AGGRESSION

• Aggression is a harmful social interaction with the aim of inflicting damage or harm on others.
• TWO SUB TYPES OF AGGRESSION

  1. Hostile
  2. Instrumental
• 1. Hostile= This is a reaction to someone or something when there is a threat present ( flight or fight)
• 2. Instrumental = This is aggression that serves a purpose. It has a rational basis which means it doesn't apply to people who are unable to make rational decisions
• A cognitive Schema develops when aggression is observed and then such scripts are used in similar situations.
• Behaviour is determined by cognitive scripts- that is acceptable or even expected that they act this way.
• PRIMING - indirect observation

  • Priming can also take place through the media
  • With a later trigger in the environment, their cognitive script is cued and they respond aggressively.
• COGNITIVE BIASES- Hostile Attribution Bias

  • Some people have an automatic response of aggression when they feel threatened by others.
  • Exposure to hostile situations as a child means that an individual will develop a schema about how they should respond in such situations.