Deck 11: Aggression

Question 1

A negative, antagonistic attitude toward another person or group is called

A) emotional aggression.
B) hostility.
C) anger.
D) instrumental aggression.

Answer 1

hostility.

Question 2

The difference between aggression and violence is best described as one of

A) extremity.
B) intent.
C) affect.
D) hostility.

Answer 2

extremity.

Question 3

A murder has been committed. Given the research on homicide, which of the following is most likely?

A) The murderer was of a different race than the victim.
B) The murder occurred in the eastern United States.
C) The murderer was thirty-five years old.
D) The murderer and victim were both African-American.

Answer 3

The murderer and victim were both African-American.

Question 4

Which of the following statements regarding human gender differences and aggression is false ?

A) In virtually every culture, males are more violent than females.
B) Studies of 3-6 year-olds suggest that boys are more likely than girls to play games that involve or mimic aggression.
C) Males are more likely to engage in risky, self-destructive behavior than females.
D) Boys demonstrate more overt and relational forms of aggression than do girls.

Question 5

Mugging someone who is well-dressed because you need money is an example of

A) instrumental aggression.
B) emotional aggression.
C) relational aggression.
D) institutional aggression.

Question 6

The relatively greater violence rates in the southern United States has been attributed to

A) greater variability of temperature in the South than in the North.
B) the manner in which residents of the South respond to status threats.
C) the ratio of males to females living in the South.
D) the age demographics of the South.

Question 7

Which of the following situations best illustrates instrumental aggression?

A) When Buster finds out that his favorite television show has been preempted by the presidential debates, he kicks Gob, who just happens to be standing nearby.
B) After getting fired from his job at the nuclear power plant, Homer pulls out his semi-automatic machine gun and shoots at the squirrels.
C) Karen pinches Grace until Grace finally moves out of the way so that Karen can get to the liquor cabinet.
D) Edith stabs Archie with a fork when she finds out that he forgot her birthday.

Question 8

When Katie found out that her brother Matt had pulled the heads off all of her Barbie dolls, she threw her Easy Bake oven at him. Katie's behavior illustrates

A) instrumental aggression.
B) proactive aggression.
C) incompatible responses.
D) reactive aggression.

Question 9

Forbes and others (2009) examined how levels of aggression differed in individualist vs. collectivist cultures. They found that

A) aggression levels were highest in the U.S., a highly individualist culture.
B) aggression levels were highest in China, a highly collectivist culture.
C) aggression levels were lowest in the U.S., a highly collectivist culture.
D) Both the U.S. and China had equally high levels of aggression.

Question 10

Based on Bonta's (1977) research on nonviolent societies, a powerful way to reduce violence within a society would be to

A) emphasize a strict division of labor by gender.
B) promote cooperation.
C) harshly punish all acts of aggression.
D) separate subcultures within the society.

Question 11

The defining characteristic of aggression is that the aggressor

A) intends to injure another living being.
B) actually causes physical or psychological harm.
C) is angry or otherwise emotionally aroused during the aggressive act.
D) derives enjoyment from the aggressive act.

Question 12

United States citizens tend to be more likely than those of other nations to disapprove of

A) violence against young girls.
B) gun violence.
C) a husband slapping his wife.
D) bullying.

Question 13

Which of the following concerning violent crime in America is true ?

A) Teens are more likely to commit violent crimes, whereas older adults are more likely to be the victim of such crimes.
B) Older adults are more likely to commit violent crimes, whereas younger adults are more likely to be the victim of such crimes.
C) Older adults are more likely to both commit violent crimes and be the victims of such crimes.
D) Teens are more likely to both commit violent crimes and be the victims of such crimes.

Question 14

United States citizens tend to be more likely than those of other nations to engage in

A) politically motivated violence directed toward groups.
B) mob violence at sporting events.
C) violence against young girls.
D) gun-related violence against individuals.

Question 15

According to FBI statistics, who of the following is least likely to be the victim of a homicide?

A) A Black man
B) A Black woman
C) A White man
D) A White woman

Question 16

Whitley feels that Lena deliberately left the tuna fish sandwich sitting out in the sun so that Whitley would get food poisoning after she ate it. Whitley's emotional response would best be described as

A) instrumental aggression.
B) hostility.
C) anger.
D) displacement.

Question 17

One form of violence that seems to be fairly consistent across cultures is

A) violence against young girls.
B) gun violence.
C) domestic violence.
D) bullying.

Question 18

The fact that the American population has been aging in recent years has been offered as an explanation for the

A) decrease in violent crimes.
B) increase in gun-related violence.
C) greater availability of violent pornography.
D) current overcrowded conditions in prisons.

Question 19

Which of the following would decrease the likelihood that Chris would behave aggressively?

A) If Chris is a teenager
B) If Chris is male
C) If Chris is drunk
D) none of the above

Question 20

Which of the following best illustrates aggression?

A) Felix and Oscar engage in a heated debate concerning the merits of the Big Mac versus the Whopper.
B) Maude trips over the scooter her son absentmindedly left in the driveway.
C) In his attempt to save Samantha from drowning, Darin breaks three of her ribs.
D) Ginger kicks MaryAnn in the shins to keep her from eating the last coconut pie.

Question 21

Finnegan notices his wife talking to another man and flies into a jealous rage. According to the evolutionary perspective, Finnegan's behavior is designed to

A) assert his social power.
B) increase his confidence in the paternity of his offspring.
C) deflect the death instinct outward instead of inward.
D) increase the level of serotonin in his brain.

Question 22

Which of the following concerning gender differences in aggression is true ?

A) Men use more relational aggression than verbal aggression.
B) Women use relational aggression more than men.
C) When there is a clear provocation, men use much more overt aggression than women.
D) Women use more verbal aggression than indirect aggression.

Question 23

Twin research indicates that ______ is more heritable than _____.

A) overt aggression; relational aggression
B) instrumental aggression; emotional aggression
C) verbal aggression; physical aggression
D) none of the above.

Question 24

In a study about status (to successfully compete for mates), Vladas Griskevicius and others (2009) found that

A) women do not use aggression of any type to boost their status.
B) men are more likely to boost their status through indirect aggression.
C) women are more likely to boost their status through direct aggression.
D) men are more likely to boost their status through direct aggression

Question 25

Which of the following research results would provide evidence that aggression is a heritable trait?

A) Identical twins reared together are more similar in their levels of aggressiveness than identical twins reared apart.
B) Adopted children are more similar in levels of aggressiveness to their adoptive parents than to their biological parents.
C) Fraternal twins are more similar in levels of aggressiveness than non-twin siblings.
D) Identical twins are more similar in levels of aggressiveness than fraternal twins.

Question 26

Women are more likely than men to use relational aggression because women

A) lack direct access to wealth.
B) have lower levels of testosterone.
C) place more of a value on their own lives and therefore avoid risky behaviors.
D) do not want to risk physically harming the father of their offspring.

Question 27

Belligeria is an extremely violent society, whereas Harmonia is entirely nonviolent. These cultural variations suggest that aggression is

A) an evolutionarily adaptive strategy.
B) an inborn tendency.
C) the result of hormonal fluctuations.
D) determined primarily by social factors.

Question 28

Evolutionary accounts of aggression emphasize the

A) role of aggression in securing food and land.
B) contribution of genetics and hormones to aggressive behavior.
C) importance of intrapsychic conflict in aggressive behavior.
D) role of aggression in securing a mate.

Question 29

Regarding self-esteem and aggression, which of the following is false ?

A) Narcissism is a good predictor of aggression.
B) Low self-esteem is a good predictor of aggression.
C) Narcissism is correlated with aggression in response to provocation.
D) High self-esteem is predictive of aggression when combined with narcissism and provocation.

Question 30

Research on testosterone and aggression indicates that

A) it is surprising that women ever aggress given that they have no testosterone.
B) their relationship is stronger among non-human animals than it is among humans.
C) very little regarding aggressive behavior is actually heritable.
D) their relationship disappears when you examine samples of elderly adults.

Question 31

Markus is extremely impulsive. Research suggests that he will tend to

A) be more aggressive than most people across situations.
B) rely more on verbal versus physical aggression.
C) be more aggressive than other people when provoked.
D) exhibit more relational than overt forms of aggression.

Question 32

According to Smith's (2007) book about the evolutionary origins of human warfare

A) pacifists have a greater chance for reproductive success.
B) pacifism is likely to become part of human nature.
C) warriors have a greater chance for reproductive success.
D) warriors are least likely to be accepted as part of the group

Question 33

The theory that emphasizes genetic (rather than individual) survival is referred to as

A) catharsis.
B) evolutionary social psychology.
C) reproductive success.
D) instrumental aggression.

Question 34

The finding that male-to-male violence occurs primarily in response to status challenges, but male-to-female violence occurs primarily in response to sexual jealousy supports the

A) instinct view of aggression.
B) evolutionary perspective on aggression.
C) learning theory account of aggression.
D) socio-cultural perspective on aggression.

Question 35

Carmen, an 8-year-old girl, is angry with her brother, so she tells their mother that he was playing video games when he was supposed to be doing his homework; she then tells all his friends that he is afraid of the dark. Carmen's behavior illustrates

A) indirect aggression.
B) hostile aggression.
C) physical aggression.
D) overt aggression.

Question 36

Women are more likely than men to

A) exhibit overt forms of aggression.
B) be victims of murder.
C) engage in bullying.
D) none of the above.

Question 37

Which of the following is most consistent with evolutionary explanations of aggression?

A) Children are more likely to be abused by their biological parents than by stepparents.
B) Male-to-female violence is predominantly triggered by sexual jealousy.
C) Male-to-male violence is triggered by a rise in testosterone.
D) Different cultures demonstrate different levels of aggressiveness.

Question 38

The strong positive correlation between testosterone levels and aggressive behavior could reflect all of the following except

A) testosterone and aggression are unrelated.
B) testosterone increases aggression.
C) aggression increases testosterone.
D) stress may increase both aggression and testosterone.

Question 39

Anglelina is interested in whether the teenager she is preparing to adopt is likely to be aggressive as an adult. Research suggests that she would be wise to consider whether he

A) is a twin.
B) was aggressive as an 8-year-old.
C) has long fingers.
D) was born in a nation with a warm climate.

Question 40

According to an evolutionary perspective, males are competitive with each other because

A) males are predisposed to sexual jealousy.
B) females select high-status males for mating.
C) aggression enhances the male's confidence in the paternity of his offspring.
D) All of the above.

Question 41

Gershoff's (2002) analysis of studies with over 36,000 participants indicates a positive correlation between corporal punishment and

A) aggression as a child.
B) aggression as an adult.
C) criminal behavior.
D) all of the above.

Question 42

Bandura's (1961) study of aggressive behavior in children

A) demonstrated that children will follow an adult model's lead in terms of degree and nature of aggression demonstrated.
B) identified the specific antisocial personality characteristics associated with highly aggressive children.
C) demonstrated that violent TV has little effect on children's own aggressive tendencies.
D) illustrated the ability of punishment to curtail the aggressive tendencies of children.

Question 43

According to research on the role of the brain and executive function in predicting aggressive tendencies, when very aggressive teenagers witnessed a situation in which someone intentionally inflicted pain on another person, they exhibited brain activity associated with

A) being part of a group.
B) empathy.
C) experiencing rewards
D) None of the above.

Question 44

Mario and Luigi are trying to decide whether to spank their child when she does something undesirable. Research suggests that this type of punishment

A) will be most effective if she perceives her parents to be warm and supportive.
B) is very unlikely to lead their daughter to engage in serious aggression later in life.
C) is not used by many of their friends, if they are representative of U.S. citizens.
D) all of the above.

Question 45

A socialization explanation for gender differences in aggressive tendencies

A) would focus on differences between men and women in levels of hormones and neurotransmitters.
B) might consider ways in which parents react differently to the aggressive actions of young boys versus girls.
C) would suggest that such differences should be identical across different cultures.
D) none of the above.

Question 46

Nonie gets a new Barbie doll for her sixth birthday and she immediately begins to punch, kick, and throw the doll around the house. Which of the following is likely to have contributed to this behavior?

A) Nonie saw Uncle Floyd yell at Auntie Mame when she threw her Barbie doll.
B) Nonie saw her cousin Brucie hug and kiss his Barbie doll.
C) Nonie just finished watching the new Barney beat up Barbie in a cartoon on television.
D) Nonie has been socialized in a stereotypical female role.

Question 47

Jamie's parents occasionally use corporal punishment when she breaks their rules. They believe that spanking will act as a negative reinforcement for her bad behavior. Which of the following concepts explains why spanking may actually backfire and lead Jamie to demonstrate increased aggression?

A) The arousal-affect model
B) Social learning theory
C) Cultivation
D) Culture of honor

Question 48

Research on aggression with transsexual participants

A) indicates that gender differences in aggressive tendencies have been greatly exaggerated by previous researchers.
B) conclusively identifies a link between biology and aggression.
C) provides a rare means of ethically studying the causal effects of testosterone on human aggression.
D) All of the above

Question 49

Each of the following people behaved aggressively, and each was punished for his or her aggression. For which of these people should the indicated punishment have the best chance of successfully reducing aggression?

A) Jake, who was punished immediately following his act of aggression
B) Keifer, who was extremely angry when punished after committing an act of emotional aggression
C) Lakeesha, who was punished in a very angry, hostile manner by her parents after committing an act of instrumental aggression
D) Danielle, who was punished for some of her aggressive acts but not for others, and cannot discern a pattern in the incidence of punishment

Question 50

Deion is least likely to imitate the aggressive behaviors of Darcy if Darcy

A) is a cartoon character.
B) is punished for behaving aggressively.
C) is rewarded for behaving aggressively.
D) experiences catharsis following the aggressive behavior.

Question 51

Research concerning the role of testosterone in aggression has demonstrated that

A) acts of aggression may increase levels of testosterone.
B) testosterone levels drop after successful aggressive episodes.
C) the relationship between testosterone and aggression is stronger among fraternity members than college males who do not belong to fraternities.
D) individuals with low testosterone levels tend to smile less.

Question 52

Gee and Leith (2007) analyzed aggressive behavior in the National Hockey League (NHL). They concluded that players born in North America were more likely to resort to fighting to deal with their frustration because

A) hockey players generally have aggressive personalities.
B) they were always punished severely when they acted aggressively.
C) the sport of hockey makes people act aggressively.
D) they had been exposed to models of aggression in hockey from a young age.

Question 53

Which of the following has not been offered as a criticism of the use of punishment to decrease aggression?

A) It is only effective when a number of stringent conditions have been satisfied.
B) When perceived as arbitrary, it can provoke retaliatory aggression.
C) It fails to allow the recipient to safely reduce aggressive intent through catharsis.
D) It provides a model of aggressive behavior that can actually lead to more aggression in the future.

Question 54

Aggressive models teach aggressive behavior by all of the following except

A) teaching observers how to perform the aggressive act.
B) fostering positive attitudes toward aggression.
C) allowing observers to construct aggressive scripts.
D) increasing the frustration experienced by observers.

Question 55

Marty watches his older brother act non-aggressively after being provoked. According to social learning theory, Marty is subsequently likely to

A) act less aggressively and experience stronger restraints against aggression.
B) refrain from acting aggressively because he believes that he will be punished for aggressing.
C) experience catharsis and displace his aggression onto safer, more acceptable targets.
D) find more socially acceptable outlets for his impulses, such as rough sports.

Question 56

Ira believes that aggression is an acquired tendency picked up by observing others and by experience with rewards and punishments. Ira's beliefs are most consistent with

A) social learning theory.
B) the evolutionary perspective.
C) instinct theory.
D) negative affect escape model.

Question 57

Based on the principles of social learning theory, which of the following measures is most likely to be successful in teaching a child to act nonviolently?

A) Punishing the child physically for acting aggressively
B) Exposing the child to older models who are punished harshly for acting aggressively
C) Exposing the child to older models who act non-aggressively in response to provoking situations
D) Teaching the child how to displace frustrations and anger in safe, socially acceptable ways, such as by hitting a punching bag or role-playing a desired outcome

Question 58

Consider a mother who slaps her son whenever he engages in aggression. The behavior of the mother is an example of

A) instrumental aggression.
B) corporal punishment.
C) positive punishment.
D) all of the above.

Question 59

The only way that Britney can get her husband to stop leaving his dirty socks on the kitchen table is to pinch him every time he does it. Britney is using aggression as a

A) positive reinforcement.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) positive punishment.
D) negative punishment.

Question 60

Several studies have found that finger length ratio is associated with higher levels of _______ aggression in ______ and ________ aggression in _______.

A) direct, men; indirect, women.
B) indirect, men; direct women.
C) positive men; negative, women.
D) negative, women; positive, men.

Question 61

Reifman et al. (1991) found that as temperatures rise, major league baseball pitchers are more likely to hit batters with a pitch. This finding is consistent with

A) social learning theory.
B) the cognitive neoassociation model.
C) the revised frustration-aggression hypothesis.
D) scapegoating.

Question 62

Research on catharsis demonstrates that

A) observing aggressive models reduces arousal.
B) aggressive behavior that makes people feel good is likely to occur again.
C) responding to frustrations with aggression is more effective than simply letting the frustration dissipate on its own.
D) venting frustrations reduces feelings of hostility and anger.

Question 63

Of the following, the frustration-aggression hypothesis would probably be least effective as an explanation for

A) instrumental aggression.
B) emotional aggression.
C) a strong correlation between economic conditions and prejudice toward minority groups.
D) examples of "road rage."

Question 64

Research has shown that argument-related murders committed by White males occur at much higher rates in the South and Southwest than in other regions in the United States, whereas felony-related murders exhibit much smaller or even reversed regional differences. This set of findings is best explained by which of the following statements?

A) Greater interracial tensions and frustrations are experienced in the South and Southwest than in other regions.
B) Economic frustrations are likely to be greater in the South and Southwest.
C) The prevalent culture of the South and Southwest places a higher premium than that of other regions on protecting one's honor by retaliating aggressively to others' insults.
D) Due to different socialization practices, children in the South and Southwest are less likely to be rewarded for distinguishing between instrumental and emotional aggression.

Question 65

On his way back from work, Orin nearly collided head-on with another car. After swerving out of the way at the last minute, Orin could feel his heart racing and his hands shaking. A few minutes later he arrived home and, just as he walked in, received a phone call from a salesperson. Orin then became verbally abusive toward the salesperson. This outcome is most consistent with the concept of

A) instrumental aggression.
B) excitation transfer.
C) the death instinct.
D) incompatible responses.

Question 66

Which of the following concerning a culture of honor is true ?

A) It is more prevalent among women than men.
B) It is more prevalent in the northern United States than in the southern United States.
C) It is a product of socialization that can influence the tendency to aggress.
D) It is produced by differences in testosterone and serotonin levels.

Question 67

Vandello, Cohen and Ransom (2008) found that white men from the southern part of the U.S. were more likely than white northern men to

A) respond to frustration with aggression.
B) show negative attitudes toward aggression.
C) overestimate the aggressiveness of their peers.
D) underestimate the aggressiveness of their peers.

Question 68

Some people believe that they can reduce their likelihood of aggressing against others by engaging in aggressive sports, such as boxing and ice hockey. This belief is least consistent with

A) social learning theory.
B) the frustration-aggression hypothesis.
C) the original notion of catharsis.
D) the negative affect escape model.

Question 69

Which of the following conclusions is least consistent with the original formulation of the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

A) The need to aggress in response to frustration can be reduced if the frustrated individual behaves in an aggressive but relatively harmless way toward an object that is not related to the source of the frustration.
B) The need to aggress in response to frustration is taught directly by reinforcement, important models, and the media, and can be "unlearned" if the reinforcements and models change.
C) The need to aggress in response to frustration is a psychological drive that resembles the physiological drive of seeking food in response to hunger.
D) The need to aggress in response to frustration can lead to nonviolent acts of aggression such as spreading rumors about someone or telling hostile jokes.

Question 70

Research suggests that we're most likely to displace aggression

A) towards others who are members of an outgroup.
B) towards those who are biologically related to us.
C) in the absence of provocation.
D) when opportunities for catharsis are unavailable to us.

Question 71

The concept of catharsis has been undermined by findings suggesting that engaging in or witnessing aggression often

A) reduces the likelihood of cultivation.
B) produces displacement.
C) causes habituation.
D) slowly weakens restraints against aggression.

Question 72

Shawna has just gone through a break-up with her arrogant and selfish boyfriend. While hitting the punching bag in her kickboxing class, she imagines that she is punching her boyfriend's head. Shawna believes that engaging in the relatively harmless pursuit of hitting the punching bag will drain the energy from her more violent tendencies (like her temptation to slit the tires of his car or to break his legs). Research on the idea of catharsis suggests that

A) hitting the punching bag will reduce Shawna's "hot-blooded" aggressive intent.
B) the good feelings Shawna derives from hitting the punching bag will be replaced by feelings of guilt and shame which will make her less likely to engage in aggression in the future.
C) hitting the punching bag will be a more successful technique for Shawna's attempt to reduce future aggression than would distracting herself by going out and having fun with other friends.
D) hitting the punching bag will act as a positive reinforcement of Shawna's aggressive feelings and hostility.

Question 73

According to Berkowitz's (1989) revision of frustration-aggression theory, aggression is a response to

A) only moderate, not extreme or mild, frustrations.
B) previously displaced aggression.
C) negative emotions.
D) catharsis.

Question 74

When his wife tells him that he cannot go out bowling with the guys, Homer gets mad and throttles his son, Bart. Homer's behavior is an example of

A) instrumental aggression.
B) catharsis.
C) displacement.
D) vicarious aggression.

Question 75

Ethan has been released from jail in the United States and is applying for jobs in the South and the Northeast. Ethan is probably more likely to land interviews in the South than in the Northeast if he was in jail for

A) murdering a person who taunted him in public about an affair with his wife.
B) committing fraud on a million dollar insurance claim.
C) illegally importing cocaine across the border.
D) robbing a jewelry store owned by a member of a racial minority group.

Question 76

As described by Dollard, the original notion of catharsis included two steps. What are those steps?

A) Reduction of physiological arousal; decrease in anger and aggression
B) Freeing up of intrapsychic energy; greater ability to distract oneself from a frustrating stimulus
C) Increase of physiological arousal; displacement of aggression onto weaker targets
D) none of the above.

Question 77

Which of the following terms provides an example of the concept of displacement?

A) Catharsis
B) Habituation
C) Scapegoating
D) Diffusion of blame

Question 78

Betty, an anti-war activist, is mad at the President for leading the country to war. Because she cannot go straight to the source of her frustration, she takes out her aggression on her next-door neighbor, Wilma, instead. This situation sounds most like an example of

A) excitation transfer.
B) displacement.
C) arousal substitution.
D) hostile attribution bias.

Question 79

Which of the following is most likely to increase a person's aggressive response?

A) Embarassment
B) Anger
C) Social rejection
D) Kindness

Question 80

Exposure to all of the following increases aggression except

A) testosterone.
B) cigarette smoke.
C) novel odors.
D) uncomfortably cold temperatures.