Deck 12: Aggression

Question 1

Which of the following is not part of the psychological definition of aggression?

A) physical or verbal behaviours
B) the person for whom it is intended does not want to be hurt
C) the behaviour must be accidental
D) the behaviour is intended to hurt another person

Answer 1

the behaviour must be accidental

Question 2

All of the following would be considered acts of aggression, based on the psychological definition of aggression, except

A) Rodica accidentally runs into Michael, causing Michael to fall and hurt his hand.
B) After the game, the fans rushed the field, pulling down the fences around the end zones.
C) Molly who was overheard telling a group of girls, "We'd be having a great time if it wasn't for a certain someone."
D) Michael pushes his way to the front of the recess line.

Answer 2

Rodica accidentally runs into Michael, causing Michael to fall and hurt his hand.

Question 3

Aggression in which one inflicts harm for its own sake on another is known as

A) relational aggression.
B) hostile aggression.
C) instrumental aggression.
D) comparative aggression.

Answer 3

hostile aggression.

Question 4

Pam could not understand why she had been pushed and shoved by Dwight. It appeared that he tried to hurt her for no apparent reason. One could describe Dwight's aggression as

A) instrumental aggression.
B) comparative aggression.
C) relational aggression.
D) hostile aggression.

Question 5

Peggy yelled at her son for spilling the milk; an example of

A) comparative aggression.
B) relational aggression.
C) hostile aggression.
D) instrumental aggression.

Question 6

Inflicting harm in order to obtain something of value is referred to as

A) hostile aggression.
B) relational aggression.
C) instrumental aggression.
D) comparative aggression.

Question 7

Christina hit Bobby and took his cookie; an example of

A) relational aggression.
B) hostile aggression.
C) comparative aggression.
D) instrumental aggression.

Question 8

Samantha drove extremely fast and cut off other drivers since she was late for an important appointment and wanted to get there as quickly as possible; an example of

A) instrumental aggression.
B) comparative aggression.
C) hostile aggression.
D) relational aggression.

Question 9

Each boxer in a match for the championship could be said to be engaging in

A) hostile aggression.
B) comparative aggression.
C) instrumental aggression.
D) relational aggression.

Question 10

Regarding research examining rates of testosterone and misbehaviour of male prisoners (Dabbs et al., 1995),which of the following statements is false?

A) Prisoners with high testosterone levels also had high serotonin levels.
B) Prisoners convicted for violent crimes had higher testosterone levels than prisoners convicted for property crimes.
C) Men with higher testosterone levels violated more rules while in prison.
D) Testosterone influenced the men's behaviours before and during their incarceration.

Question 11

____________ aggression refers to causing harm in order to gain something of value.

A) Hostile
B) Instrumental
C) Beneficial
D) Emotional

Question 12

During a street parade, people start punching one another. What type of aggression are they engaging in?

A) instinctual aggression
B) hostile/emotional aggression
C) overheated aggression
D) instrumental aggression

Question 13

The physical or verbal behaviour intended to hurt another person who does not want to be injured is known as _______________.

Question 14

Aggression in which one inflicts harm on another for its own sake is known as _______ (or emotional) aggression.

Question 15

Inflicting harm in order to obtain something of value is known as __________ aggression.

Question 16

Freud described people as attempting to cope with unconscious desires. When they turn that energy externally, they engage in

A) self-destructive behaviour.
B) aggressive behaviour.
C) social behaviour.
D) loving and gentle behaviour.

Question 17

Freud described people as turning to aggression or self-destructive behaviour as ways to cope with what unconscious desire?

A) instinct for survival
B) sexual gratification
C) the need to belong
D) death wish

Question 18

Freud viewed aggression as energy that builds up over time until released, a process called

A) catharsis.
B) id work.
C) death wish.
D) self destruction.

Question 19

If you believe in the idea of catharsis, you might tell someone all of the following, except

A) blow off some steam.
B) just get it off your chest.
C) straw that broke the camel's back.
D) don't bottle it up.

Question 20

According to scientific research, which of the following statements is most accurate about catharsis?

A) One way to eliminate aggression in the future is to allow your aggression to show.
B) If you are angry with someone, hitting the chair with a pillow is a good way to cut down on your aggressive feelings.
C) Releasing your anger is beneficial in diminishing aggression.
D) Higher levels of initial aggressive behaviour can lead to increasing levels of aggression later.

Question 21

Konrad Lorenz's theory of aggression is known as the

A) innate model.
B) instinct theory.
C) unconscious model.
D) imprint theory.

Question 22

Theories such as those by Lorenz and Freud suggest that aggression is

A) learned.
B) "hardwired".
C) unconscious.
D) predictable.

Question 23

The model describing people's innate desire to live as leading to the desire to aggress against others is known as the

A) Lorenz theory.
B) imprinting model.
C) innate model.
D) instinct theory.

Question 24

Which of the following statements about the instinct theory is false?

A) Aggression serves as an adaptive behaviour.
B) Aggression stems from the human desire to live.
C) The instinct theory is related to sociobiological and evolutionary psychological theories.
D) It suggests that rewarding aggression increases aggression.

Question 25

All of the following are biological theories about aggression, except

A) instinct theory.
B) catharsis.
C) social cognitive perspective.
D) genetic influence.

Question 26

Which of the following statements is false regarding the role of genetics in aggression?

A) Approximately 20% of the variance in aggression is accounted for by genetic factors.
B) There are marked individual differences in rates of aggression at a young age.
C) Children who are aggressive early in life are more likely aggressive later.
D) Rates of aggression tend to be very stable.

Question 27

One theory as to the cause of gender differences in aggression is the presence of

A) testosterone.
B) androgen.
C) progesterone.
D) adrenaline.

Question 28

Testosterone rates are positively correlated with levels of violence in women. This statement indicates that

A) increased testosterone in women causes increased levels of violence.
B) increased levels of violence causes increased testosterone in women.
C) as testosterone increases in women, there is also an increase in violence.
D) as testosterone increases in women, there is a decrease in violence.

Question 29

Which of the following is not an explanation for aggression related to alcohol use?

A) alcohol leads to disinhibition
B) alcohol impairs people's ability to process information
C) alcohol is a depressant
D) alcohol may lead to aggression on subconscious levels through priming

Question 30

Evidence indicates that aggression may be associated with low levels of the neurotransmitter

A) dopamine.
B) serotonin.
C) GABA.
D) norepinephrine.

Question 31

Rex is feeling very angry because his girlfriend cheated on him. He wants to go over and punch the guy she cheated with, but he decides to instead go out and have a long boxing match to work out the energy. Rex seems to believe in

A) the genetic theory of aggression.
B) Lorenz's instinct theory.
C) catharsis.
D) instrumental aggression theory.

Question 32

In Martens et al.'s (2007) research in which people killed bugs, which group killed the most bugs in the "extermination task"?

A) those who were allowed to kill 1 bug in the practice task
B) those who were allowed to kill 5 bugs in the practice task
C) those who were allowed to kill 5 bugs and 1 bug in the practice task were tied during the "extermination task"
D) those who experienced the most catharsis from the practice task

Question 33

According to Lorenz, why do we aggress against others?

A) because we have an innate evil streak
B) because we have an innate desire to live
C) because we care about being respected by others
D) because we want to own the things that other people have

Question 34

Which theory(ies) suggests an explanation why people are more likely to murder their stepchildren than their biological children?

A) instinct/sociobiological/evolutionary theories
B) death wish
C) social learning
D) genetics

Question 35

How much of the variance in aggression may be due to genetic factors?

A) up to 10%
B) up to 25%
C) up to 50%
D) up to 75%

Question 36

Who perpetrates the most childhood deaths by abuse or neglect?

A) a stranger
B) a family friend
C) a sibling
D) a parent

Question 37

Who perpetrates the most violence against women?

A) a stranger
B) a family friend
C) a partner or ex-partner
D) a parent

Question 38

What is the approximate rate of sexual assaults reported to the police in Canada?

A) about 10%
B) about 25%
C) about 50%
D) about 75%

Question 39

Which of the following statements about aggression is false?

A) Aggression is a highly stable personality feature.
B) People who are the most aggressive in childhood are likely to be the most aggressive in adulthood.
C) People who are the least aggressive in childhood are likely to be the least aggressive in adulthood.
D) Only about 10% of the variance in aggression seems to be related to genetic factors.

Question 40

What hormone is correlated with high aggression?

A) Cortisol
B) Estradiol
C) Testosterone
D) Estrogen

Question 41

What can be concluded about gender differences in aggression?

A) Males engage in all types of aggression more than females do.
B) Males engage in more relational aggression than females do, but less physical and verbal aggression.
C) Males engage in less relational aggression than females do, but more physical and verbal aggression.
D) Females engage in all types of aggression more than males do.

Question 42

When are gender differences in aggression largest?

A) in experimental studies
B) in naturalistic studies
C) when self-report is used
D) all of these situations yield equal gender differences

Question 43

What theory explains gender differences in aggression by focusing on the different costs and benefits of aggression for males and females?

A) Instinct theory
B) Social learning theory
C) Genetic theory
D) Evolutionary theory

Question 44

How does testosterone impact aggression?

A) Directly; the higher the level of testosterone a person has, the more likely he/she is to aggress.
B) In combination with some personality variables
C) In combination with racial variables
D) Testosterone levels do not at all predict rates of aggression.

Question 45

Why does alcohol exposure lead to higher rates of aggression?

A) due to disinhibition
B) via subconscious priming
C) by interfering with information processing
D) all of these

Question 46

Releasing anger is beneficial and reduces the anger in the future.

Question 47

Close to 80% of child abuse and neglect are perpetrated by a child's parent.

Question 48

In virtually all cultures, men are more aggressive than women.

Question 49

Testosterone explains aggression in males, but not females.

Question 50

The belief that aggression is a type of energy that builds up over time until it is released is known as ____________.

Question 51

A model that describes people's innate desire to live as leading to the desire to aggress against others is known as the __________ theory.

Question 52

A model that describes behaviour as learned by observing or modelling other's behaviour as well as by the presence of punishment and rewards is known as _______ _______ theory.

Question 53

This theory states that frustration always leads to the desire to aggress, and that aggression is caused by frustration; the theory is

A) social-frustration theory.
B) social-aggression theory.
C) frustration-aggression theory.
D) social-displacement theory.

Question 54

When people are prevented from having something they want, they experience

A) aggression.
B) frustration.
C) displacement.
D) anxiety.

Question 55

If I discover that I can't use my debit card at the grocery store when I have a cart full of groceries and no cash, then I will experience

A) anxiety.
B) displacement.
C) frustration.
D) aggression.

Question 56

One of the earliest social psychological explanations of aggression suggests that when I am prevented from having what I want, I will first be frustrated and then become aggressive. This theory is known as the

A) social displacement theory.
B) frustration-aggression theory.
C) social frustration theory.
D) social aggression theory.

Question 57

If I become frustrated, but the target of that frustration is not available; then I will become aggressive against another person or object; a tendency that is referred to as

A) displacement.
B) projection.
C) repression.
D) reactance.

Question 58

Displacement of aggression tends to be more common if after a provocation, a person

A) is provoked further.
B) has the opportunity to confront the one who provoked them.
C) has the opportunity to ruminate about the provocation.
D) drinks alcohol which removes their inhibitions.

Question 59

Frustration and aggression can result from perceived injustice and the belief that you have fewer resources than those to whom you are comparing yourself; this is referred to as

A) social deprivation.
B) relative comparisons.
C) social injustices.
D) relative deprivation.

Question 60

Aggression may result when you have an unfavourable comparison between what you have and what those to whom you are comparing yourself have. This is known as

A) relative deprivation.
B) social injustice.
C) relative comparison.
D) social deprivation.

Question 61

Hovland and Sears (1940) found a negative correlation between the price of cotton in 14 Southern states from 1882 to 1930 and the number of lynchings of African Americans. Their interpretation of this was

A) as the price of cotton increased, people became more aggressive and therefore committed more lynchings.
B) the more financial pressure (based on a decreasing price of cotton) on people, aggression became displaced and more lynchings occurred.
C) as people became frustrated over the number of lynchings, the more financial pressure increased.
D) as people became more aggressive through lynchings, the price of cotton increased bringing additional financial burdens.

Question 62

One criticism of the frustration-aggression theory is that frustration is more likely to lead to _______ aggression rather than to ___________ aggression.

A) hostile; relational.
B) instrumental; comparative.
C) hostile; instrumental.
D) instrumental; hostile.

Question 63

The theory that describes aggression as caused by experiencing any negative affect that evokes aggressive-related thoughts, memories, feelings, and ideas, is known as

A) cognitive-neoassociation theory.
B) social association theory.
C) negative comparison theory.
D) negative cognitive theory.

Question 64

Negative affect can lead to aggression. Which of the following is not an example of something that leads to negative affect?

A) heat
B) sleep
C) pain
D) irritating noise

Question 65

Based on the cognitive-neoassociation theory, one would predict that in hot temperatures, aggression would

A) be more frequent.
B) be less frequent.
C) not have an impact on aggression.
D) be rare.

Question 66

Numerous studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between temperature and aggressive acts, meaning

A) hot weather causes more aggressive acts.
B) hot weather causes less aggressive acts.
C) as the temperature increases, the number of aggressive acts increases.
D) as the temperature increases, the number of aggressive acts decreases.

Question 67

In an experiment (Berkowitz & LePage, 1967), male participants were asked to deliver shocks to a confederate. In one condition, the male participants were in a room with various sporting equipment. In the experimental condition, they were exposed to guns in the room. In the experimental condition, participants were more aggressive, demonstrating

A) the mere presence of objects associated with aggression trigger aggressive behaviour.
B) participants were frustrated and displaced their aggression to the confederate.
C) guns can be considered negative affect.
D) the weapons led to feelings of relative deprivation.

Question 68

Berkowitz & LePage (1967) found that participants were more aggressive when there were guns present in the room than when sports items were present. This finding is known as the

A) "weapons effect."
B) "mere presence effect."
C) "aggressive cues effect."
D) "guns 'n sports effect."

Question 69

Aggression can be influenced by both the intensity of arousal and the type of emotion produced by the stimulus; a model known as

A) neo-association emotion model.
B) excitation transfer model.
C) projection displacement model.
D) social emotional model.

Question 70

If you are in a situation that cues aggression, then any type of arousal can be interpreted as aggression; a model known as

A) social emotional model.
B) projected displacement model.
C) excitation transfer model.
D) neo-association emotion model.

Question 71

If we are in a situation where we are provoked, and we are also physiologically aroused, then we are

A) more likely to exhibit aggression.
B) less likely to exhibit aggression.
C) more likely to displace aggression.
D) more likely to become anxious.

Question 72

Behaviour that is learned by observation or through modelling by others, is acquired through

A) social cognitive learning.
B) classical conditioning.
C) operant conditioning.
D) social learning.

Question 73

In the classic Bobo doll study, Bandura et al. (1963) demonstrated the influence of

A) modelling aggressive behaviours.
B) pairing an unconditioned stimulus with a conditioned stimulus.
C) reinforcements.
D) arousal.

Question 74

Billy bullied other children for their lunch money. A social learning explanation for Billy's aggression would probably be

A) Billy is modelling the behaviour of other children.
B) Billy is aroused and therefore more aggressive.
C) Billy is being reinforced for his aggression through the acquisition of the lunch money.
D) Billy is frustrated on the playground and therefore more aggressive.

Question 75

An integrative model that proposes both individual and situation variables contribute to aggression, based on the person's interpretation of the situation is known as the

A) integrative model.
B) general aggression model.
C) social comparison model.
D) biopsychosocial model.

Question 76

The best example of individual difference variables, considered in the general aggression model, would include

A) presence of guns.
B) loud irritating noises.
C) personality traits.
D) exposure to violence in the media.

Question 77

The best example of situational variables, considered in the general aggression model, would include

A) presence of guns.
B) personality traits.
C) genetic factors.
D) hostility.

Question 78

In the general aggression model, aggression is the result of interpretations of affects that are based on

A) individual difference variables.
B) both individual difference and situational variables.
C) situational variables.
D) neither individual variables nor situational variables.

Question 79

In research to support the general aggression model, Sheese & Graziano (2005) had college students play either a violent or non-violent version of the video game Doom. They then participated in a prisoner's dilemma game that requires the participant to either cooperate or compete with another person. The researchers' findings indicated

A) those who played the violent version of Doom were more likely to compete in the subsequent game.
B) those who played the non-violent version of Doom were more likely to compete in the subsequent game.
C) only those participants who played the game in aversive conditions were found to compete in the subsequent game.
D) all of the participants were more likely to compete after playing either version of Doom.

Question 80

Which of the following theories does not state that social psychological factors lead to aggression?

A) Excitation transfer theory
B) General aggression model
C) Frustration-aggression theory
D) Instinct theory