Deck 13: Aggression

Question 1

In research conducted by Leonard Aron and colleagues, boys who watched ___________ violent TV at age 8 were ___________________ to engage in serious criminal activity by age 30.

A) more; less likely
B) less; more likely
C) no; more likely
D) more; more likely

Answer 1

more; more likely

Question 2

Doug Lowenstein, president of the Interactive Digital Software Association, stated, "There is absolutely no evidence, none, that playing a violent video game leads to aggressive behavior." Research by Anderson and Bushman and their colleagues suggests that

A) Lowenstein is generally correct.
B) Lowenstein is correct where women are concerned but not where men are concerned.
C) Lowenstein is incorrect because all video games increase aggression.
D) Lowenstein is incorrect because some video games increase aggression.

Answer 2

Lowenstein is incorrect because some video games increase aggression.

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the relationship between income inequality and aggression?

A) Income inequality does not influence aggression.
B) Income inequality only influences aggression in laboratory studies, but not in the real world.
C) States and countries with higher levels of income inequality have higher rates of aggression.
D) States and countries with higher levels of income inequality have lower rates of aggression.

Answer 3

States and countries with higher levels of income inequality have higher rates of aggression.

Question 4

Research has found that social rejection activates the same brain regions as:

A) those activated when planning how to form new relationships.
B) those activated when experiencing physical pain.
C) those activated when we are frustrated at doing poorly on an exam.
D) those activated when we are socially accepted.

Question 5

Evidence that social rejection triggers a physical and psychological threat defense system, which includes the tendency to act aggressively, supports a(n)___________________ explanation of aggression as a result of social rejection.

A) evolutionary
B) hostile
C) situational
D) cultural

Question 6

One limitation of the frustration-aggression hypothesis is that frustration has been shown to induce ____________ as well.

A) learned helplessness
B) a culture of honor
C) inclusive fitness
D) altruism

Question 7

Marcie is having difficulty with her friendships and is feeling as if her friends do not really like her.She is imagining what her future would be like without any of her current friends.According to research the effects of social rejection, how might Marcie respond to someone who cuts in front of her in line at the cafeteria?

A) Marcie will act aggressively if the person who cuts in front of her is someone she knows; she will not act aggressively to a stranger.
B) Marcie will not act aggressively to the person who cuts in front of her.
C) Marcie is likely to seek out a friendship with this person, to help to fulfill her friendship needs.
D) Marcie is likely to get upset and act aggressively towards the person who cuts in front of her.

Question 8

About ____________ of the television programs that children watch depict at least some violence.

A) 30 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 70 percent
D) 90 percent

Question 9

The frustration-aggression hypothesis argues that aggression increases in direct proportion to

A) the amount of satisfaction a person anticipates before a goal is blocked.
B) how completely a person is prevented from achieving a goal.
C) how frequently the person is blocked from achieving the goal.
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 10

The textbook reports research conducted by David Phillips that found that suicide rates often rose substantially following media reports of someone committing suicide.When people imitate acts that they hear about in the media, this is a form of aggression called ________________________.

A) frustration-based aggression
B) copycat violence
C) media-based aggression
D) suicide baiting

Question 11

Ralph was quite fond of his wife, but he killed her in order to collect on a large life insurance policy.This scenario is characteristic of

A) hostile aggression.
B) instrumental aggression.
C) modern aggression.
D) functionalist aggression.

Question 12

According to Miller and Dollard, ____________ is likely to increase aggressive tendencies.

A) embarrassment
B) disgust
C) frustration
D) sadness

Question 13

According to the textbook, aggression that is motivated by feelings of anger and hostility is called _____________ aggression, whereas aggression that is motivated by a desire to gain status or to acquire wealth is called _________________ aggression.

A) hostile; relational
B) instrumental; hostile
C) hostile; instrumental
D) frustration; instrumental

Question 14

Anytown, U.S.A., is experiencing one of its hottest summers ever.For several weeks, the temperature has not dropped below 90 degrees Fahrenheit.According to research, these conditions should lead to a(n)____________________ in ___________________ crimes.

A) increase; nonviolent
B) increase; violent
C) decrease; nonviolent
D) decrease; violent

Question 15

According to the ____________ perspective, high temperatures lead to ____________ that increase(s)aggression.

A) neo-associationistic; thoughts
B) frustration; fatigue
C) cognitive; stereotyping
D) misattribution; arousal

Question 16

According to research, which of the following shows are particularly likely to increase aggression?

A) shows that depict violence against "bad" or "evil" people
B) shows that depict the negative impact of violence on people's lives
C) shows that depict violence against women
D) shows that depict animated characters committing violence

Question 17

Angela and her younger brother Bernie have a history of fighting.One day, Angela threatens Bernie in order to force him to give up a toy that she wants to play with.Then, Bernie gets so angry at her that he screams, "I hate you!" Angela is demonstrating ____________ aggression, and Bernie is demonstrating ____________ aggression.

A) hostile; hostile
B) instrumental; hostile
C) neo-associationistic; hostile
D) instrumental; frustrated

Question 18

Recall that Berkowitz and his colleagues asked pairs of men to work on a series of problems.The men were instructed to deliver shocks to their partners when their performance needed improvement.Some participants were induced to experience anger during the task, whereas others were not.In addition, some participants could see no objects next to the shocking machine, some participants saw neutral objects next to the machine, and some participants saw a gun next to the machine.Consistent with the neo-associationistic perspective, results showed that

A) both angry and nonangry participants enjoyed the shocking procedure to a greater degree in the gun condition than in the no-object or neutral-object conditions.
B) angry participants in the gun condition enjoyed the shocking procedure to a greater degree than nonangry participants in the gun condition.
C) both angry and nonangry participants were more aggressive in the gun condition than the no-object and neutral-object conditions.
D) only angry participants were more aggressive in the gun condition than in the no-object and neutral-object conditions.

Question 19

In a review of 35 studies, Anderson and Bushman documented several effects of playing violent video games.Which of the following is one of those effects?

A) Violent video games increase perseverance on physical tasks.
B) Violent video games increase cooperation and helping.
C) Violent video games decrease prosocial behavior.
D) Violent video games increase participants' thoughts of suicide.

Question 20

The neo-associationistic account of aggression posits that ____________.

A) childhood learning experiences elicit aggressive responses
B) construals do not elicit aggressive responses
C) frustration is the only negative emotion that elicits aggressive responses
D) many types of aversive events elicit aggressive responses

Question 21

According to Nisbett and Cohen, cultures of ____________ are defined by concerns over one's reputation for ____________.

A) machismo; toughness
B) machismo; fairness
C) honor; toughness
D) honor; fairness

Question 22

____________ is more common among women compared with men.

A) Relational aggression
B) Instrumental violence
C) Hostile violence
D) Physical aggression

Question 23

Reeves Sanday's research indicates that rape-prone cultures

A) are located in Southern regions.
B) are sexually repressed.
C) tend to value men and women similarly.
D) tend to exhibit high levels of many types of violence.

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT one of the characteristics of rape-prone cultures, as described in research by Peggy Reeves Sanday?

A) Rape is used as an act of war against enemy women.
B) Rape is portrayed in movies, television, or other cultural products.
C) Rape is part of a ritual act, such as a rite of passage to adulthood.
D) Rape is used as a threat against women to keep them subservient.

Question 25

In the United States, stepchildren who are less than two years of age are 100 times more likely to suffer abuse at the hands of stepparents than of genetic parents.Evolutionary psychologists evoke the principle of ____________ to explain this disturbing statistic.

A) diffusion of responsibility
B) inclusive fitness
C) natural selection
D) differential parental investment

Question 26

Research that has examined the penalty records of professional football and professional hockey teams has found what connection between team jersey and aggression?

A) Teams that wore red jerseys were penalized more often for more aggressive play.
B) Teams that wore black jerseys were penalized more often for more aggressive play.
C) Teams were more likely to play aggressively during home games than away games, regardless of jersey color.
D) There is no relationship between jersey color and aggressive play in either sport.

Question 27

Nisbett studied regional differences in aggression.His research indicates that

A) compared with Northern men, Southern men are more sensitive to insults.
B) high homicide rates in the South are due to more lenient gun control laws.
C) conflict is less prevalent among Southerners than among Northerners because social norms in the South emphasize friendliness and politeness.
D) felony-related homicides are more common in the South than in the North.

Question 28

Nisbett and Cohen believe that a culture of honor developed in the Southern United States because the North was primarily settled by ______________, who were ________________, but the South was primarily settled by ________________, who were ________________________, and thus had to become tough and willing to protect their property from raids.

A) Scots and Irish; farmers; English and Germans; herders
B) English and Germans; herders; Scottish and Irish; farmers
C) English and Germans; farmers; Scots and Irish; herders
D) Scottish and Irish; herders; English and Germans; farmers

Question 29

The idea that events such as experiencing pain or frustration lead to anger, which then leads to aggression, is called the ________________________ account of aggression.

A) instrumental
B) neo-associationistic
C) learned helplessness
D) situational

Question 30

Peggy Reeves Sanday investigated the connection between sexual attitudes and the prevalence of rape in the cultures that she studied.Which of the following best summarizes her findings?

A) Sexually repressed cultures had more incidents of rape overall.
B) Cultures with taboos against premarital sex had more incidents of rape.
C) Sexually repressed cultures had more incidents of rape, only for young people.
D) She found no connection between sexual repression and the prevalence of rape.

Question 31

The relationship between heat and aggression was presented as a criticism of the frustration-aggression hypothesis because

A) heat only makes people angrier, not more aggressive.
B) heat, rather than aggression, is more likely to lead to learned helplessness.
C) it is difficult to understand how heat blocks people from achieving their goals.
D) heat is not the only cause of aggression.

Question 32

Clayton grew up in a "culture of honor." Research conducted by Nisbett and his colleagues suggests that relative to someone who did not grow up in this kind of culture, Clayton is more likely to act aggressively

A) after strenuous exercise.
B) after playing a violent video game.
C) when someone calls his girlfriend ugly.
D) when he is drunk.

Question 33

The ____________ region of the United States leads the nation in argument-related homicide rates.

A) Northern
B) Western
C) Eastern
D) Southern

Question 34

Gossip, forming alliances, and excluding others are all examples of

A) hostile aggression.
B) relational aggression.
C) gender-based aggression.
D) physical aggression.

Question 35

The idea that we look out for ourselves, our offspring, and our close relatives to ensure that our genes will be passed on is referred to as

A) survival of the fittest.
B) evolutionary theory.
C) genetic fitness.
D) inclusive fitness.

Question 36

The evolutionary perspective holds that stepchildren are more likely to suffer abuse at the hands of stepparents than of genetic parents because

A) relationships with stepchildren are not as emotionally reinforcing as relationships with genetic offspring.
B) stepparents must allocate more resources to stepchildren than to genetic offspring.
C) stepchildren do not enhance stepparents' inclusive fitness.
D) relationships with stepchildren do not follow the norm of reciprocity.

Question 37

Which of the following statements is NOT evidence described by Nisbett and Cohen that a culture of honor exists in the Southern United States?

A) Southerners are more likely than Northerners to respond with aggression when their honor is slighted.
B) Southerners are more likely than Northerners to endorse pro-rape statements.
C) Southerners became angrier than Northerners when insulted in a laboratory study.
D) There are more argument-related murders in the Southern United States than in the Northern United States.

Question 38

At times, frustration can lead to passive resignation, which is called

A) aggression.
B) learned helplessness.
C) neo-association.
D) passive frustration.

Question 39

Jason and Patrick both participated in an experiment where they were each insulted, and their responses were recorded.After being insulted, Jason was more likely to look very angry and upset, whereas Patrick was more likely to look amused.Jason probably grew up in a __________ state, and Patrick probably grew up in a _______________ state.

A) Northern; Southern
B) Eastern; Western
C) Southern; Northern
D) Western; Eastern

Question 40

Jeff was standing in line at a movie theater when someone cut in front of him.Research indicates that Jeff is more likely to show signs of aggression toward the "cutter" if he

A) has been standing in line with a friend as opposed to alone.
B) is close to the ticket counter as opposed to relatively far away from the counter.
C) lives in a Northern geographic region as opposed to a Southern geographic region.
D) is in a good mood as opposed to a bad mood.

Question 41

Harming someone else for the sole purpose of acquiring wealth is an example of instrumental aggression.

Question 42

Rape-prone cultures tend to advocate sexually restrictive beliefs or practices.

Question 43

Research suggests that guns can prime relationship-focused construals.

Question 44

Social rejection tends to trigger feelings of concern for others in order to rebuild relationships.

Question 45

When groups in conflict are able to communicate, they are more likely to

A) become more aggressive if differences are not resolved.
B) reconcile and return to more peaceful relations.
C) overestimate the extremity of each other's attitudes.
D) dehumanize each other.

Question 46

Many different theorists have examined gender differences in aggression and why men are more physically aggressive than women.One explanation is that throughout history, men were more likely to be hunters and protectors and had to be physically aggressive.This explanation is held by _______________ theorists, whereas the idea that men are socialized into roles that prioritize physical aggression is held by ________________ theorists.

A) cultural; social
B) evolutionary; cultural
C) cultural; evolutionary
D) historical; cultural.

Question 47

People are more aggressive when the temperature is warmer.

Question 48

The text describes a study conducted in the 1980s in which students rated a plan to divest university funds from South African companies.In the abstract, the plan was rated highly, but when the same plan was actually proposed by the university administration, students rated it lower.This is an example of

A) reactive devaluation.
B) conflict negotiation.
C) dehumanization.
D) power-based negotiations.

Question 49

The neo-associationistic account of aggression suggests that any aversive event can elicit an aggressive response, as long as that event makes a person angry.

Question 50

Research conducted by Tetlock and colleagues has shown that ______________ reasoning can lead to more effective peacemaking between groups in conflict.

A) emotion-based
B) more complex
C) logic-based
D) circular

Question 51

Several lines of research indicate that Southerners are more sensitive to threats against their honor than people from other parts of the United States.

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT listed in the textbook as one of the outcomes of group conflict?

A) Group members dehumanize those with whom they are in conflict.
B) The parties in conflict consider their strife as a fight between good and evil.
C) Group members see those on their own side as more moral than those in the other group.
D) A more powerful group will physically aggress against members of the less powerful group.

Question 53

Jacob is a member of a student group on campus that is angry with university administrators for raising tuition for students.Jacob first thinks that freezing tuition for a year would be a reasonable solution, but when the administration makes this same suggestion, Jacob is upset and wants them to reduce tuition by 2 percent.This is an example of

A) mis-communication.
B) conflict negotiation.
C) reactive devaluation.
D) simplistic reasoning.

Question 54

Groups in conflict that dehumanize each other are more likely to reconcile.

Question 55

During World War II, propaganda posters were distributed in the United States showing the enemies of America as rats and other animals.This is an example of __________.

A) relational aggression
B) dehumanization
C) hostile violence
D) reactive devaluation

Question 56

Ross and colleagues found that people tended to __________________ the extremity of attitudes held by people on the opposing side of an issue they felt strongly about.

A) underestimate
B) devalue
C) overestimate
D) accurately guess

Question 57

Playing violent video games influences aggressive thoughts, but it does not influence physiological responses associated with fighting and fleeing.

Question 58

Two concepts presented in the textbook that tend to increase conflict between groups are __________________ and _____________.

A) communication; reactive devaluation.
B) reactive devaluation; instrumental aggression.
C) dehumanization; reactive devaluation.
D) inclusive fitness; dehumanization.

Question 59

According to the frustration-aggression hypothesis, the further an individual is from achieving a goal, the more aggressive he or she will be when his or her progress toward achieving this goal is blocked.

Question 60

The textbook describes research findings revealing that parents are more likely to talk about emotions with girls than with boys, which may cultivate greater empathy in women.This supports the __________ theory that men are _______________into being more physically aggressive.

A) cultural; forced
B) evolutionary; socialized
C) cultural; socialized
D) emotion-based; nurtured