Question 1

According to most social psychologists, aggression is defined as __________.

Accepted Answer

Aggression is typically defined by social psychologists as an intention to cause harm or pain to another person, either physically or emotionally. It is not necessarily defined by the actual infliction of harm, but rather by the intent behind the action. This definition allows for a range of behaviors to be considered aggressive, including verbal aggression, passive aggression, and indirect aggression.

Question 2

Hostile aggression differs from instrumental aggression in that instrumental aggression __________.

Accepted Answer

Instrumental aggression is done as a means to an end other than causing pain. Hostile aggression, on the other hand, is driven by anger or frustration and seeks to cause harm to the target.

Question 3

Hostile is to __________as instrumental is to __________.

Accepted Answer

Hostile actions can cause physical or emotional pain, while instrumental actions are aimed at reaching a goal.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

The social-psychological definition of aggression involves behavior that is intended to cause harm or injury to another person. Option C best fits this definition because the child is attempting to hit his father, which is a behavior with the intention to cause harm or injury. The other options do not necessarily involve the intention to harm or injure another person. Option A is an accident, option B is a form of assertiveness, and option D is a typical physical contact in a competitive sport.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

Hostile aggression is aggression that is motivated by anger, and its goal is to inflict pain or harm on another person. Misplaced aggression is aggression directed at an unrelated target, instrumental aggression is aggression aimed at achieving a goal or outcome, and malicious aggression is aggression aimed at causing harm or destruction for its own sake.

Question 6

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 __________.

Accepted Answer

Instrumental aggression is behavior intended to harm another in the service of motives other than pure hostility, such as attracting attention, acquiring wealth, or advancing political or ideological causes. In this case, Andrea's goal is to harm her opponent's reputation to improve her own chances of winning the class president election, which aligns with the definition of instrumental aggression.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

From an evolutionary perspective, aggression may have been advantageous for men in terms of competing for dwindling resources, protecting their mates and offspring, and demonstrating physical prowess to potential mates. This behavior may have increased the likelihood of passing on their genes to future generations.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Instrumental aggression involves using aggression as a means to achieve a goal or objective. The act of assassination in option B is the best example of this as it is a premeditated and calculated act of aggression aimed at achieving a political goal. The other options (A, C, and D) involve reactive aggression, where aggression is a response to a perceived threat, frustration, or emotional response.

Question 9

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

Accepted Answer

According to the text, the same act may be considered aggression or not depending on whether physical or psychological harm was intended. This means that a person's intentions play a crucial role in determining whether an act is aggressive or not. If someone hits another person accidentally, it may not be considered aggression, but if they hit them with the intention of causing harm or pain, it would be classified as aggression.

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

Instrumental aggression is a type of aggression where the act is done in order to achieve some goal or outcome, rather than it being driven by a desire to hurt or harm. This can include things like stealing, competing for resources, or asserting dominance.

Question 11

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

Accepted Answer

Hostile aggression is characterized by actions intended to harm someone out of anger or frustration. In option A, Bernie expresses anger towards his mother with the intent to hurt her emotionally, which is a clear example of hostile aggression.

Question 12

Ada runs over to Abella and steals the ball from her hands so that she can have it. This is an example of __________ aggression.

Accepted Answer

Instrumental aggression is goal-oriented and used as a means to achieve a specific objective, in this case, obtaining the ball.

Question 13

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 __________.

Accepted Answer

Julie's behavior is assertive as she is showing confidence and expressing her interest in Tom in a direct and appropriate manner.

Question 14

Xiao runs over to Cheng and shouts, "I hate you" while pushing Cheng to the ground. This is an example of ___________ aggression.

Accepted Answer

Hostile aggression is an act of aggression that is motivated by feelings of anger or hostility and is intended to harm the other person. This is demonstrated in the scenario since Xiao runs over to Cheng and shouts "I hate you" while pushing him to the ground.

Question 15

Which of the following best describes an incident of aggressiveness?

Accepted Answer

Gregory's action of putting oil on the floor with the intention of causing harm to his coworker is a deliberate act of aggression.

Question 16

In a primitive tribe, Shantu fights with the other young men his age to impress the young women. 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 __________.

Accepted Answer

Shantu's aggression can be explained as a display of dominance, which can be seen as an attractive trait in primitive societies where resources are limited and competition for status is high. By displaying dominance, Shantu is increasing his chances of attracting a mate and passing on his genes to the next generation.

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

Hostile aggression is motivated by the desire to harm another person, while instrumental aggression serves a purpose other than causing harm. Therefore, the best fit for the two options is "hostile" aggression for the first blank and "instrumental" aggression for the second blank. Option A is the only one that matches these terms. Option B does include the correct term "hostile" but "functional" is not interchangeable with "instrumental" in this context. Option C includes "functional" again, which is not a commonly used term to describe aggression. Option D is completely off-topic and does not address the question.

Question 18

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

Accepted Answer

The answer of Based on information presented in your text,...

Question 19

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

Accepted Answer

Hostile aggression is an act of aggression that is motivated by anger, hostility, and a desire to cause harm or injury to another person. In this example, the teenager throws eggs at a homeless person with the intention to hurt them, showing hostility. The other options involve killing but not necessarily with the intent to harm or cause pain. The farmer kills the pig for food, the woman kills the fly for hygiene purposes, and the soldier kills the enemy as part of a war effort.

Question 20

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?

Accepted Answer

The act was unintentional, meaning that Mr. Jenkins did not have an intent to harm his neighbor. Therefore, it is not considered an act of aggression.

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