Prevention and Control (and summary)

Punishment What did we learn about punishment from last chapter? Punishment (learning, arousal, not internalize standards) High punishment = high aggression in child No punishment = high aggression in child Now we must also take into account: Instrumentality (rewards > costs) Probability it will be delivered

Punishment, effective if… 1.Directly contingent upon person’s behavior (Probability) 2.Consistently follows from behavior (Probability) 3.Immediate after behavior (Probability) 4.Moderately high punishment (Magnitude) 5.Explanations for the punishment (Internalize) 6.Offer alternatives besides punishment (Learning) 7.Not too much arousal (Arousal) 8.Person has relatively little to gain from continuing the behavior (Instrumentality)

Catharsis Two types Emotional catharsis Behavioral catharsis (what about “Physiological” catharsis?) (what about “Cognitive” catharsis?) Actual attacks (but not fantasy attacks) against provocateur (but not third party) reduces anger and physiological arousal, but it also increases future aggressive behavior (why?) But can also reduce anger and physiological arousal by (1) exhausting activities like exercise, (2) non-aggressive and/or self-aggressive that serve to decrease punishment from partner

Cognitive techniques for reducing aggression Attributions Effective if preventing malicious attributions Mitigating Circumstances Effective if both prior and subsequent mitigating circumstances, but prior is preventative and subsequent in inhibitory Apologies Effective if sincere, convincing, external events beyond the person’s control

Incompatible Responses Empathy Effective if perspective taking and not positively reinforced by enjoying the pain cues from target Humor Effective if feeling of amusement and not primed by humor having aggressive themes Sexual arousal Effective if mild and not creating negative feelings

Summary: Can aggression be stopped? If social determinant… ● Frustration (magnitude, cues, arbitrariness, cognitive processes) ● Provocation (verbal, physical, defensive strategy, impression management) ● Characteristics of target (sex, race) ● Instigation by other people (obedience, bystanders) If external determinant… ● Heat, noise, crowding, air quality, odor, cues, media, self-awareness ● Models such as CNA, GAM, Excitation Transfer, Frustration-Aggression If individual determinant… ● Personality traits such as HAB, Irritability, Internal LOC, Type A ● Self esteem, Self control If biological determinant… ● Genetic, Evolutionary, Neurotransmitters, Hormonal, Structural If developmental determinant… ● Social Learning