Roots of Aggression

Two Theories

Omaha Beach

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82RTzi5Vt7w

Two Views of Aggression’s Source

• Biological source--evolutionary/adaptive on a continuum with our animal ancestry

• Psychological source--rooted in humanity and something peculiar or unique to us!

Ethologists’ Theory of Human Aggression!

• Predation vs. Aggression• Wynne-Edwards: stable populations

--animals don’t all starve equally--competitions & displays (red grouse fight at dawn for 2 hrs. then feed togthr.--swarming--Tribolium (Chapman) 1 to 32 breeding

pairs, after 6 months, Get 44 beetles/gram flour

Role of Aggression• Fitness selection (mature breeders) &

resource allocation

• Cost of aggression (hurt/killed)

• Limitations on cost:

--Dominance hierarchies (hens/monkeys) or individual territories (bower birds)

--Mechanisms that minimize damage:– -- threat display– -- ritualized combat

Mobbing-a powerful social behavior

Bowerbird Territory

Ritualized Combat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0pxSR3D01s

Implications for Humans

• Lorenz & Eibl-Eibesfeldt: dangerous vs. non-dangerous animals & implications

• Humans quickly switched categories via cultural invention, didn’t develop the safeguards

• Thus an ethological explanation of human behavior!

Human Analogues

• Spatial behavior: Hall (intimate 0-1.5, personal 1.5-4, social 4-12, public 12+)

• Invasion of space (library tables) • Defensive architecture (Newman)• Middlemeist et al. study of spacing• Emotions (universality, facial muscles,

etc.) --defensive smile

Humanistic Theory: Koestler

• Focus on War, not bar fights• It’s our human qualities and not our animal

nature that makes us dangerous • Pre-history bonding of hunting groups-

(Love of the in-group)• Human sacrifice- no inhibition against killing

con-specifics• Brain hierarchy (McClain’s tripartite brain)• (Marcus’ kluge: Evolution doesn’t optimize)• Symbols: their unique power to influence

humans

Summary• Humans oriented toward what others do

and can become dangerous as a result• Contributing issues:

– Conformity – Identification (identity formation)– Obedience– Self Perception– Foot in the door– Dehumanization of “others” or out-group– Elevation (love) of “sames” or in-group

Personality

Stability vs. Situation?

Personality• Traits vs. States vs. Types

• 18,000 personality terms to 32 traits to-

• Big five: – Extraversion (outgoing, sociable, positive)

– Neuroticism (prone to negative emotions)

– Conscientiousness (organized, efficient, disciplined)

– Openness to experience (non-conventional, curious)

– Agreeableness (trusting & easygoing with others)

40 to 60% heritable

Situationism• Low correlations across situations

– Strong vs. weak situations– But-brain differences and heritability

• Introverts more sensitive to external stimuli• More reactive central nervous system• Low pain tolerance• Underactive Nor-epi system• Sensation seeking extraverts

Heritability: Big five correlations

• Identical twins vs. fraternal twins :

Identical Fraternal

• Reared together- .51 .23

• Reared apart- .50 .21

Personality Theories• Psychoanalytic

– Childhood experience, ucs influence, dynamics, conflict, defenses, development and identification

• Humanistic– Focus on self & self-actualization, existential

approach, flow & happiness

• Social-Cognitive Theory– Beliefs, thoughts & personal constructs shape

behavior

• Behavioral Theory– Learning history, self-perception theory, self-control