Visually the people in this neighbourhood are different to Ms Brown and her family, the main difference is the colour of skin.
An outsider to the neighbourhood could experience stereotyping. Ms Brown might see these people in a certain way. Stereotypes are often negative, yet they can be positive and sometimes neutral.
“...stereotypes and stereotyping is of interest to social psychologists because stereotypes are frequently and easily activated...”
Cardwell M et al (2001:12)
Stereotyping may lead to prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice is to pre-judge a person or a group of people in a certain way before you get to know the facts. For example in the case of Ms Brown she may feel prejudice towards the people of the new neighbourhood. She does not know them and may judge them all in one way. Categorise all as one instead of seeing individuals. Discrimination is to act on that judgement. In Ms Brown’s case she may feel prejudice to the natives of the new neighbourhood. They have different life styles which could cause slight conflict between them. What Ms Brown believes to be the right way of life, the people in the neighbourhood may disagree. Prejudice could occur. In order for Ms Brown to discriminate against her new neighbours she must act on that prejudice.
Ms Brown may experience frustration when moving house. This could be due to several reasons. Although been a lone parent was Ms Brown’s choice it may make life difficult at this moment in time as she has the move to do alone.
“Whilst frustration and aggression are related, frustration does not always lead to aggression.”
Gross R et al (2000:67)
Aggression can be reinforced where as frustration is a natural emotion. Aggressive behaviour can be aroused by other aspects then frustration. How could this effect Ms Brown’s situation.
Elliott in 1977 conducted a study with a class room of children. The aim was to show the children how it felt to be discriminated against. Elliott told the children that pupils with blue eyes were ‘inferior’. Within days the experiment showed the children with blue eyes had become withdrawn and school work slipped, whereas the children with brown eyes became more and more aggressive towards blue eyed children. This experiment shows how easy it can be to discriminate against others and how aggression can occur.
Ms Brown may have been raised in a racist family; her parents could have reinforced the prejudice towards black people. Social learning theory suggests that behaviour is learned. People are not born aggressive; they adapt aggression through direct experience or by observing others.
In reference to M Cardwell et al Psychology for A2 Level Bandura conducted an experiment also involving children. Using a blow up doll, some of the children were exposed to adults behaving aggressive towards the doll. The bobo doll experiment showed that children ‘copied’ the behaviour of adults. Those who witnessed aggressive behaviour toward the doll carried out similar aggressive acts. Whereas the children who were not exposed to the violence on the doll were not aggressive towards it. This experiment suggests that, people will copy behaviour. Is aggression learned?
The social learning theory is contradicted by the Relative Deprivation Theory. This can be explained as, what we believe to be the standard we should receive and the standard we actually get.
Moving house is hard work and stressful, things do not always go as planned. Ms Brown may become frustrated with the situation.
An experiment conducted by Sherif in 1961, involved a group of eleven and twelve year olds. The children were divided into two groups and housed separately. As a result they became close friends and found a sense of identity within that group. The two groups were brought back together and after several competitions between them they acted very negatively towards each other. Each group felt as though they deserved to win the competitions more than the others. If people feel deprived of something to which they feel entitled, they become frustrated and perhaps aggressive.
“...the Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1866; just after the American civil war... it attracted mainly poor whites who believed that their livelihood was threatened by the newly freed black slaves.”
Gross R et al (2000:25)
In the case of the ku Klux klan it eventually lead to murdering black people for no reason other than the feeling that maybe white people were been deprived of something because of black people.
In 1992, a riot broke out in Los Angeles; it claimed more the 50 lives. The reason behind the riots was the acquittal by an all white jury of four police men who had been accused of badly beating a black motorist. If the police men had received punishment for their actions then the black society would not have felt deprived of justice, then the riots would not have occurred.
“A sense of perceived relative deprivation can also come about as a result of improvement in the recourses and opportunities made available to a group.”
Cardwell M et al (2001:60)
Social learning theory suggests that aggression is a learned behaviour; it can be reinforced and rewarded by others. Relative deprivation theory suggests that aggression stems from the feeling of being deprived.
In Banduras experiment with the bobo doll, aggression was limited. Would the children have behaved aggressively towards a real person?
Relative deprivation theory does suggest that frustration always leads to aggression, yet this is not the case.
The riots in 1992 could be due to racial discrimination rather than the feeling of being deprived.
Elliott’s experiment with children showed the simplicity of a child’s brain and explained that when a child is told others are inferior to them, they do believe it and they act upon it. This experiment explains the values of reinforcement as well as learned behaviour. Although the children did not witness aggressive behaviour they were told by a figure of authority that they were different.
In reference to Sherif’s experiment it is contradicted by an experiment conducted by Spencer and Tyerman in 1983, they conducted a similar experiment to that of Sherif, but the children already knew each other. So when the groups were put back together they remained friendly towards each other. This suggests that the fact the children were strangers made it easier to become aggressive towards each other, yet friends at the beginning of the experiment were still friends at the end. The research from both Sherif and Spencer and Tyerman, contradict each other, this suggests that the circumstances in which the experiments took place are a big factor on the outcome of the experiment. In evaluation to these experiments it is possible to argue both sides and conclude that each experiment has ideal results in the given situation. This could explain perhaps how Ms Brown could feel. In Sherifs experiment Ms Brown could be influenced by that of peers. Knowing no one at the beginning and forming friendships and following others in the way they act or feel. This is more likely to be relevant to Ms Brown’s case as at the first arrival to the new neighbourhood Ms Brown knew no one.
The bobo doll experiment was well controlled. The experiment did include other toys for the children to play with, yet they chose to copy specific aggression towards the doll. This shows that children had learned the aggressive behaviour. In evaluation to the bobo doll experiment in reference to Ms Brown, if she had been raised in a racist family or in fact raised in any way different to the people of the new neighbourhood perhaps her family or peers behaved in a certain way, in which case this could influence the way in which Ms Brown behaves or feels.
The Ku Klux Klan began as mainly poor white people who were ‘frightened’ of the end of slavery. It resulted in mass murder of innocent black people. Perhaps the beginning of the klan was due to relative deprivation, but it ended in hatred.
Biological theorists argue that relative deprivation theory and social learning theory ignore the individual biological factors and differences between individuals genetic and brain factors. Each person has individual genetics, in this case it then becomes impossible to explain how a person would react to the given case study. It is not always possible to explain a person’s behaviour through relative deprivation or social learning. It is not possible to explain a person’s behaviour using only one theory, there for this suggests that many issues contribute to the influence of a person’s behaviour.
In conclusion to this assignment, Ms Brown is a new comer to an already established community. This can raise various feelings both for Ms Brown and for the people of the neighbourhood. Their lives are so different that it may cause conflict between them. If aggression was to occur from Ms Brown, it is not possible to say what the causes of this aggression could be. Perhaps a combination of what Ms Brown learned as a child and the feeling that she has been deprived of something.
There are many theories surrounding aggression, this assignment could only touch on two of them.
In the possibility of aggression from Ms Brown it remains uncertain what the causes could be.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cardwell M et al 2001 Psychology for A2 Level London HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Cardwell M & Flanagan C 2004 Psychology A2 the complete companion Cheltenham Nelson Thornes Ltd
Eysenck M 1998 Psychology an integrated approach Essex Pearson Education Limited
Gross R & Rolls G 2004 Essential A2 Psychology for AQA (A) London Hodder & Stroughton
Gross R et al 2000 Psychology a new introduction for A2 London Hodder and Stoughton
REFERENCES
Cardwell M et al 2001 Psychology for A2 Level London Harpercollins Publishers Limited
Gross R & Rolls G 2004 Essential A2 Psychology for AQA (A) London Hodder & Stroughton
Gross R et al 2000 Psychology a new introduction for A2 London Hodder and Stoughton