AGRESSION : TITS, BITS AND PITS

“In all of nature, there is nothing as threatening to humanity as humanity itself “ - Lewis Thomas, 1981

 AGGRESSION IS ANY BEHAVIOR DIRECTED TOWARDS ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL, CARRIED OUT WITH THE ‘PROXIMATE’ INTENT TO CAUSE HARM. IN ADDITION TO THIS, THE TARGET IS MOTIVATED TO AVOID THE HARM.  THE INTENT TO CAUSE HARM IS NECESSARY ONLY AS A PROXIMATE GOAL AND NOT NECESSARILY AS THE ULTIMATE GOAL, IF ANY BEHAVIOR IS TO BE LABELLED AS ‘AGGRESSIVE’.

> IT IS THE “FIGHT” PART OF THE “FLIGHT-OR-FIGHT” SELF DEFENSE SYSTEM. > AN ACT INTENDED TO INCREASE RELATIVE SOCIAL DOMINANCE. > INCLUDES EMOTIONAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, COGNITIVE INTERNAL STATE.

 AGGRESSION EXCLUDES ALL CASES OF ACCIDENTAL HARM.  THE EXPLANATIONS FOR AGGRESSION RANGE FROM WHAT FREUD TERMED AS ‘THANATOS’, TO KONRAD’S ‘FIGHTING INSTINCT’ TO THE MORE RECENT GAAM MODEL PROPOSED BY ANDERSON et al.

Fig. The General Affective Aggression Model (GAAM; Anderson, Deuser & DeNeve, 1995)

> A THIN BOUNDARY DIFFERENTIATES AGGRESSIVE/VIOLENT BEHAVIORS FROM NON-AGGRESSIVE ONES AND FROM ‘ASSERTIVENESS’. > PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVENESS IMPLIES RELEASING ONE’S ANGER BY BEING PASSIVE OR SUBTLY OPPOSITIONAL. SUCH A PERSON MAY PRETEND TO AGREE (“WHATEVER”, “SURE”), DENY ANGER (“NOTHING’S WRONG”), EXAGGERATE OTHERS’ FAULTS, BE ARGUMENTATIVE (HANKINS, 1993)

VIOLENCE IS AGGRESSION WITH EXTREME HARM AS ITS’ GOAL. ALL VIOLENCE IS AGGRESSION, AND NOT NECESSARILY VICE-VERSA

MAJOR DETERMINANTS OF AGGRESSION  FRUSTRATION  CONFLICT  PROVOCATION  ANGER  HATRED  INTOXICATION  MEDIA VIOLENCE

 TEMPERATURE/ WEATHER  HOSTILE ATTRIBUTIONAL BIAS  INTOLERANCE OF AMBIGUITY  PERSONALITY TYPE  SOCIAL LEARNING  DESENSITIZATION  VISION OF WEAPONS  SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS

Anderson and Bushman, 2001  Reviewed 54 studies with 4200 participants.  Playing violent video games resulted in : * Increased aggression * Decreased prosocial behavior * Increased aggressive thoughts * Increased anger * Increased arousal

FILMS AND CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

UCS UCR (ATTRACTIVE WOMAN) (SEXUAL AROUSAL) CS (VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ) NO SEXUAL AROUSAL BEFORE CONDITIONING

DURING CONDITIONING CSUS CSCR UCR AFTER CONDITIONING ( VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ) ( ATTRACTIVE WOMAN ) (SEXUAL AROUSAL) ( VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ) (SEXUAL RESPONSE)

OBSERVATIONAL STUDY CONDUCTED AT D.A.V. GIRLS COLLEGE, YAMUNANAGAR.

CURBING AGGRESSION  REMOVE CUES TO AGGRESSION  PROVIDE BETTER ROLE-MODELS  HONOUR DIVERSITY  STRENGTHEN PERSONAL SKILLS  INDIVIDUAL THERAPY  NURTURE DECISION-MAKING  TEACHING HEALTHY COPING STRATEGIES  MULTISYSTEMIC THERAPY

WITNESS “ALL THAT IS”…. TILL IT TRANSFORMS TO “ALL THAT WAS” !!!