Aggression in psychology is a multifaceted behavior with potential to cause harm, encompassing physical and verbal forms. It can be emotional or instrumental, with roots in biological mechanisms like the limbic system and hormones, and is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Ethological insights suggest aggression's evolutionary advantages for survival and reproduction, while societal implications consider the balance between biological determinism and personal agency.
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Physical aggression is a form of aggression that involves physical harm or injury towards another individual
Verbal Aggression
Verbal aggression is a form of aggression that involves using words to cause harm or injury towards another individual
Social Exclusion
Social exclusion is a form of aggression that involves intentionally excluding someone from a social group or activity
Aggression can be categorized as emotional or impulsive aggression, which is a response to perceived threats, or instrumental or cognitive aggression, which is premeditated and used to achieve a specific goal
Ethology examines aggression within an evolutionary context and suggests that it is an innate and adaptive response that has evolved to increase an organism's chances of survival and reproduction
Securing Resources
Aggression can function to secure resources, defend against threats, and establish social hierarchies
Ritualized Aggression
In many species, aggression is ritualized and serves as a form of communication to maintain social order
Aggression is triggered by innate releasing mechanisms and carried out through fixed action patterns, which are hardwired and predictable sequences of behavior
The limbic system, particularly the amygdala, and neurotransmitters like serotonin and hormones like testosterone play a role in the processing and regulation of aggression
Research suggests that there may be heritable components to aggressive behavior, indicating a biological predisposition that interacts with environmental factors
Human beings possess complex cognitive abilities and emotional regulation that can mediate aggressive impulses, and cultural and societal influences also play a significant role in shaping aggressive behavior
The ethological perspective raises questions about culpability and the management of aggressive individuals, highlighting the need to integrate biological predispositions with personal agency and environmental factors
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In the study of psychology, ______ is defined as actions aimed at inflicting damage or pain on another person who wishes to evade such actions.
aggression
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Physical vs. Verbal Aggression
Physical aggression involves bodily harm, while verbal aggression uses words to offend or insult.
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Emotional Aggression Characteristics
Emotional aggression is impulsive, often due to threats, with high arousal levels.
