Question 1

The catharsis principle predicts that media violence should serve to ____________ the tendency to aggress but/and the social learning view asserts that media violence serves to ____________ the tendency to act aggressively.

Accepted Answer

The catharsis principle suggests that viewing media violence can provide a way for people to release their aggressive urges, theoretically decreasing their tendency to act aggressively in real life. On the other hand, the social learning theory posits that observing violence in media can lead individuals to learn and imitate such behaviors, thereby increasing their tendency to act aggressively.

Question 2

Performing an act of aggression discharges aggressive energy and temporarily reduces our impulse to aggress, according to Sigmund Freud's principle of __________________.

Accepted Answer

According to Sigmund Freud, the principle of catharsis suggests that performing an act of aggression discharges aggressive energy and temporarily reduces our impulse to aggress. This concept is rooted in the idea that releasing pent-up emotions or energy can lead to a state of relief or emotional cleansing.

Question 3

Which structure within your brain is stimulated when you are very angry?

Accepted Answer

The amygdala is a part of the brain's limbic system and is involved in emotions, including fear and anger. When you are very angry, your amygdala is stimulated, playing a key role in processing these emotions.

Question 4

On the first day of class, Dr. Moskowitz is serious and tough as he reviews his rules for the course. After the first day, he is friendly and warm, but his students often continue to see him as unsympathetic and firm. This is due to

Accepted Answer

The primacy effect explains this situation, as it refers to the tendency to remember and give more weight to information that we encounter first. Dr. Moskowitz's initial serious and tough demeanor made a strong first impression that influenced how students continued to perceive him, despite his later friendliness.

Question 5

While Allyson is considering her options in a computer store, a sales representative finishes helping a male client and asks if he can help her. When she says her router is not working, he asks her very basic questions that he never bothered to ask the male customer. Before the conversation is over, it is clear that Allyson knows far more about routers than the sales representative. The representative's behaviour suggests that he has a generalized belief

Accepted Answer

The sales representative's behavior of assuming Allyson knows less about routers and asking her very basic questions, unlike with the male customer, suggests he might hold a stereotype that women are less knowledgeable about computer technology. This is a common form of gender bias where assumptions are made about a person's abilities or interests based on their gender.

Question 6

All of the following are environmental factors that increase the likelihood of aggression, EXCEPT ________.

Accepted Answer

Negative mood is not an environmental factor; it is a psychological state. Painful stimuli, provocation, and heat are environmental factors that have been linked to increased aggression.

Question 7

Medea and her friends go out for dinner at a sit-down restaurant. Their waiter is slow to greet them, confuses their drink orders, forgets to bring their appetizers, and is angry when they complain. Medea's friends begin to say that the waiter is a jerk and that they don't intend to tip him. Medea has waited tables in the past, and she tells them that the waiter is probably just having a rough night. She is making a ___________ attribution.

Accepted Answer

Medea is attributing the waiter's behavior to external circumstances or the situation he is in, rather than to his personal characteristics or disposition. This is known as making a situational attribution.

Question 8

Which of the following brain regions has been shown by animal research to be involved in aggression?

Accepted Answer

The hypothalamus has been shown by animal research to be involved in aggression. It plays a crucial role in controlling aggressive behavior among other functions related to homeostasis and survival.

Question 9

Research suggests that a tendency to attribute people's behaviour to personal factors is

Accepted Answer

This tendency, known as the fundamental attribution error, is more prevalent in Western cultures where there is a stronger focus on individualism. In contrast, Eastern cultures, which often emphasize collectivism, are more likely to consider situational factors when explaining behavior.

Question 10

Medea and her friends go out for dinner at a sit-down restaurant. Their waiter is slow to greet them, confuses their drink orders, forgets to bring their appetizers, and is angry when they complain. Medea's friends begin to say that the waiter is a jerk and that they don't intend to tip him. They are making a(n) ______________ attribution.

Accepted Answer

Medea's friends are attributing the waiter's behavior to his personal characteristics (e.g., being a jerk) rather than considering external factors that might be affecting his performance, which is an example of a personal attribution.

Question 11

A student, who is very pleasant and kind, comes home from work one day and gets very aggressive at the slightest provocation. What environmental factor MAY have triggered this level of anger?

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that extremely hot weather can increase aggression and feelings of anger in individuals. High temperatures can lead to discomfort and irritability, which may lower tolerance for provocation and increase the likelihood of aggressive responses.

Question 12

In both humans and animals, it appears that low levels of the neurotransmitter ___________ may play a role in the acts of impulsive aggression.

Accepted Answer

Low levels of serotonin are associated with impulsive aggression in both humans and animals. Serotonin helps regulate mood and social behavior, and its deficiency is linked to increased aggression and impulsive behavior.

Question 13

When we perceive that someone's negative behaviour toward us was intended or controllable, we are more likely to __________. As people who are generally angry and aggressive tend to perceive others as __________, this may contribute to a vicious cycle of aggression.

Accepted Answer

When we believe someone's negative behavior towards us was intentional or within their control, we're more inclined to respond with anger and retaliation. This is because perceiving intent behind actions can trigger feelings of being wronged or targeted. People who are generally angry and aggressive are more likely to interpret others' actions as having hostile intent, which can perpetuate a cycle of aggression as they respond to perceived threats with more hostility.

Question 14

A man who works in a hostile environment shows little or no reaction when other individuals provoke or anger him. This continues for many years until finally one evening, he almost kills his neighbour after she unlocks the door to her apartment "too loudly." According to Edwin Megargee, this man would be said to have ____________ and provides evidence most consistent with the __________ model of aggression.

Accepted Answer

The man's behavior exemplifies overcontrolled hostility, where aggression is bottled up over time and then suddenly released in an extreme form. This concept aligns with the psychodynamic model of aggression, which suggests that aggressive impulses are built up and must be released to avoid damaging psychological effects.

Question 15

The results of Albert Bandura's "Bobo doll" experiments demonstrated how ___________ can increase ______________.

Accepted Answer

Bandura's "Bobo doll" experiments showed that children who observed aggressive behavior modeled by adults were more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior themselves, demonstrating the impact of modeling on increasing aggressive behavior.

Question 16

In many animal species, higher levels of ___________ usually increase the likelihood of ____________, which consists of unprovoked aggressive acts that are designed to establish a dominance hierarchy among members of a particular species.

Accepted Answer

Testosterone is often linked with aggressive behavior in many animal species, and social aggression is typically about establishing dominance within a group. Higher levels of testosterone can increase the likelihood of such behavior as it plays a crucial role in dominance and territorial behaviors.

Question 17

Imagine you meet a friend of a friend and your initial impression of them leads you to believe that they aren't a very interesting person. You run into them every now and then and start a few superficial conversations (i.e. try to 'make small talk') but never make an effort to engage them in a deep or meaningful way. You decide that your initial impression of them must be correct, since they never seem to have anything interesting to say. What concept does this example demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

This example demonstrates a self-fulfilling prophecy, where an initial impression leads to behavior that causes that impression to come true. By not engaging deeply, you never give the person a chance to show a more interesting side, thus "confirming" your initial belief.

Question 18

Results from the Roland Irwin and Alan Gross study (1995) examining the impact of two different video games on aggressive behaviour obtained all of the following results for boys who played violent video games, EXCEPT, they ___________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Results from the Roland Irwin and Alan...

Question 19

Studies showing that children who watch more violent TV programs are more likely to have committed a serious crime by the time they are 30 provide evidence that is most consistent with the ____________ view of aggression.

Accepted Answer

The social learning view of aggression suggests that people can learn aggressive behaviors by observing others, in this case, through watching violent TV programs. This theory posits that individuals can learn and replicate behaviors seen in others, especially if those behaviors appear to be rewarded or go unpunished.

Question 20

Tamara is anxious when she arrives for her first day in a new office. She mentally rehearses introducing herself, so when someone asks "Where are you from?" Tamara accidentally replies, "I'm Tamara." Later that afternoon, Tamara overhears someone say, "The new girl doesn't seem that smart." Because she knows she's extremely smart, Tamara isn't upset, but she is embarrassed. Her coworker has

Accepted Answer

Tamara's coworker made a fundamental attribution error by attributing Tamara's awkward introduction to her intelligence, rather than considering situational factors like nervousness or stress from being new.

Quiz 13: Behaviour in a Social Context

The catharsis principle predicts that media violence should serve to the tendency to aggress but/and the social learning view asserts that media violence serves to the tendency to act aggressively.