Theories of Aggression in Social Psychology

Summary

This video explores the complex nature of human aggression through three psychological theories: the instinct theory with Freud's concepts of 'eros' and 'thanatos', the frustration-aggression theory linking frustration to potential aggressive behaviors, and Bandura's social learning theory demonstrating aggression as a learned behavior through observation. The script delves into historical studies and questions the manageability of aggression, inviting viewers to consider which theory resonates most with their understanding of this human emotion.

Takeaways

• 🤬 Anger can escalate rapidly and lead to destructive behaviors, sometimes over seemingly minor incidents.
• 🧠 Freud's instinct theory suggests aggression stems from an innate 'death instinct', alongside the life instinct.
• 🛡 Freud believed that aggression is an inherent part of the human mind and recommended structuring society to manage it.
• 🚫 Frustration-aggression theory posits that frustration often leads to aggression, although it doesn't have to if self-control is present.
• 🧩 An early study demonstrated that children's play became more aggressive after experiencing frustration from an unreachable toy.
• 🤔 Social learning theory, proposed by Bandura, suggests that aggression is a learned behavior through observation and imitation.
• 👶 Bandura's bobo doll experiment showed that children imitated the aggressive behaviors they observed in adults.
• 🔄 Aggression can be influenced by a combination of instinct, frustration, and learned behaviors.
• 🤷‍♂️ There is no definitive answer to why we become aggressive; it may involve a mix of instinctual, environmental, and learned factors.
• 📚 The video encourages viewers to consider the theories and reflect on which might resonate most with their own experiences.
• 📖 The video series on social psychology aims to explore and share insights into the workings of the human mind.

Q & A

What are the three main theories of aggression discussed in the script?

The three main theories of aggression discussed are the instinct theory of aggression, the frustration-aggression theory, and social learning theory.

How did Sigmund Freud's view on aggression evolve over time?

Initially, Freud believed that all behaviors stemmed from eros, the life instinct. However, he later introduced the concept of thanatos, the death instinct, to explain aggressive behaviors that didn't fit the life instinct.

What is the concept of thanatos as introduced by Freud?

Thanatos is the death instinct proposed by Freud, which helps explain why humans engage in harmful behaviors or seek to recreate past traumas.

What does Freud propose about the management of aggressive instincts?

Freud suggested that there isn't much use in trying to quell aggression when it comes from an innate instinct. Instead, he focused on structuring society to keep communities small and devise strategies to direct aggressive behaviors outside the community.

What is the frustration-aggression theory and how is it related to aggression?

The frustration-aggression theory states that aggression stems from frustration, which arises when someone or something hinders us from reaching a goal. It suggests that frustration is likely to turn into aggression, but it doesn't have to if the person has higher levels of self-awareness or better self-control.

Can you describe the study on the frustration-aggression theory involving children and a wire screen?

In the study, children were placed in front of a wire screen with toys just out of reach. After the barrier was removed, researchers observed that the children's play was more aggressive than when there was no barrier, indicating that the initial frustration could lead to aggression even after the source of frustration was removed.

What is the social learning theory of aggression and who proposed it?

The social learning theory of aggression was proposed by Albert Bandura in the 1960s. It suggests that aggression is a learned behavior, with individuals, especially children, imitating the aggressive actions they observe in others.

Can you summarize Bandura's bobo doll experiment and its findings?

In Bandura's bobo doll experiment, children observed an adult either gently playing with toys or aggressively interacting with a bobo doll. When later placed alone with a bobo doll, children who observed the aggressive behavior were more likely to exhibit similar aggressive actions, suggesting that they learned aggression through observation.

How does the social learning theory relate to the concept of observational learning?

The social learning theory emphasizes that aggression can be learned through observational learning, meaning that individuals can acquire aggressive behaviors by watching others exhibit them, without any direct reinforcement.

What does the script suggest about the validity of the theories of aggression?

The script suggests that there is no definitive answer as to which theory of aggression is correct. It implies that the theories may complement each other, and that understanding aggression may require considering multiple perspectives.

What is the script's final message to the viewers regarding the theories of aggression?

The script encourages viewers to consider which theory makes the most sense to them, or if they believe all theories contribute to understanding aggression. It also invites viewers to explore more by watching other videos in the social psychology series.

Outlines

00:00

😠 Theories of Aggression: Understanding Anger

This paragraph delves into the exploration of anger and aggression as common human emotions that can escalate rapidly. It introduces the concept that minor irritations can lead to significant outbursts and poses the question of why humans become aggressive. The paragraph outlines three main psychological theories that attempt to explain the roots of aggression: the instinct theory, the frustration-aggression theory, and social learning theory. It briefly mentions Sigmund Freud's concept of 'Thanatos' or the death instinct, which he believed coexisted with the life instinct to influence aggressive behaviors. The paragraph sets the stage for a deeper discussion of each theory in the subsequent content.

05:01

🤔 Frustration and Social Learning: The Roots of Aggression

The second paragraph focuses on the frustration-aggression theory, which suggests that aggression is a response to the frustration of being unable to achieve a goal. It references a study where children's frustration led to increased aggression in their play behavior after a barrier was removed. The paragraph then transitions to the social learning theory, proposed by Albert Bandura, which posits that aggression is a learned behavior observed and imitated from others. Bandura's famous Bobo doll experiment is summarized, illustrating how children who observed adults acting aggressively were more likely to exhibit similar behaviors. The paragraph concludes by inviting viewers to consider which theory they find most compelling and to engage with the content by asking questions and exploring the social psychology series for further insights.

Keywords

💡Anger

Anger is a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. In the context of the video, it is portrayed as a common human emotion that can escalate quickly and lead to aggressive behaviors. The script discusses how seemingly minor incidents can trigger intense anger, which may result in destructive actions that individuals might not normally take when calm.

💡Aggression

Aggression refers to behavior that is intended to cause harm or discomfort to another individual or entity. The video script explores the reasons behind aggressive actions, suggesting that they can stem from various psychological theories. It is a central theme, as the video aims to explain why humans may become aggressive and whether this behavior can be mitigated or changed.

💡Instinct Theory of Aggression

The Instinct Theory of Aggression is rooted in Sigmund Freud's concept of 'thanatos,' the death instinct. It suggests that aggression is an innate drive within humans, alongside the life instinct 'eros.' The video explains that Freud believed aggression could be a manifestation of the death instinct, which may be redirected outwards when the life instinct is not threatened.

💡Frustration Aggression Theory

Frustration Aggression Theory posits that aggression is a response to the experience of frustration, which occurs when one's goals are blocked. The script cites a study where children's inability to reach toys led to increased aggression once the barrier was removed, illustrating how unmet desires can translate into aggressive behavior.

💡Social Learning Theory

Social Learning Theory, proposed by Albert Bandura, suggests that aggression is a learned behavior acquired through observation and imitation. The video describes Bandura's Bobo doll experiment, which demonstrated that children who observed adults acting aggressively were more likely to exhibit similar behaviors, indicating that aggression can be modeled and adopted from others.

💡Thanatos

Thanatos, a term introduced by Freud, refers to the death instinct, which is one of the two fundamental instincts in human behavior, alongside 'eros' or the life instinct. The script uses thanatos to explain the inherent aggressive tendencies in humans, which can be activated when the life instinct is not under threat.

💡Eros

Eros, as defined by Freud, is the life instinct that drives humans to seek pleasure and engage in behaviors that ensure survival and reproduction. In the video, eros is contrasted with thanatos and is suggested to suppress aggression when it is directed inward, redirecting it outwards to protect the individual.

💡Freud

Freud, or Sigmund Freud, is the founder of psychoanalysis and is known for his theories on human behavior and the mind. The video script discusses Freud's contributions to understanding aggression through his concepts of eros and thanatos, highlighting his influence on the Instinct Theory of Aggression.

💡Bandura

Albert Bandura is a renowned psychologist known for his work on social learning theory and the Bobo doll experiment. The script highlights Bandura's role in explaining how aggression can be learned through observation, emphasizing the impact of modeling on children's behavior.

💡Bobo Doll Experiment

The Bobo Doll Experiment is a famous study conducted by Albert Bandura, which demonstrated the concept of observational learning. The video script describes how children imitated the aggressive behaviors of adults towards a Bobo doll, supporting the idea that aggression can be learned and not just an innate response.

💡Self-Awareness

Self-awareness refers to an individual's ability to recognize and understand their own emotions, motivations, and behaviors. The script mentions self-awareness as a factor that can influence whether frustration turns into aggression, suggesting that individuals with higher self-awareness may have better control over their aggressive tendencies.

Highlights

Anger can escalate quickly from minor annoyances to violent outbursts.

Anger can lead to acts that individuals wouldn't commit in a calm state.

Some states allow passion as a legal defense strategy in court.

Psychologists have three main theories to explain aggression.

Instinct theory of aggression dates back to Sigmund Freud's work.

Freud introduced the concept of 'thanatos', the death instinct, to explain aggression.

Freud believed aggression is an innate instinct deeply embedded in the human mind.

Freud suggested structuring society to channel aggression externally to protect community members.

Frustration-aggression theory links aggression to the blocking of goal achievement.

A study showed children's play became more aggressive after experiencing frustration.

Aggression doesn't have to be directed at the source of frustration.

Social learning theory suggests aggression is a learned behavior from observing others.

Albert Bandura's bobo doll experiment demonstrated children's imitation of aggressive behaviors.

The bobo doll experiment showed children were more likely to exhibit aggression after observing it.

Aggression can be learned through direct observation, not just reinforcement.

There is no definitive answer to why we get aggressive; it may involve a combination of theories.

The study of psychology is ongoing, with more to learn about the causes of aggression.

Transcripts

think about a time when you got angry

and i don't mean to just a time when

you're just a little ticked off at a

co-worker or annoyed with someone in

traffic

i mean think about a time when you were

really angry if you can't think of

someone who got really angry at you

anger is a common human emotion but it

can spiral out of control very quickly

anger over a parking ticket could

quickly turn into a broken mirror

a simple dispute at the bar could turn

into a brawl

wearing the wrong jersey at the wrong

place could actually become dangerous

but why does this happen why do we let

ourselves get so aggressive

sometimes even over small things these

moments of extreme anger may feel

uncontrollable

sometimes people black out due to anger

and commit acts that they would not have

otherwise committed in a calmer state

there are certain states that allow

passion to actually be a defense

strategy in court and is this human

nature

or something that can be controlled and

done away with

well there isn't just one answer

psychologists have three main theories

of aggression

that attempt to explain why we become

aggressive and whether that behavior can

actually be changed

these theories include the instinct

theory of aggression

the frustration aggression theory and

something called social learning theory

this video is going to briefly touch on

all three of these theories of

aggression

where they come from and how they fit

into our everyday behaviors and

attitudes

so first off let's get into the instinct

theory of aggression

the first theory of aggression goes back

to the days of sigmund freud

freud's theory on behavior changed over

time

at first he believed that all behaviors

stemmed from arrows

the life instinct these were the

instincts that kept us alive and wanting

to reproduce

however in 1920 he wrote that the life

instinct couldn't just explain all

of the urges of our behavior that humans

display see aggression doesn't always

fit into our desire to stay alive and

keep others alive

so in beyond the pleasure principle

freud wrote about

thanatos this was the name he gave to

something he called the death

instinct the death instinct helped to

explain why humans become aggressive

why they engage in harmful behaviors or

why they seek to recreate

past traumas freud believed that these

two instincts arrows

and thanatos exist together in every

human mind

and that all of the behaviors stem from

the balance of these two instincts

now this may explain why we take out

anger on others even if this anger or

aggression is initially directed inward

eros overpowers thanatos in an effort to

keep ourselves

alive the aggression is then directed

outwards so what did freud propose that

we'd do about these instincts

well not much he believed that there

wasn't much use in trying to quell

aggression when it comes from an innate

instinct that is deeply embedded in the

human mind

his proposal focused more on structuring

society in a way that kept communities

small

in order to protect the community

strategies would be devised so

aggressive behaviors could be focused

outside of the community

protecting all the inside members next

up we have something called frustration

aggression theory even if you can't

remember the last time you were

aggressive with someone i can guarantee

you you can remember a time in which

someone was frustrated with you

frustration is a common human emotion

that comes up when someone or something

is holding us back from reaching a goal

the goal could be as simple as finishing

an essay or as complicated as answering

life's most profound questions

so the frustration aggression theory

simply states that aggression stems from

frustration frustration is likely to

turn into aggression

but it doesn't have to that person has

higher levels of self-awareness or

better self-control

so without going too in depth on this

theory let's go over a study on

frustration aggression theory

aggression doesn't have to be directly

used against the thing that a person is

frustrated about

once the goal is achieved and the

frustration subsides

the aggression may still be present in

one of the earliest studies on

frustration aggression theory

children were placed in front of a wire

screen on the other side of that screen

were some toys

and while the children could see the

toys the toys were just out of reach

they couldn't play with them

now this was likely frustrating for the

children who wanted to play with the

toys

however once the wire barrier was

removed and the children were actually

able to play with these toys researchers

noticed that their play was more

aggressive

than when the barrier had not been in

the place initially and there's all

kinds of examples in your own life

because it's not hard to link moments of

aggression to moments of frustration

have you ever kicked something or

slammed a door just out of frustration

these are all aggressive behaviors

linking frustration to aggression

seems almost like a no-brainer but there

is one more theory we need to talk about

and it's called social learning theory

the last aggression theory comes out of

one of the most famous

experiments of all time the social

learning theory was proposed by albert

bandura in the 1960s

now bandura is mostly known for his bobo

doll experiment which attempted to

explain how children actually learn

aggression from an early age

he proposed that aggression is simply a

learned behavior

we see other people doing it children

exert aggression

simply because they're imitating

whatever they have seen so here's a

quick overview of how the experiment

went down

children were put into a room with an

adult some toys and a large bobo doll

and if you don't know what it is a boba

doll is one of those like inflatable

clowns that always bounces straight back

up whenever you hit it

so half of the children in this

experiment sat in a room with the adult

as the adult gently played with the toys

displaying very little aggression the

other half however sat in a room with an

adult and the adult aggressively hit

or kicked the bobo doll some of these

adults actually used explicit language

or even hit the boba doll over the head

with a mallet

so what did we find well the children

were then separated from the adult and

placed in a room alone with more

exciting toys and after a few minutes

those toys were taken away and purpose

to try to upset the children

all of the children were then taken to a

third room where there was a bobo doll

now the children who had observed the

aggressive adults were actually more

likely to exhibit aggressive behaviors

themselves

in short children were simply imitating

and modeling when they had also

kicked hit or were otherwise aggressive

towards the bobo doll so it's from this

experiment that bandura proposed that

aggression

is learned not only through positive or

negative reinforcement but also through

indirect

observational learning which basically

means just watching someone commit

frustration or aggression so as i end

this video i want to ask which one do

you think is right

because one of these theories may make

more sense than others or you may think

all of them make sense together

well right now there's really not a

right or wrong answer to the question

of why we get aggressive frustration

could have easily played a part in the

bobo doll experiment along with a

child's

death instincts but that's the fun of

studying psychology there's always more

to learn and more questions to answer

i want to thank you so much for watching

this video on the theories of aggression

and if you have any questions at all

feel free to leave a comment below

also i want to encourage you to check

out the other videos in my social

psychology series

i've learned a lot about how the human

mind works and i would love to share it

with you

thanks for watching