurs in children as there are lots of new situations so they are more likely to copy what they see. SLT stresses the importance of vicarious learning, like when children swear it's because they've heard someone else swear and not been told off for it.

Front 19

When are children more likely to imitate role models?

Back 19

-If they are similar (in age or sex, etc.), attractive, powerful or caring.

-If they have seen the role model being reinforced for being aggressive, they will think it's okay. Such as a hero killing a villain with a slap, the child may think slapping is praised.

Front 20

What did Bandura find (referring to modelling)?

Back 20

Bandura realised reinforcement can also come in the form of pride or self-satisfaction, when judging our own behaviour. Therefore, we will do something we felt pride in again.

Front 21

An implication of children copying what they see.

Back 21

Punishment can actually have an opposite effect, i.e. If a parent hits a child for punishment, this may teach he child hitting is okay.

Front 22

Aim and Method of Young et al. (Pregnant rhesus monkeys)

Back 22

Aim: To see the effect of hormones on aggressive behaviour.

Method: Pregnant rhesus monkeys were injected with testosterone and levels of aggression in offspring was observed.

Front 23

Results and Conclusion of Young et al.

Back 23

Results: The female offspring grew up to behave like male monkeys (rough and tumble play, challenging males for dominance, etc.)

Conclusion: Testosterone does seem to play a vital part in aggression.

Front 24

What is a PET scan?

Back 24

A technique to show how the brain is working by imaging it while the patient is carrying out a mental task.

Front 25

Aim and Method of Raine (Murderer PET scans)

Back 25

Aim: To investigate murderer's brains.

Method: 41 murderers in California had a PET scan and compared them with a similar group of non-murderers.

Front 26

Results and Conclusion of Raine (murderer PET scans)

Back 26

Results: Some differences, e.g. activity in the pre-frontal cortex of the murderers was lower.

Conclusion: When the pre-frontal cortex, etc. aren't working properly, it can lead to violent crimes.

Front 27

Aim and Method of Barker (kids waiting)

Back 27

Aim: To see the effect of frustration on aggression.

Method: Group 1 children were kept away from toys for a long time. Group 2 children played straight away.

Front 28

Results and Conclusion of Barker (kids waiting)

Back 28

Results: The children were more aggressive and destructive when they had been kept waiting.

Conclusion: Frustration leads to an increase in aggression.

Front 29

Aim and Method of Megargee and Mendelsohn (criminal personalities)

Back 29

Aim: To see the link between aggression and personality type.

Method: Brutally aggressive criminals were interviewed and took personality tests.

Front 30

Results and Conclusion of Megargee and Mendelsohn (criminal personalities)

Back 30

Results: The criminals had repressed their anger and been 'over controlled' until it built up and exploded after something trivial.

Conclusion: If people do not let their aggressive instinct out in small amounts, the build-up will be too great and uncontrollable.

Front 31

Evaluate Young, Raine, Barker and Megargee and Mendelsohn.

Back 31

-When all participants are criminals, we cannot generalise to the whole population.

-People can lie in interviews.

-Difficult to standardise 'frustration'.

Front 32

Aim and Method of Bandura (Bobo doll)

Back 32

Aim: To see if 3-6 year olds imitated aggressive behaviour from role models towards a 'bobo' doll.

Method: 96 children split into 4 groups, 3 groups watched someone throw kick and punch the Bobo doll. Behaviour was then observed whilst playing.

Front 33

Results and conclusion of Bandura (bobo doll)

Back 33

Results: Kids who saw aggression were more aggressive towards the bobo doll.

Conclusion: Children will copy how they see others behave.

Front 34

Aim and Method of Liebert and Baron (violent TV)

Back 34

Aim: to see if watching violent TV programmes affected aggression in children.

Method: Group 1 watched a violent TV programme, group 2 watched an equally exciting sporting event, then both groups were observed playing.

Front 35

Results and conclusion of Liebert and Baron (violent TV)

Back 35

Results: Group 1 were more aggressive at play than group 2.

Conclusion: Violence on TV increases the level of aggression in a child's behaviour.

Front 36

Aim and Method of Charlton et al. (St. Helena Project)

Back 36

Aim: To see if introduction of TV (and therefore aggressive role models) would affect aggression of children.

Method: The island of St. Helena got TVs, then for 2 years after children's behaviour was monitored.

Front 37

Results and Conclusion of Charlton et al. (St. Helena Project)

Back 37

Results: The kids didn't show increased aggression after TV introduced.

Conclusion: Merely watching aggressive behaviour is insufficient in children copying aggressive behaviour.

Front 38

What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

Back 38

A disorder characterised by short attention span, poor concentration and uncontrollable aggressive outbursts.

Front 39

What is Ritalin?

Back 39

A drug used to control ADHD.

Front 40

What is Psychosurgery?

Back 40

An operation on the brain to remove or destroy the part that is causing abnormal behaviour.

Front 41

What is Catharsis?

Back 41

The psychodynamic process of getting rid of your emotions by watching other people experiencing emotion.

Front 42

Aim and Method of Bandura (role model being punished)

Back 42

Aim: To see if observing a role model be punished reduces the chance of aggression being copied

Method: Kids watched an adult role model either be punished or rewarded for acting aggressively.

Front 43

Results and Conclusion of Bandura (role model punished)

Back 43

Results: Kids who saw the model punished were less aggressive.

Conclusion: If children see that aggression brings a punishment, they will not copy it.

Front 44

Aim and Method of Huesmann et al.

Back 44

Aim: To see if teaching children to think more carefully abit what they see reduces aggression.

Method: Kids were taught to realise TV isn't real. People use non-violent methods of resolving problems in real life. The group's behaviour was then compared with kids who didn't receive training.

Front 45

Results and Method of Huesmann et al. (TV isn't real)

Back 45

Results: The children who received training showed less aggression than others.

Conclusion: Aggression is reduced by making kids think about how they behave, so TV role models become less influential.