Module 78 REVIEW

• 78-1 How does psychology’s definition of aggression differ from everyday usage? What biological factors make us more prone to hurt one another?

• In psychology’s more specific meaning, aggression is any act intended to harm someone physically or emotionally.
• Biology influences our threshold for aggressive behaviors at three levels: genetic (inherited traits), neural (activity in key brain areas), and biochemical (such as alcohol or excess testosterone in the bloodstream).
• Aggression is a complex behavior resulting from the interaction of biology and experience.

• 78-2 What psychological and social-cultural factors may trigger aggressive behavior?

• Frustration (the frustration-aggression principle), previous reinforcement for aggressive behavior, observing an aggressive role model, and poor self-control can all contribute to aggression.
• Media portrayals of violence provide social scripts that children learn to follow.
• Viewing sexual violence contributes to greater aggression toward women.
• Playing violent video games increases aggressive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Brandt’s football team just barely lost the state championship game after a questionable referee call. As a result, Brandt gets angry and starts shouting insults. Which of the following terms best identifies this chain of events?
   1. Aggression
   2. Biochemical influences
   3. Frustration-aggression principle
   4. Social scripts
   5. Biopsychosocial model
2. Dwayne is acting violently toward his friends and family. A PET scan of his brain may show
   1. increased frontal lobe activity.
   2. diminished activity in the amygdala.
   3. decreased frontal lobe activity.
   4. a decrease in the size of the hippocampus.
   5. enlarged ventricles.
3. Which of the following is an example of a social-cultural influence on aggressive behavior?
   1. Reading an anxiety-provoking novel
   2. Frustration
   3. Testosterone
   4. Exposure to violent media
   5. Genetics

Practice FRQs

1. Using the biopsychosocial model, name a biological influence, a social-cultural influence, and a psychological influence on aggressive behavior.

Answer

1 point: Possible biological influences: genetic, biochemical (for example, testosterone), or neural (for example, severe frontal lobe injury). Page 801

1 point: Possible social-cultural influences: deindividuation, provocation, minimal father involvement, exposure to violent media, rejection from a group, or parental models of aggression. Page 803

1 point: Possible psychological influences: dominating behavior, believing one has consumed alcohol, low self-control, frustration, aggressive role models, or rewards for aggressive behavior. Page 803

2. Explain how social scripts and the frustration-aggression principle can be linked to an increase in violence after viewing violence.

(2 points)