Anti-Social Behaviour

Learning Objectives

• To understand what constitutes anti-social behaviour• To understand the psychological definition of aggression

and its causes.• To understand social learning theory and the work of

Albert Bandura.

Anti-Social Behaviour

• Anti-social behaviour is any behaviour that is disruptive or harmful to the wellbeing or property of another person or to the functioning of a group or society.

• It typically involves actions that break laws, rules or social norms concerning personal and property rights of others.

• At the core of many anti-social acts is aggression.

Often defined as any behaviour intended to cause physical or

psychological harm to a person (including self), animal or object.

The action might be physical, verbal or a combination of both.

It may also involve subtle actions, such as ignoring or

leaving someone out, which can cause psychological harm.

For a behaviour to be considered aggressive, there must be an

intention to harm, regardless of whether or not harm is actually

done.

Aggression

Aggression

• Behaviour is only identified as aggression when there is intent to harm, whether or not harm actually occurs.

• Behaviour that accidentally harms is not considered aggression.

• For example, throwing a cricket ball at someone’s head and missing is still aggression because of the intent to hurt.

• However, accidentally hitting someone with the ball when they cut across in front of you is not aggression, even if it is more harmful.

Is it Aggressive Behaviour?

1. Backchatting’ a teacher you like when asked to be quiet when talking to a friend during the lesson

2. Punching your brother or sister in rage even though you usually get on well with them

3. Insulting a friend4. Refusing to sit next to a stranger on the bus because you hate all people

with their ethnic background5. A hired assassin shooting to kill but missing6. Feeling annoyed at the opponent who deliberately trips you during a

basketball match7. Giving someone a ‘dirty look’8. ‘Pushing and shoving’ in the school corridor ‘just because you felt like

it’9. Starting a rumour about someone's family10. Watching an extremely violent movie

Why Are We Aggressive?

Explanations of Aggression

1. Psychodynamic

Perspective

2. Ethological Perspective

3. Biological Perspective

4. Social Learning

Perspective

1. Psychodynamic Perspective

Sigmund Freud (1920)

Aggression is an inner urge that

builds up within us until it needs to be released.

Aggression is a basic human

instinct that is present in all of

us at birth.

No supporting empirical

evidence so theory is now

mostly of historical interest.

1. Psychodynamic Perspective

2. Ethological Perspective

Konrad Lorenz (1966)

Ethology – Study of animal behaviour

Aggression is instinctive

and has adaptive and

survival functions.

Aggression promotes survival because it is

used for: - Defence of young

- Balancing distribution of the

same species - Survival of the

fittest

Been criticised because: - it is based on very

little empirical evidence - it relies on

generalisations applied to human behaviour from the results of

limited animal research.

3. Biological Perspective

Aggression has a biological basis and

it therefore influenced by out

genes, biochemistry, brain

and nervous system.

Genetic Influences Psychologists believe our genetic make-up make us more likely to become an

aggressive person, but environmental factors play a crucial role in determining

whether or not we do in fact become an aggressive person

or are pre-disposed to use aggressive behaviour.

Neural InfluencesThe Amygdala – part of the brain believed to be partly responsible for aggressive behaviour. Studies have shown in

both humans and animals that when the amygdala

is stimulated, it often produces aggressive

behaviours.

Biochemical Influences - Aggressive behaviour can result from the presence and

activity of naturally occurring (hormones) and introduced

(drugs and alcohol) substances.

- Aggression has been linked to high levels of testosterone,

however a cause-effect relationship has not been

proven.

4. Social Learning PerspectiveAlbert Bandura - Applied social

learning theory and observational learning in explaining human

aggression.

Observational Learning - Learning by watching

someone else’s behaviour. - We do not just copy

behaviour, we also observe the consequences of the

behaviour. - We are more likely to imitate behaviour that is rewarded, and vice versa.

‘Bobo Doll Experiment’, Bandura

(1961,1965) - Demonstrated the

influence of observational learning

on aggressive behaviour.

Over 100 experiments have established a cause-effect

relationship between observing violence in the media and performing violent acts.

However, there are also many experiments that have proven that

this is not the case.

Some argue that observing violence in the media may even provide an

outlet for aggression.

Bandura’s ‘Bobo Doll Experiment’ (1965)