NCJ Number
52379
Date Published
1978
Length
39 pages
Annotation
SOCIAL LEARNING CONCEPTS ARE APPLIED IN AN ANALYSIS OF HOW AGGRESSIVE PATTERNS ARE DEVELOPED, WHAT PROVOKES PEOPLE TO BEHAVE AGGRESSIVELY, AND WHAT SUSTAINS AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS ONCE THEY ARE INITIATED.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH AGGRESSION GENERALLY IS DEFINED AS BEHAVIOR THAT RESULTS IN PERSONAL INJURY AND/OR DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY, AGGRESSION REALLY REFERS TO COMPLEX EVENTS THAT INCLUDE NOT ONLY INJURIOUS BEHAVIOR, BUT ALSO JUDGMENTAL FACTORS THAT LEAD PEOPLE TO ATTACH THE LABEL OF AGGRESSION TO SOME FORMS OF HARMFUL CONDUCT BUT NOT TO OTHERS. SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY HOLDS THAT PEOPLE ARE ENDOWED WITH BIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS THAT ENABLE THEM TO BEHAVE AGGRESSIVELY, BUT THAT THE ACTIVATION OF THESE MECHANISMS DEPENDS ON APPROPRIATE STIMULATION AND IS SUBJECT TO COGNITIVE CONTROL. THUS THE ORIGINS OF AGGRESSION ARE FOUND IN STRUCTURAL DETERMINANTS, OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING, AND REINFORCED PERFORMANCE. MECHANISMS THAT GIVE RISE TO ACTS OF AGGRESSION INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: AVERSIVE INSTIGATORS (PHYSICAL ASSAULTS, VERBAL THREATS AND INSULTS, ADVERSE REDUCTIONS IN CONDITIONS OF LIFE, THWARTING OF GOAL-DIRECTED BEHAVIOR); INCENTIVE INSTIGATORS (THE EXPECTATION THAT AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR WILL BRING BENEFITS); MODELING INSTIGATORS (THE DISINHIBITORY, FACILITATIVE, AROUSING, OR STIMULUS-ENHANCING INFLUENCE OF OTHER PEOPLE'S BEHAVIOR); INSTRUCTIONAL INSTIGATORS (AGGRESSION AS OBEDIENCE); AND DELUSIONAL INSTIGATORS (THE INFLUENCE OF BIZARRE BELIEFS, E.G., A DIVINE MANDATE TO ASSASSINATE THE PRESIDENT). THE THIRD MAJOR COMPONENT OF THE SOCIAL LEARNING PERSPECTIVE ON AGGRESSION CONCERNS THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS THAT SUSTAIN OR REGULATE AGGRESSIVE RESPONSES: EXTERNAL REINFORCEMENT (TANGIBLE REWARDS, SOCIAL AND STATUS REWARDS, EXPRESSIONS OF INJURY, ALLEVIATION OF AVERSIVE TREATMENT); PUNISHMENT (INHIBITORY OR INFORMATIVE); VICARIOUS REINFORCEMENT, THROUGH OBSERVED REWARD AND OBSERVED PUNISHMENT; AND SELF-REINFORCEMENT, INCLUDING SELF-REWARD, SELF-PUNISMENT, AND STRATEGIES FOR NEUTRALIZING SELF-PUNISHMENT (MORAL JUSTIFICATION, PALLIATIVE COMPARISON, EUPHEMISTIC LABELING, DISPLACEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY, DIFFUSION OF RESPONSIBILITY, DEHUMANIZATION OF VICTIMS, ATTRIBUTION OF BLAME TO VICTIMS, MISREPRESENTATION OF CONSEQUENCES). PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS DRAWN TO THE SELF-REGULATORY PROCESS AND TO THE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH BEHAVIOR IS DISENGAGED FROM SELF-EVALUATIVE CONSEQUENCES. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)