Aggressive Behaviours

Aggressive Behaviours

The purpose of this essay is to outline some of the major theories and psychological studies in relation to interpersonal aggression. Aggression is a topic of interest to psychologists in the many branches of the social science, notably social psychologists. For instance, social psychologists predict that children exhibiting aggressive behaviours tend to be disliked by their peers, as opposed to non-hostile children. Conversely, children who observe a group at play before attempting to join a game seem to be the most popular, demonstrating greater social skills.

Clearly, displaying agressive and hostile behaviours is unlikely to gain one popularity. However, among primates, agression may serve the purpose of establishing social status. Further, testosterone, the hormone mainly produced by male gonads (although women also have the hormone, albeit at lower levels) has been associated with agression. Interestingly, in a study on chimpanzees, chimps who consistently lost in altercations, had lower levels of testosterone than those who won, and these levels fluctuated depending on the outcome of the fight. Moreover, serotonin, the neurotransmitter regulating mood, also fluctuated with win or lose situations.

Not all the creatures are agressive. Photo by Elena

Along these lines, Albert Bandura has been credited as one of the most famous psychologists to study behavioural agression and agressive tendencies. His studies on children’s modelling behaviour after watching an adult interact negatively with a Bobo doll, inspired a series of experiments on the effects of watching agression on television. Indeed, the media’s portrayal of aggression seemingly without seriously nefarious consequences (or even glamorized!), as well as, violent video games such as Grand Theft Auto, have been blamed for violent acts committed in real life. Nevertheless, clinicians remain divided, for the most part, as to whether watching violent acts actually leads one to behave more violently. Indeed, correlation does not imply causality, and researchers have stipulated that perpetrators with violent tendencies may be drawn to violent content in the first place.

Naturally, bullying in schools has been a prominent topic in the study of agression and hostile bbehaviours. For example, psychologists have found that children who were loners were more likely to be bullied, as opposed to children who had at least one friend. In addition, since the popularization of the Internet, cyber-bullying has become a problem, exacerbated by the fact that due to its fairly recent and dynamic nature, coupled with global scope, the laws governing cyberspace remain under development in many areas.

Also, social and developmental psychologists point to frustration as a precursor to agression in certain cases. For example, frustrated needs and desires may lead a child to behave aggressively towards others, especially if the child failed to learn other ways to regulate his or her negative emotional states.

Alternatively, for adults, mental illness may also contribute to violent acts, often times with the individual not entirely cognizant of his or her behaviour (hence the insanity defence in extreme cases for not criminally responsible persons). To illustrate, auditory hallucinations combined with delusions in clinical patients with schizophrenia, have been documented. To illustrate, command internal running commentaries, or “voices in their heads” may tell a patient with schizophrenia to hurt themselves or others. Notwithstanding, obviously, a person found not criminally responsible for a heinous crime will still be isolated from society in most jurisdictions, and communities across the world, albeit in a mental institution instead of a high-security correctional facility.

In contrast, from an evolutionary psychology perspective, aggression might have served a certain adaptive purpose. For instance, to take another social science perspective – political science – Realists (Realism – political theory/school of thought) would stress the importance of power, strategy and even show of force, in international (although of course not interpersonal!) relations. Still, as Mahatma Gandhi has proven, peaceful protest and civil disobedience go to far more positive, yet spectacular and impressive lengths. Thus, the purpose of the present paper was to cover the main theories and arguments discussed in the field of psychology in relation to hostility, violence and aggressive behaviours.

Frustration, Aggression, and the Make It All Better Pill

We live in a world where there should be a feel better pill for almost everything and anything. The Simpsons, the popular, long-standing family oriented cartoon had an episode on it, the one where Lisa Simpson – the perfect child by so many standards, becomes depressed and starts vomiting smileys once she gets put on antidepressants. But let’s not minimize antidepressants, depression or what is discussed in The Simpsons. Indeed, some very serious issues are discussed in The Simpsons, but I digress…

Confusion, photo by Elena (Toronto's pier).

The point of the present post, and yes, there indeed is a point, is to discuss frustration, aggression, restlessness and other things which are not fun, but which still creep up into daily lives of, sometimes it seems, everybody. Psychologists say that frustration leads to aggression and other expressions of hostile and violent behaviours, thoughts and cognitions. Frustration is not getting what one wants, to have one’s wants, needs, and goals thwarted. Isn’t there a pill for that?