Deck 12: Aggression: Why Do We Hurt Other People Can We Prevent It

Question 1

Which of the following is the best example of instrumental aggression?

A) Scott has a quick temper and gets into fights at parties.
B) An assassin kills a leader to ensure the success of a coup.
C) Angry at her boyfriend, Liz destroys his stereo.
D) Karin runs over her neighbor's cat.

Answer 1

An assassin kills a leader to ensure the success of a coup.

Question 2

Shortly after Mary and Robert were married, he became somewhat aggressive to other men who showed an interest in his wife, and made claims like, "Anyone who lays a hand on my woman has to go through me first." Such claims and aggression are explained by evolutionary theory as

A) displays of dominance.
B) acts of power.
C) domestic violence.
D) sexual jealousy.

Answer 2

sexual jealousy.

Question 3

The goal of ________ aggression is to inflict pain; the goal of ________ aggression is to achieve some other outcome.

A) hostile; instrumental
B) hostile; functional
C) functional; instrumental
D) biological; evolutionary

Answer 3

hostile; instrumental

Question 4

According to the social-psychological definition of "aggression," which of the behaviors below is the best example of aggression?

A) Donald is not paying attention and runs over the neighbor's bicycle as he backs out of the driveway.
B) Amanda asserts herself with her boss and makes a spirited argument for a raise.
C) A child throws a temper tantrum and tries to hit his father.
D) One basketball player fouls another when he is trying to shoot.

Question 5

Based on the evolutionary explanations for aggression presented in your text, who is most likely to be physically aggressive?

A) an Asian American
B) a woman
C) an African American
D) a man

Question 6

In a primitive tribe, Shantu fights with the other young men his age to impress the young ladies. As it turns out, several young women are attracted to him because he seems to be able to protect them and is rising in social status. In essence, Shantu's aggression can be explained in evolutionary terms as a display of

A) jealousy.
B) dominance.
C) brutality.
D) fertility.

Question 7

According to the authors of your text, the same act may be considered aggression or not depending on whether

A) physical harm was actually done.
B) physical or psychological harm was done.
C) physical or psychological harm was intended.
D) the act was due to anger or was a means to an end.

Question 8

Which of the following is an example of hostile rather than of instrumental aggression?

A) A farmer kills a pig for an Easter ham.
B) A teenager throws eggs at a homeless person.
C) A woman uses a fly swatter to kill a fly.
D) A soldier kills an enemy at war.

Question 9

Andrea asks her friends to spread a nasty rumor about her opponent for the office of class president to attempt to damage his reputation in the days before the election. This is an example of

A) instrumental aggression.
B) hostile aggression.
C) assertiveness.
D) extreme prejudice.

Question 10

Mr. Jenkins was backing out of his driveway and accidentally hit his neighbor (whom he dislikes) as he was biking by. Why isn't this act aggressive?

A) Because no psychological harm was done.
B) Because Mr. Jenkins wasn't angry at the time.
C) The neighbor was defenseless.
D) It was unintentional.

Question 11

Julie is really interested in Tom. She flirts with him at lunch a few times, and finally asks him out for a drink on Friday. According to the authors of your text, Julie's behavior is

A) assertive.
B) aggressive.
C) masculine.
D) abnormal.

Question 12

Your text provides the example of the Columbine High School shootings as an extreme example of aggression. Which of the following is not true about the shooting?

A) The shooters intended the massacre to be much worse.
B) The shooters were disgruntled high school teachers.
C) It is the worst school shooting in U.S. history.
D) Over a dozen people were injured and/or killed.

Question 13

________ aggression is an act that stems from feelings of anger, and that is aimed at inflicting pain.

A) Misplaced
B) Hostile
C) Instrumental
D) Malicious

Question 14

Which of the following is the best example of hostile aggression?

A) Bernie is angry at his mother and screams at her, "I hate you!"
B) Angela threatens her younger brother to force him to give up a toy which belongs to her.
C) A lineman sacks a quarterback to put him out of the game.
D) An angry driver loses control and runs his car into a ditch.

Question 15

________ aggression is an act in the service of a goal that does not involve the infliction of pain.

A) Misplaced
B) Hostile
C) Instrumental
D) Oblique

Question 16

According to evolutionary theory, some psychologists argue that men are programmed to be aggressive. What is their explanation for this claim?

A) Men are stronger than women, thus more aggressive.
B) Men are socialized to be more aggressive.
C) Aggression may help men perpetuate their genes.
D) Acts of aggression and violence are attractive to many women.

Question 17

According to most social psychologists, aggression is defined as

A) the intention to cause harm to or pain in another.
B) the infliction of harm or pain on another.
C) the intention to relieve frustration by harming another.
D) any action that results in physical or psychological pain in another.

Question 18

Based on information presented in your text, what are the two evolutionary reasons why males are aggressive?

A) dominance and jealousy
B) hostility and instrumentality
C) jealousy and hostility
D) dominance and instrumentality

Question 19

Males tend to be more violent in their teens and twenties than later in life. Based on evolutionary theory (as discussed by the authors of your text), why would this be true?

A) They are having trouble finding their place in the world.
B) These are peak reproductive years.
C) They are starting puberty.
D) This is when antisocial personality disorder manifests.

Question 20

Hostile aggression differs from instrumental aggression in that instrumental aggression

A) often follows from anger or frustration.
B) is more destructive than hostile aggression.
C) is more likely to result in retaliation.
D) involves inflicting pain as a means to an end.

Question 21

Amu lives in an isolated area and very close-knit community. The community hunts and farms together and must do so to survive. If Amu suddenly becomes aggressive toward other community members, how is he likely to be treated?

A) He'll be rewarded with a larger share of food.
B) He will be elected to a leadership position in the community.
C) He will be shunned and perhaps even cast out of the community.
D) His behavior will be ignored and won't attract any attention.

Question 22

During the seventeenth century, when European fur traders arrived, the Iroquois changed from a peace-loving tribe to fierce enemies of their neighbors, the Hurons. This suggests that

A) there are consistent cultural norms driving the expression of aggression.
B) tribal inbreeding selected for aggressive behaviors.
C) economic and social competition can elicit aggression.
D) aggression is affected by innate propensities and learned inhibitory responses.

Question 23

Researchers have found that testosterone levels are significantly higher in men ________, suggesting a ________ contribution to aggression in humans.

A) from abusive homes; biological
B) convicted of violent crimes; biological.
C) from lower socioeconomic backgrounds; social
D) convicted of property crimes; biological

Question 24

Survey research by Nisbett (1993) has revealed that although southerners are no more likely than northerners to endorse aggression in general,

A) southerners are more prone to aggress in response to insults.
B) the availability of handguns in the South produces more homicides there.
C) the "culture of honor" in the North encourages alternatives to aggression.
D) southerners are less likely to endorse aggression at the service of self-protection.

Question 25

How does female-dominated society lead bonobos to deal with conflict?

A) They diffuse tension by having sex.
B) There is aggressive conflict, but only among females.
C) There is aggressive conflict, but among both males and females in mixed sex combat.
D) They have a clear and unchallenged hierarchy with a female firmly in charge of the group.

Question 26

Researchers have found that humans kill members of their own kind at ________ rate ________.

A) the same; as bonobos
B) a lower; than bonobos
C) a higher; than chimpanzees
D) the same; as chimpanzees

Question 27

According to your textbook, most social psychologists agree that aggression is a(n) ________ strategy.

A) inherited
B) uncontrollable
C) optional
D) inflexible

Question 28

What, according to the social-psychological point of view, is inherited about aggression?

A) Nothing: aggression is completely learned from one's parents, peers, and culture.
B) a tendency to respond to provocation against an aggressor, which can be overridden
C) fixed action patterns of responding to certain "trigger" cues
D) patterns of threat and attack in response to challenge

Question 29

The chimpanzee shares 98 percent of its DNA with humans, and can be described as

A) the only nonhuman species that commits murder.
B) the only nonhuman species that steals from members of its own group.
C) extremely peaceful.
D) led by a female hierarchy.

Question 30

Bonobos are a close primate relative to humans, sharing 98 percent of human DNA. Bonobos are particularly interesting to use when studying aggression because they are

A) highly aggressive primates who are known to brutally attack one another.
B) led by a male hierarchy.
C) very peaceful and led by a female hierarchy.
D) the only other animal with the hormone testosterone.

Question 31

A researcher (Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1963) raised rats in isolation. When other rats were finally introduced into their cages, rats raised alone ________, suggesting that ________.

A) could not defend themselves; aggression is learned
B) used the same aggressive behaviors as other rats; aggression need not be learned
C) did not aggress against them; instrumental aggression does not exist in nonhumans
D) fled from the new rats; aggression must be learned

Question 32

Based on research conducted with nonhuman animals, it is reasonable to conclude that aggression

A) is not inevitable, but instead an optional strategy.
B) may be instinctive; very few species are able to suppress aggressive urges.
C) is not instinctive, but rather solely a result of learned processes.
D) is instinctive in all species except humans.

Question 33

The Pygmies of Central Africa and the Arapesh of New Guinea live in peace and harmony, while European history consists of one war after the other. Formerly peace-loving, the Iroquois became a fierce and aggressive Native American tribe in the seventeenth century. These examples illustrate that

A) in humans, innate behavioral patterns-including aggression-are infinitely malleable and modifiable.
B) frustration often contributes to aggression in otherwise peaceable societies.
C) there are strong regional differences in the endorsement of aggression as a solution to social problems.
D) humans, lacking inhibitory mechanisms, must rely on cultural norms to curb aggression.

Question 34

The Teduray of the Philippines believe that humans are violent by nature, so they work to be sure that their behavior does not harm others. However, when will they become aggressive?

A) When someone in the group commits adultery.
B) When they must protect themselves from outside groups.
C) When it is hunting season and they must compete with one another for scarce food.
D) When they have to compete to find a wife or husband.

Question 35

According to research presented by the authors of your text, humans' two closest primate relatives (sharing 98 percent of DNA with humans) are the ________, known for their aggressive nature, and the ________, known for their peaceful nature.

A) bonobos, chimpanzees
B) pygmy chimps, bonobos
C) chimpanzees, bonobos
D) bonobos, pygmy chimps

Question 36

Most social psychologists regard aggressive behavior patterns as

A) infinitely modifiable and flexible.
B) completely due to culture, with no influence of biology.
C) inborn, but modifiable when threat is imminent.
D) expressing a limited range of responses to provocation.

Question 37

Nisbett (1993) has conducted research pointing to regional differences in the propensity to aggress. Based on his findings, which of the men below would be more likely to beat up another man who called his wife "ugly"?

A) Jethro, who lives in New York City
B) Rocky, who is from Maine
C) Ted, who lives in Texas
D) Brian, who lives in rural Indiana

Question 38

Biologist Zing Yang Kuo (1961) demonstrated that a cat that had been raised from birth with a rat in the same cage would attack neither that specific rat nor other rats. This research suggests that

A) conflict over scarce resources contributes to aggression.
B) aggression is a learned response.
C) aggressive behavior is not instinctive.
D) aggressive instincts can be modified through experience.

Question 39

Assume that Kyle grew up in the South, where a "culture of honor" predominates. Based on research presented in the text, Kyle would be more likely than a northerner to behave aggressively when

A) he feels his life is threatened.
B) someone insults him.
C) he has been drinking.
D) he has won a contest.

Question 40

Evolutionary explanations for behavior are controversial for several reasons. Nonetheless, how true are the evolutionary explanations for aggression?

A) Experiments have been conducted, so they are proven facts.
B) The theory has been supported by substantial experimental research
C) All the research is correlational, so they are speculations.
D) There is no data to support evolutionary explanations, so they have been disproven.

Question 41

Which of the following statements is false?

A) When women commit acts of overt aggression, they are more likely to feel guilt or anxiety over it than men do.
B) Although gender differences exist in aggression in general, women are as likely to murder their husbands as men are to murder their wives.
C) The gender difference in aggression tends to show up in everyday situations when nothing special is going on.
D) Cross-cultural comparisons show that men tend to be more aggressive than women in virtually every culture examined.

Question 42

Well-controlled laboratory experiments and field studies have revealed that alcohol consumption contributes to aggression by

A) increasing testosterone.
B) reducing social inhibitions and restraints.
C) increasing hostility.
D) decreasing frustration tolerance.

Question 43

Based on the research presented in the text, if a group of 4-year-old girls wanted the play purse that another girl was given, what are they most likely to do?

A) Push her and take it.
B) Cry until she gives it to them.
C) Not play with her until she gives it to them.
D) Wait patiently for their turn to play with it.

Question 44

Which of the following is not one of the causes the authors of your text suggest for the gender difference in violence against intimate partners?

A) Male physiology and men's greater average strength.
B) The difference reflects sexism in society.
C) male jealousy; an evolutionary explanation
D) Men are less likely to provoke aggression from women.

Question 45

Suzanne is a master of relationship aggression. Her tools for being aggressive would include

A) spreading rumors
B) punching
C) stealing
D) hitting

Question 46

Jeff is participating in a research study where he is given several drinks. He is told that the goal is to get his blood alcohol level to a point just shy of the legal driving limit. However, he is really only getting a nonalcoholic mixer and fruit juice. How will Jeff behave toward another participant who just insulted his favorite sports team and manage to spill a drink on Jeff's shoes, and why?

A) Jeff will most likely behave aggressively because he expects to be disinhibited by alcohol.
B) Jeff will most likely not behave aggressively because he is not being affected physiologically by the alcohol.
C) Jeff will most likely behave aggressively because he is being physiologically aroused by the alcohol.
D) Jeff will most likely not behave aggressively because his cognitive processes will be slowed by the alcohol.

Question 47

Which of the following is out of place?

A) gossiping
B) shunning
C) slapping
D) backbiting

Question 48

In which situations are women and girls less aggressive than men and boys?

A) across the board, in virtually every situation examined
B) when the aggression engaged in is covert (e.g., backbiting and spreading false rumors)
C) when the aggression is in response to a direct provocation such as an insult
D) in everyday situations when nothing special is going on

Question 49

Who is most likely to be aggressive?

A) a female from Australia
B) a male from Korea
C) a male from Sweden
D) a female from the U.S.

Question 50

Which research findings below provide the soundest evidence that excessive heat causes greater aggression?

A) In cities all over the country, riots are more likely to occur on hot days than on cold days.
B) In Phoenix, drivers without air conditioning are more likely to honk at others than are drivers with air conditioning.
C) Compared to students who took a test in a normal temperature room, test-taking students in a ninety-degree room were more likely to express hostility toward a stranger.
D) Throughout the history of the World Series, more batters have been hit by pitched balls on hot days than on cool days.

Question 51

Research examining the "think-drink" effect gave some participants a nonalcoholic drink, some a weak alcohol drink, and some a strong alcohol drink to see how aggressive they would be. The participants were also told how much alcohol they were getting, but the researchers did not necessarily tell them the truth about the amount. What is(are) the independent variable(s)?

A) amount of aggression
B) amount of alcohol received
C) amount of alcohol they were told was in the drink
D) both the amount of alcohol they received and the amount of alcohol they were told was in the drink

Question 52

Which statement below most accurately reflects the relationship between alcohol and aggression?

A) Alcohol makes all people more aggressive.
B) People who are prone to violence are most likely to be high alcohol consumers.
C) Alcohol interferes with our ability to attribute ambiguous behavior to situations.
D) Alcohol will not make violence-prone people more likely to aggress if they are in a situation where violence is condemned.

Question 53

According to Nisbett (1993), a(n) ________ is characteristic of regions where inhabitants evolved from herding societies, and thus ________.

A) culture of honor; aggression is relatively rare
B) culture of honor; some forms of aggression are more common
C) norm of "machismo"; aggression is more common and more lethal
D) ethos of cooperation; aggression has become evolutionarily maladaptive

Question 54

Research suggests that men are more likely than women to interpret ________ situations as provocative and thus to respond aggressively.

A) insulting
B) frustrating
C) ambiguous
D) conciliatory

Question 55

A study presented in the text demonstrated that when participants were first "accidentally" bumped, then called a disrespectful name, northerners tended to react ________ southerners.

A) more aggressively than
B) more assertively than
C) as aggressively as
D) less aggressively than

Question 56

Extrapolating from the research on relational aggression, which of the following would be the best thing a parent could teach a young girl?

A) Have a thick skin about what other people think, and work on developing a few good friends.
B) Practice running so you can be very fast.
C) Make sure that you always carry a cell phone.
D) Always keep your fists up to guard your face in a fight.

Question 57

Gary, a northern male who has a reputation for violence, has been drinking with his friends. Stan approaches Gary and insults his girlfriend. Gary and Stan get into a fistfight. Which of the following best explains why Gary and Stan began to fight? Research suggests that

A) northern males are more prone to react to insults with aggression.
B) alcohol is especially likely to interact with testosterone to increase aggression.
C) alcohol lowers our social inhibitions and allows us to act impulsively.
D) people from different parts of the country hold different expectations about the effects of alcohol.

Question 58

Desdemona is having a bad day. As she runs to answer the phone, she bangs her knee on the coffee table. Cursing and limping, Desdemona grabs the phone and is rude to the person at the other end of the line. This is an example of

A) hostile aggression caused by pain.
B) instrumental aggression caused by pain.
C) a biochemical cause of hostile aggression.
D) the neural basis of aggression.

Question 59

Which of the following is false?

A) Across cultures, men have been found to be more aggressive than women in everyday life.
B) Gender differences exist in aggression, particularly in response to provocation (e.g., an insult.)
C) When aggression is indirect (nonphysical), females may be as aggressive as males.
D) Females tend to feel more guilt and anxiety over aggressive behavior than males do.

Question 60

Glen and Stacy are at a park with friends. Another couple begins taunting them and saying rude things. Based on research presented in this chapter regarding provocation, who is likely to behave aggressively?

A) Glen
B) Stacy
C) both
D) neither

Question 61

Frustration increases the probability of an aggressive response, but does not inevitably lead to such a response . A number of situational factors work to accentuate frustration, further increasing the odds of aggression. For example, frustration is accentuated when we

A) are close to our intended goal.
B) expect the frustration.
C) perceive the frustrating act as unintentional.
D) perceive the frustrating act as random.

Question 62

Researchers (Barker, Dembo, & Lewin, 1941) frustrated some children in a study by making them view attractive toys that were kept out of their reach. When they did allow the children to play with the toys, they found that these frustrated children were more likely to

A) play with the forbidden toys longer.
B) ignore the forbidden toys.
C) act aggressively with the toys.
D) aggress toward the adult experimenters.

Question 63

Riots do occur more often on hot days than on cool days. The hotter the day in a number of cities, the more violent crimes occur. These results suggest that discomfort can lead to aggression. However, such results should be interpreted with caution because

A) representative samples were not secured by the researchers.
B) some third variable might account for the relation.
C) researchers only studied violent aggression.
D) researchers limited themselves to the United States.

Question 64

According to the relationship between frustration and aggression, who is most likely to get into an argument with someone who cuts in line ahead of him or her?

A) Tim, who has been waiting two hours to buy concert tickets and still has at least an hour to wait
B) Barbara, who is the next in line at the grocery store check-out counter
C) Hector, who is last in line for movie tickets
D) Alicia, who only has one item at the drug store

Question 65

In a classic experiment (Barker, Dembo, & Lewin, 1941) researchers prevented children from playing with attractive toys. Once the children gained access to the toys, they behaved destructively, smashing the toys and throwing them against the wall. These results demonstrate the power of ________ to increase aggression.

A) absolute deprivation
B) frustration
C) social learning
D) aggressive stimuli

Question 66

Researchers (Griffitt & Veitch, 1971) administered tests to students who were randomly assigned to take the test in a room with normal temperature or in a ninety-degree room. After completing the test, students were asked how aggressive they felt, and their hostility toward a stranger was measured. These researchers found that students in the ________ hostile to the stranger.

A) normal room felt more aggressive than those in the ninety-degree room, but both sets of students were equally
B) ninety-degree room felt more aggressive than those in the normal room, but both sets of students were equally
C) normal room felt less aggressive than those in the ninety-degree room, but were more
D) the ninety-degree room felt more aggressive than those in the normal room, and were more

Question 67

Given what the text presents about temperature and levels of aggression, during which month would you expect to find the highest rate of violent crime in North America?

A) January
B) April
C) July
D) November

Question 68

In which of the following situations is frustration least likely to result in aggression?

A) Your friend sprained her ankle, and cannot help you move, as promised.
B) A telemarketer interrupts your dinner to sell you a magazine subscription.
C) A woman grabs you and says "Hey, slow down," as you rush to catch your train.
D) The parking lot is full, and a driver pulls around you to take the parking place for which you've been waiting.

Question 69

Chip and Dale get into a bitter fight over who owes what for their large phone bill. Chip is frustrated that Dale won't see his side of the argument. Which of the following will increase the odds that Chip will resort to physical aggression against Dale? Dale

A) pulls out his checkbook, but then refuses to write the check to Chip.
B) admits that he might have forgotten a few of his long-distance calls.
C) outweighs Chip by twenty-five pounds.
D) is the only legal tenant of the apartment.

Question 70

________ refers to the perception that you (or your group) have less than you were led to expect, or less than similar others have.

A) Frustration
B) Absolute deprivation
C) Relative deprivation
D) Aspirational deprivation

Question 71

________ refers to the tendency to aggress when we perceive that our progress is thwarted.

A) Frustration-aggression theory
B) The catharsis hypothesis
C) The hydraulic model
D) The displacement effect

Question 72

Two children, Jane and Joan, have been eyeing a new water pistol in the local toy store for months. Each is convinced that her parents will buy her the water pistol as soon as summer comes. Yesterday, Jane's parents bought her the water pistol, which turned out to be the last one in the store. As soon as Joan found out, she had a temper tantrum and hit Jane in the stomach. ________ best explains Joan's behavior.

A) Social exchange theory
B) Frustration-aggression theory
C) Social learning theory
D) The emotional consistency effect

Question 73

Kristi has been very frustrated in her search for the perfect apartment that costs next to nothing. According to frustration-aggression theory, what would most likely increase the likelihood that Kristi's frustration will lead to aggressive behavior?

A) Kristi finally admits that her expectations were unrealistic.
B) Kristi realizes that the Apartment Finders are doing the best they can.
C) The perfect apartment burned down the day after she put down a deposit.
D) The delay is frustrating, but not unexpected; students are already back in town.

Question 74

Kevin is told that if he works for five days at a telemarketing job, he can expect to earn $100 a day on commission alone. When he gets his paycheck at the end of the week, it comes to only about $80 per day. He's very upset even when he finds out that his coworkers all made only about $60 each per day. This is an example of

A) catharsis.
B) unfulfilled expectations leading to frustration.
C) instrumental aggression.
D) dispositional frustration.

Question 75

Citizens are outraged at an unpopular government policy, and in many parts of the country they have taken to the streets to protest. Results of research on the "long, hot summer" would lead you to predict that in the ________ would be least likely to fill the streets in protest.

A) winter, residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota
B) fall, residents of Houston, Texas
C) summer, residents of Chicago, Illinois
D) winter, residents of Atlanta, Georgia

Question 76

Which is not a reason that global warming may increase aggression?

A) As the environment gets hotter, aggression increases.
B) Global warming will exacerbate existing problems that influence aggression such as poverty and unstable social units.
C) As warming occurs, cognitive processing of ambiguous situations is impaired resulting in increased aggression.
D) With global warming come increased occurrences of famine and drought thereby endangering populations already struggling to survive.

Question 77

________ occurs when a person is thwarted on the way to an expected goal or gratification.

A) Frustration
B) Depression
C) Aggression
D) Low self-esteem

Question 78

A prison guard has to transport (by bus) four prisoners convicted of violent crimes. Based on information from your text, who would be most likely to cause the guard problems and behave aggressively?

A) Rough Robbie, who has a row in the bus all to himself
B) Tough Tony, who is sitting right by the air conditioning vent
C) Bold Bob, who is squeezed next to the luggage and is next to the smelly bathroom
D) Gunshot George, who is sleepy

Question 79

You are about to leave on vacation and your brother is driving you to the airport. Unfortunately, you get to the airport too late and you find out that your flight has already left. Under which of the following conditions are you most likely to feel aggressive toward your brother and want to scream at him?

A) You missed your flight by two minutes.
B) You missed your flight by an hour.
C) Your flight has been delayed.
D) Your brother forgot to put your luggage in the car.

Question 80

One problem with using archival data (e.g., existing records of disturbances) to demonstrate that exposure to uncomfortable levels of heat causes people to behave aggressively is that

A) it is difficult to access such records.
B) by definition, people who participate in disturbances are not a random sample.
C) more people might simply be outside on a warm day than on a cold day.
D) such disturbances do not involve the kind of aggression of interest to social psychologists.