Social Psychology - Aggression and Extremism lecture notes

Module: Social Psychology


Week 12 lecture – Aggression and Extremism


Plan
 Start off with some general context to help us think about why aggression is
such an important topic

 Definitions of aggression

 Various explanations of aggression

 Explanations of violent extremism – a particular form of aggression


Context
 We are living in a world of conflict

 War, terrorism, hate crimes, gangs, stabbing

 People’s attitudes – some think things are getting worse, but some think
things are getting better.


Black and white photograph
 This is Oxford Circus taken during the Second World War – a bomb was
dropped.

 Second black and white photograph shows the John Lewis building in Oxford
Circus


Pinker, S. (2011). The Better Angels of our Nature. New York, NY: Viking.
 Steven Pinker had a pessimistic view

 Pinker put forward the argument that violence is decreasing around the world.
Historically, over time, there are fewer violent acts.

 The graph in the slide looks at homicide rates in Western Europe – it has
become less violent.

 Second graph shows the murder rates in the US – it was high during 1970s –
1990s, but then it comes down quite dramatically in 2000 – 2010.

,  Western Europe and United States has become less violent according to
Pinker. Even though we have become more scared of becoming victims of
crime, the statistics doesn’t seem to reflect this.


Questions
 Is this aggression inevitable?

 How comes there are differences between groups and individuals?

 How comes some people are more peaceful than others?


Defining aggression
 Berkowitz gives a definition of aggression

 Mental element and psychical element

 Berkowitz looked at the dynamics of riots

 He conducted a study in the Netherlands in the 1970s where one group of
kids were shown a violent film and the other group was shown a non-violent
film. Experiment was conducted to look at the effects of violence. His
experiment didn’t turn out the way he had intended – once the kids who
watched the non-violent film learnt that the other kids got to watch a violent
film, they got very jealous and angry and started a lot of fights. The kids felt
they had been deprived of watching a violent film.


Defining Aggression
 Target – self-harm can be seen as aggression directed at oneself

 Cause – is it a medical problem? A result of drugs? Is it habitual?

 Pre-mediated? Is the aggression planned?

 How do people feel when they are aggressive? Are they aroused?

 Are people calm and collected?


Direct (physical) v. indirect (non-physical)
 Physical – physical form of aggression

 Indirect – online behaviour e.g. snide remarks. People being bullied with
words.