Discuss and evaluate the different social psychological approaches to understanding human aggression?

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Discuss and evaluate the different social psychological approaches to understanding human aggression?

Stuart Salter

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Introduction

Understanding aggression is not an easy task as this cannot be achieved from a specific approach. When aggression manifests itself, it can have either positive or negative implications. For example, it may be attacking behaviour that is self-protective or self-assertive. It could be to the infliction of injury toward oneself or toward others. Aggression can also be debated as to whether it is biologically determined or the product of learning and environmental influences. In this essay, I will discuss and evaluate different social psychological approaches to understanding human aggression. Theories to consider include instinctive, frustration-aggression hypothesis, and social learning.

Theories

Sigmund Freud stated that aggression is an instinctive biological urge. According to Freud this instinct, is made up of two aspects: the libido (pleasure instinct) and the thanatos (death instinct). Instinct is present in the id from birth, at first the aggression is relatively uncontrolled, but with the development of the ego and superego it becomes directed into socially acceptable behaviour. These impulses need to be released in controlled manner; otherwise they soon build up to levels capable of producing acts of violence. When released, the aggression can take many forms. These include: physical or verbal abuse against another person, or turned inward provoking self-deprecation. According to Freud, “the best one can hope for are that aggressive impulses be channelled into socially acceptable forms”. These forms would include sport and other recreational activities. However, this theory does not explain why some people are aggressive and others are not.

Konrad Lorenz, like Freud believed that aggressive energy builds up in the individual, and eventually has to be discharged in some way. Lorenz states that aggression is the “fighting instinct” of man. This instinct developed during the course of evolution as it yielded many benefits. According to R. Baron and D. Byrne, “Such behaviour often helps to strengthen genetic make-up of a species by assuring that only the strongest individuals manage to reproduce”.

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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” ...

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