Data consistently shows that Southern U.S. has higher violent-crime rates than other regions of the United States (Anderson, 2001). The heat hypothesis and the southern culture of honor hypothesis are among the many explanations for the high violence rates in the south. The heat hypothesis claims, heat increases aggressive behaviors (Anderson, 2001). However, Baron and Bell tested the hypothesis and found contradicting results. They found, high heat reduces aggression if there are other discomforting factors involved. Accordingly, Baron and Bell found, aggression increase if heat is the only discomforting variable upon a person. Cohen tested the southern “culture of honor” and found significance in the explanation. He states, crimes rates are high in the southern region of the states because southerners, specifically southern men, are taught to defend their honor. Therefore, if disrespect is directed towards a southerner, they use violence and aggression to regain their pride (Cohen 1996).
Baron and Bell examined the heat hypothesis by testing the aggression levels of southern and northern undergraduate students from Purdue University. They conducted two experiments to test different variables. The first experiment was designed to measure the aggression levels of participants in three temperature conditions (cool, warm, and hot temperatures). Participants were then primed with either positive or negative affect. Aggression was measured by the shock levels participants chose to upon the confederate. Additionally, participants received “post questioner” to assure the validity of the variables. In the second experiment, the participants were assigned to a cool or hot temperature conditioned room. Then each group received a positive ...
... middle of paper ...
... to the high crime rates in the south Baron and Bell suggest a cool drink to reduce aggression as a solution. Anderson suggests controlling temperatures in work school and others settings could reduce aggression (Anderson 2001).Cohen however does not imply any solutions, just an explanation to the high crime rates in the south.
Reference
Anderson, C. A. (2001). Heat and violence. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10, 33- 38.
Baron, R. A., & Bell, P.A. (1976). Aggression and heat: The influence of ambient temperature, negative affect, and a cooling drink on physical aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 33, 245 – 255
Cohen, D., Nisbett, R. E., Bowdle, B. F., & Schwarz, N. (1996). Insult, aggression, and the culture of honor: An “experimental ethnography”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 945 - 960.
In 1992, a group of Norwegian researchers conducted a study of girls. “They found girls participate in aggression, but they express their anger in unconventional nonphysical ways” (Simmons 20). Another group of experts from the University of Minnesota continued with these findings and found the girl’s aggressive behavior should be classified into three subcategories; relational, indirect, and social aggression” (Simmons 21). An example of relational aggression would be ignoring someone or giving them the “silent treatment” which can be very traumatic for the victim. They wonder what they...
In the experiment was conducted on 96 male students, decieved to believe the experiment was determining the effects of first impressions. During the experiment participants were blindly assigned another participant by number, to rate on their first impression (Cahoon & Edmonds, 1985). The group was then divided into two subgroups so no individual was in the same sub group as the person he rated. One subgroup remained in the neutral room with no weapons present, and the other subgroup was lead to a separate room where weapons were present (Cahoon & Edmonds, 1985). Explanations were offered for the weapons, based on the use for a public safety course either for self-defense or violent use of weapons (Cahoon & Edmonds, 1985). The particpants were then given false ratings of their first impression either negative, neutral, or positive (Cahoon & Edmonds, 1985). Participants were then told to complete a Behavioral Control Inventory (BCI) for the individual who had supposedly given them the rating (Cahoon & Edmonds, 1985). The responses on the BCI were used to determine the hostility and aggression expressed by the participants (Cahoon & Edmonds, 1985). The results showed that the presence of weapons had little to no effect on the BCI responses from the participants regardless of the supposed use of the weapons (Cahoon & Edmonds, 1985). The results did show that the responses on the BCI did depend on the false first impression rating received by participants (Cahoon & Edmonds, 1985). The results of the experiment may be more valid than those of the Berkowitz LePage experiment because the measure of aggression was more comprehensive with the use of the BCI rather than the shocks, and the explanation of the firearms were also better understood and posed less risk of alerting participants to the true purpose of the
Adachi, P.J.C. & Willoughby, T. (2011). The Effect of Video Game Competition and Violence on Aggressive Behavior: Which Characteristic Has the greatest influence? Psychology of Violence 1(4), 259-274.
Lefkowitz, Monroe M. 1977. Growing Up to be Violent: A Longitudinal Study of the Development of Aggression. New York: Pergamon.
Farrington, D. (2007), ‘Origins of Violent Behavior over the Life Span’, in D. Flannery, A.
Zillman, D. & Weaver, J. Effects of Prolonged Exposure to Gratuitous Media Violence on Provoked and Unprovoked Hostile Behavior.
Scott, Derek. “The Effect of Video Games on Feelings of Aggression.” The Journal of Psychology 129.2
Neihoff, D. (1999). The biology of violence: How understanding the brain, behavior and environment can break the vicious circle of aggression. New York: Free Press.
One of the most researched topics in the history of psychology is aggression. One goal of social scientists has been to define aggression. Some believe that aggression is biologically preprogrammed, others look toward situational factors and this study suggests that aggression is learned. This study was conducted by Albert Bandura and his associates in 1961 at Stanford University. The researchers proposed that the children be exposed to adult models with either aggressive or nonaggressive ways, they would then be tested without the models present to determine if they would imitate that aggression they observed in the adult.
Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: a Meta-Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature." Psychological Science (2001). EBSCO. DePaul Library. 7 Mar. 2008.
Psychologists have studied, in the recent years, about being accepted or being popular in the adolescent years of a person’s life. This research has led them to an interesting question: how does aggression affect popularity or being accepted socially by others? Aggression is an act that may be considered negative when used in most cases. Crick and Grotpeter in 1995 defined aggression “as behaviors to hurt or harm others” (Crick & Grotpeter, 1995, p.710). There are two main types of aggression: relational aggression and overt/psychical aggression. Relational Aggression is “harming others through purposeful manipulations and damage of their peer relationships,” while Overt aggression is “harming others through physical aggression, ...
Throughout the research that Zimring provided, he was not able to explain any single type of theory that explains the crime decline in the 1990s. (Placeholder1) Inspector Zimring’s investigation indicates that many factors could have caused this phenomena. In conclusion, it is apparent that in order to understand crime rate increases and decreases, there needs to be expanded, ongoing research and gathering of statistics to explain the causes of past, current and future crime trends.
... punishment in violent video games on aggressive affect, cognition, and behavior. Psychological Science, 16 (11), 882 – 889.
FRANZOI, S. L. (2000). Social Psychology (2nd ed.), Boston: McGraw Hill. (Chapters 12: Aggression, and Chapter 13: Prosocial Behavior)
Why are we as aggressive and can we develop a way to reduce our ever increasing aggressive behavior? What this research paper is going to cover just might answer that. First we’re going to go over different types of aggression and the differences between them. Next will be the several theories about aggression. This will cover from a biological and genetic point of view to how our diet affects our behaviors in negative ways. We will even look into how our culture has an effect on our aggression levels. Last is what ways can we potentially reduce and manage our angry tendencies as well as control the ever rising aggressive behavior in our society.