However, the evidence of Lorenz theory comes from research with animals, and many psychologists doubt whether the results apply to humans. This is due to the more significant role instinct plays in animals lives. Further It is generally agreed by looking at present day Eskimos, Pygmies, and Aborigines, that man is a ‘hunter – gatherer’ and that there is a powerful human tendency to cooperate. George H. Mead argues that man is “not naturally aggressive” and points out many societies, such as the Apraesh of New Guinea where aggression is rare, and “peaceful coexistence and cooperation is the norm” (D. A. Bernstein).
Other psychologists have emphasised frustration as a potent cause of why individuals are aggressive. John Dollard and Neal E. Miller developed the frustration - aggressive hypothesis which is based on Freud’s ideas of aggression. This theory states that frustration induces a number of different responses, one of which is aggression; “occurrence of aggressive behaviour always presupposes the existence of frustration and the existence of frustration always leads to some form of aggression”. Psychologists point out that it does not explain aggressive behaviour in all circumstances. According to Baron and Byrne, frustrated individuals do not always respond with aggressive action. For example they may show resignation and despair and there are many occasions when aggressive behaviour can be explained more by a breakdown in social norms such as external conditions. These serve to arouse a strong motive to engage in harm producing behaviour, and that frustration produces not aggression, but a readiness to respond aggressively.
Once this readiness exists, cues in the environment, that are associated with aggression, will often lead a frustrated person to behave aggressively. According to Leonard Berkowitz, “neither the frustration alone nor the cues alone are sufficient to set off aggression, but when combined however, they do”. There is great support for this theory. Studies have found that frustration may assist aggression and experiments have supported this (Bernstein). On the other hand, several experiments have reported that frustration sometimes may actually tend to reduce the level of aggression shown by the individual. Existing evidence points to the conclusion that whether frustration increases or fails to enhance aggression, depends on whether the frustration is intense and whether the aggression is seen as ‘just’ or ‘illegitimate’. Bernstein states that frustration does not always produce aggression, sometimes it produces depression and withdrawal, and not all aggression is preceded by frustration.
Any potential for aggression that man has is culturally overridden and re-packaged into behaviour which fits current circumstances. In most cases, cultural forces teach or support non-aggression, but when pro-social aggression is necessary, cultural process teach and sustain it. Albert Bandura argues that aggressive behaviour is a “learned form of social behaviour, acquired and maintained” in much the same manner as other forms of social activity (Baron). Personal insults, status threats, and the presence of weapons are all learned sources of aggressive behaviour. Many responses are learned by watching others, aggressive actions are often followed by rewards and are therefore likely to be repeated. Bandura said that children were capable of learning aggressive behaviour as a result of being exposed to it, because children tend to imitate what they see. Bandura exposed school children to a film of an adult behaving aggressively toward an inflated doll. Following exposure the children tended to imitate the aggressive behaviour. These findings, Bandura believed, showed that young children learn to be aggressive against others, and that aggressive acts would be imitated. In contrast, critics pointed out, Bandura's experiments were too artificial, that the doll was designed specifically to be hit and that the children were aware of this, so maybe they were just expressing the behaviour that was expected of them.
Although Bandura was has been criticised, his findings has led to considerable research into the influence of violence in the mass media on promoting aggressive behaviour, and there is a growing body of research evidence which indicates that watching violent television is linked to increased tendencies towards subsequent aggression. An example of reinforced aggression is; a young child who finds that anger and aggression are more effective in gaining what they want and which can enable them to control resources such as toys and parental attention.
Both the instinctive and the frustration-aggression models suggest that it is something about the psychological make-up of the individual which causes aggression, and individual aggressive impulses are triggered by personality dynamics, such as ego, need or frustration, and in which the aggressive drives/impulses build up, and must be dissipated in some way. On the other hand, social learning theorists view aggressive acts as responses learned through observations and imitation of others and by positive reinforcement for the behaviour. Also, mans cultural heritage and his experience of socialisation, and the many traits or characteristics posed by the individual is an important factor in determining his aggressive behaviour.
In conclusion, I have discussed and evaluated many different approaches to understanding human aggression. Looking back over the research, there is not a specific manner in defining aggression. It has been suggested that aggression arises from instinct. However, there is little evidence that supports the view that aggression depends on a build up of energy which must be released in some way. On the other hand, there is a large body of research evidence that supports the view that exposure to aggressive models can stimulate similar behaviour among observers. People who behave aggressively act as aggressive models, and through such action can influence others to act in a similar manner. So it can be seen, that there are views that point towards a pre-disposition towards aggression, while others would indicate either frustration, or a learned form of behaviour as to the cause of aggression. It is proposed, that it is more likely that an individual will be aggressive if all of these criteria are met to some degree or other, however, the greater emphasis should be placed upon learnt behaviour. It would seem strange if we, unlike all other mammals, were not genetically equipped to defend ourselves or our children when under attack, and it would be surprising if we lacked the urge to assert ourselves to some degree in competitive social situations. However, the claim that for man all is learned and nothing is genetically inherited, gives the impression that society can be shaped and a human being is merely a blank canvas in which anything could be written upon. In answer to the question, it is clear that there is no single method to understand why an individual is aggressive, many factors contribute to the occurrence of aggression and that aggressive behaviour has multiple, inter-linked causes.
Bibliography
Baron,R.A., and Byrne, D., , 1993
Bernstein, D.A., Psychology, Houghton Mifflin College, 1999
Dollard, J., and Miller, N. E., Social Learning and Imitation, Greenwood Press, London 1979
Myers, D.G., Social Psychology, 6th Edition, McGraw Hill.