The Psychology behind Aggressive Behaviour

The APA Dictionary of Psychology defines aggression as any behaviour to harm others physically or mentally. Characteristics of aggression include but are not limited to:

• Social ostracism
• Intentional harm
• Harming people in war
• Actual harm involving violence
• Self-injury through mutilation or suicide
• Physical injury without psychological harm
• Harming people, but not animals or property
• Perceived harm, where the victim believes that they have been harmed
• Harming people in a rule-governed context, like aggressive games, for example

Read More: Impact of Media Violence on Mental Health

Types of aggression

Aggression could be categorized into hostile aggression, instrumental aggression and affective aggression.

• Collective aggression: It is seen when a group of individuals show unified aggression towards another individual or group. One example of this would be mob lynching due to race, ethnic or religious differences.
• Institutionalized aggression: It refers to aggression that is formally or informally recognized and legitimized into rules and norms. Examples of this include prisoner abuse, physical punishment by parents and wars.
• Instrumental aggression: It is the phenomenon when an individual engages in aggressive behaviour to achieve another goal or to acquire something from someone. One example of instrumental aggression would be the case when one group of people fight against each other for property.
• Hostile aggression: It is the phenomenon when an individual engages in aggressive behaviour with the sole purpose of intentionally injuring someone or destroying something. One easy example of hostile aggression would be when people take revenge. In such cases, the motive is to hurt the other person.
• Affective aggression: It is the phenomenon when an individual engages in aggressive behaviour that is an emotional response to a perceived source of distress but is displaced onto other people and objects. One example of affective aggression would be the case of domestic violence where one partner displaces the anger towards their boss onto their partner.

Read More: Permissive Parenting: Its Approach and Impact on Child Development 

Explaining aggressive behaviour

1. Biological explanations

Aggression is seen as an instinct that often results in goal-directed behaviour and terminates in a specific consequence. This type of behaviour is often beneficial for the individual and the species and helps them adapt better to the environment. This observation is in alignment with the evolutionary principle of “the survival of the fittest” and facilitates the promotion of survival and passing on genes to the next generation.

Read More: Top 10 Behaviours That Are Found in Emotional People

Peopleeudians also use the term ‘Thanatos’ to explain aggressive behaviour as a rational, innate process whereby people sought a healthy (often, cathartic) release for early survival instincts common to all animal species. These arguments, however, were criticized for their lack of observability and empirical evidence. Scientists found no valuable information and implications from these common-sense observations for the prevention of aggressive behaviour.

2. Social and biosocial explanations

Frustration-aggression hypothesis is one model that explains aggressive behaviour. The underlying hypothesis states that any occurrence of frustration leads to aggression, and any sign of aggression could be traced back to frustration. This theory could be used to explain prejudice and intergroup aggression. However, this theory is criticized for its unclear definition of frustration. Excitation transfer is another theory that posits that aggressive behaviour or simply arousal produced in one situation can persist and intensify our emotional reactions in situations following it.

Read More: The Psychology Behind Choosing Your Role Models

This argument can explain domestic violence that could be traced to the distress experienced at workplaces. Bandura’s social learning theory also posits that aggressive behaviour is learned, either through direct experience or vicarious experience. For example, in families where domestic violence is a regular occurrence, the children are more likely to learn aggressive behaviour and show the same.

3. Personal and situational variables

Sociodemographic variables such as age, culture, gender and life experiences, and situational variables such as usage of alcohol and other substances can influence aggressive behaviour. Theories show that gender and socialization also affect the occurrence of aggressive behaviour.

1. The sexual selection theory posits that differences in behaviour based on sex are determined by evolutionary reasons rather than social ones.
2. The sociocultural (role) theory posits that psychological differences due to gender are determined by individual adaptations to the restrictions of their society based on their gender.

Nevertheless, aggression is seen as advantageous from a social point of view for all genders, as it seems to confer the aggressive individual a higher status over the other people. People with certain personality traits are observed to engage more in aggressive behaviour. Particularly, individuals with type A personalities exhibit competitive and hostile behaviour, a result of which they often work alone and are prone to abuse vulnerable others. In addition, the TASS (Traits as Situational Sensitivities) model explains that personality traits function in a threshold-like manner and lead to aggressive behaviour only when individuals are faced with triggering situations.

Read More: The psychology behind kindness

Aggressive behaviour could also be observed in situations where disinhibition, deindividuation and dehumanization occur. Disinhibition refers to the reduction in the usual social forces that restrain people from antisocial, illegal and immoral behaviour. Deindividuation refers to the process whereby people lose their sense of individual identity and engage in antisocial behaviours. Dehumanization is when people are stripped of their dignity and humanity. Environmental variables such as heat and crowding have also been associated with aggressive behaviour. Think back to the time when you were stuck in heavy traffic on a hot summer afternoon. How did you feel?

4. General Aggression Model

This model developed by Anderson and Bushman (2002) suggests that aggression is triggered by a wide range of stimulus variables that influence arousal, affect and cognition. These variables include both personal and situational factors, that trigger impulsive behaviour after appraisal of the situation.

Read More: Mob Theory: The Psychology Behind Behaviour of a Huge Crowd

Strategies to reduce aggression

Here are some strategies to combat aggression

• Peace studies should be introduced in the formal education system.
• Media should be used effectively to promote positive and friendly behaviours.
• Individuals should be taught to regulate their emotions and feelings and use better ways to release their impulses.
• Strict laws and restrictions should be imposed, and the consequences of aggressive behaviours should be clearly stated.
• Schools should run anti-bullying programs and train children from a young age to build and maintain their self-esteem without being aggressive.

In conclusion, it is important to use the theories above and develop interventions and strategies to prevent aggressive behaviour. This is necessary to instil peace and positivity in the world.