Deck 9: Aggression: Hurting Others

Question 1

In analyzing the causes of aggression, social psychologists have focused on three primary ideas. Which of the following is not one of them?

A) Aggression is a variable trait; some humans rarely behave aggressively, while others cannot control aggressive impulses.
B) There is an inborn aggressive drive among human beings.
C) Aggression is a natural response to frustration.
D) Like other social behaviours, aggression is learned.

Answer 1

Aggression is a variable trait; some humans rarely behave aggressively, while others cannot control aggressive impulses.

Question 2

Which of the following would be an example of aggression as defined in the text?

A) Sam accidentally slams the car door too quickly, and it hits Tim's knee.
B) Luisa urges her classmates not to vote for Marcy for dormitory senator by citing some rumours about Marcy's social life.
C) Carla, a dentist, delivers a shot of Novocain before pulling her patient's diseased tooth.
D) Joe's eagerness and enthusiasm result in his being promoted to sales manager in a very short time.

Answer 2

Luisa urges her classmates not to vote for Marcy for dormitory senator by citing some rumours about Marcy's social life.

Question 3

According to your text, ______________ is an example of the human potential for extraordinary cruelty across the globe.

A) conformity
B) genocide
C) kidnapping
D) obedience

Answer 3

genocide

Question 4

Aggression is any physical or verbal behaviour that

A) may result in physical or psychological damage.
B) springs from anger or hostility.
C) results in harm regardless of intent.
D) is intended to hurt someone.

Question 5

Behaviour intended at harming and hurting someone defines

A) persuasion.
B) conformity.
C) foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
D) aggression.

Question 6

Which of the following is false?

A) Animals' social aggression and silent aggression seem to involve the same brain region.
B) Alcohol enhances violence by reducing people's self-awareness.
C) Poor diets may cause impulsivity.
D) Hostile aggression springs from emotions such as anger.

Question 7

In contrast to Freud's view of aggression, Lorenz argued that

A) aggression is innate.
B) aggression can be adaptive rather than self-destructive.
C) aggression is biologically influenced but is not instinctive.
D) aggression is socially learned.

Question 8

Philosopher Thomas Hobbes sees laws as necessary to restrain and control the "human brute." This brutish view of human nature was also held by

A) Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
B) Albert Bandura.
C) Sigmund Freud.
D) Carl Rogers.

Question 9

Which of the following is not an example of aggression?

A) terrorism
B) a predator stalking its prey
C) assisted suicide
D) bar brawl

Question 10

The act of deliberately hurting someone while driven by anger and performed as an end in itself defines

A) manic aggression.
B) hostile aggression.
C) instrumental aggression.
D) deliberate aggression.

Question 11

Instinctive behaviour is behaviour that is

A) survival-oriented and common to most members of a species.
B) innate, unlearned, and shown by all members of a species.
C) reflexive and automatic but easily overcome by learning.
D) the way members of a species ought to behave.

Question 12

Tawanda is upset with Tina. During a social gathering she verbally puts Tina down in front of others. Tawanda's behaviour is

A) assertive.
B) manipulative.
C) aggressive.
D) an example of displacement.

Question 13

Which of the following would be considered as aggression according to the text?

A) A motorist accidentally hits a child who has run into the car's path.
B) An assertive salesperson manages to sell $200,000 worth of automobiles in one month.
C) A child attempts to hit a playmate with a rock but misses.
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 14

Cold, calculated mob murders should be classified as

A) genetically based.
B) hostile aggression.
C) instrumental aggression.
D) silent aggression.

Question 15

Who among the following argued that there is an inborn aggressive drive?

A) Bandura
B) Berkowitz
C) Lorenz
D) Dollard

Question 16

Of the following, which is the best example of instrumental aggression?

A) An angry football player tackles a quarterback after he has attempted a long pass.
B) A jealous wife finds her husband with another woman and shoots them both.
C) A group of mercenaries, hired to kill the dictator of a small country, arrange to poison him.
D) A man smashes his TV set after he cannot make it work.

Question 17

Sigmund Freud argued that aggression ultimately springs from

A) an innate sexual drive.
B) a primitive death urge.
C) observation of aggressive adult models.
D) blocking of goal-directed behaviour.

Question 18

According to the text, a dynamic salesperson who is self-assured, energetic, and "go-getting" on the sales floor should be described as

A) instrumentally aggressive.
B) manipulative.
C) aggressive.
D) assertive.

Question 19

___________ aggression in humans appears to parallel __________ aggression in animals.

A) Hostile; silent
B) Hostile; social
C) Instrumental; social
D) Social; silent

Question 20

The death penalty has not been shown to effectively deter homicide. One reason for this is that most murders are the result of

A) hormonal influences.
B) hostile aggression.
C) instrumental aggression.
D) a malfunctioning amygdala.

Question 21

Studies of hormonal influences on aggression indicate that

A) hormonal influences are as strong in humans as they are in lower animals.
B) after age 25, testosterone and rates of violent crime decrease together.
C) variations in testosterone seem to have no effect on behaviour within the normal range of teen boys and adult men.
D) all of these choices are correct.

Question 22

A man who is humiliated by his boss berates his wife, who yells at their son, who kicks the dog, which bites the mail carrier. This is an example of

A) displacement.
B) aberrant decoding.
C) aggression.
D) none of the choices are correct.

Question 23

Imagine that researchers have come up with a new substance called sumense, which decreases people's self-awareness and reduces their ability to consider the consequences of their actions. What effect do you expect sumense would have on adolescents' aggression?

A) There is no reason to believe it would have any effect.
B) Sumense would likely enhance aggression.
C) Sumense would likely decrease aggression.
D) Sumense would decrease aggressiveness of young males.

Question 24

Instinct theories of aggression would have the most difficulty in accounting for

A) silent and social aggression in animals.
B) wide variations in aggressiveness from culture to culture.
C) biochemical influences on aggression.
D) unprovoked outbursts of aggression.

Question 25

Alcohol enhances aggressiveness by reducing

A) testosterone levels.
B) self-awareness.
C) activity in the amygdala.
D) all of the these choices are correct.

Question 26

Which of the following statements about aggression is true?

A) Animals of many species can be bred for aggressiveness.
B) A fearless, impulsive, temper-prone child is at risk for violent behaviour in adolescence.
C) Identical twins are more likely than fraternal twins to agree on whether they have violent tempers.
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 27

Which theory is most susceptible to the criticism of trying to explain aggression by naming it?

A) instrumental aggression theory
B) instinct theory
C) frustration-aggression theory
D) social-learning theory

Question 28

MacDonald and his colleagues found that _________ people administer stronger shocks and feel angrier when thinking back on relationship conflicts.

A) intoxicated
B) fearless
C) impulsive
D) temperose

Question 29

Compared to prisoners convicted of non-violent crimes, those convicted of unprovoked violent crimes tend to

A) be first-borns.
B) have authoritarian attitudes.
C) be older.
D) have higher testosterone levels.

Question 30

Which of the following best describes the relation between aggressive behaviour and testosterone?

A) Testosterone facilitates aggressiveness and aggressiveness boosts testosterone levels.
B) Testosterone facilitates aggressiveness only.
C) Aggressiveness boosts testosterone levels only.
D) There is no relation between aggressiveness and testosterone.

Question 31

Frustration grows when

A) our motivation to achieve a goal is very strong.
B) we expected gratification.
C) we are completely blocked in attaining our goal.
D) all of the choices are correct.

Question 32

Abnormal brains can contribute to __________ aggressive behaviour.

A) abnormally
B) normally
C) hostile
D) none of these choices are correct

Question 33

Research on neural, genetic, and biochemical influences on aggression suggest that

A) aggression is inevitable in most individuals.
B) violent behaviour is biologically programmed into human nature.
C) biological influences predispose some people more than others to react aggressively to conflict.
D) none of the choices are correct.

Question 34

Which of the following has not been shown to be a biochemical influence on aggression?

A) alcohol
B) the amygdala
C) testosterone
D) none of the choices are correct

Question 35

The blocking of goal-directed behaviour is called

A) instrumental aggression.
B) hostile aggression.
C) frustration.
D) displacement.

Question 36

Raine and his colleagues found that

A) the occipital area was 25% less active than normal in nonabused murderers and 45% smaller in the antisocial men.
B) the parietal area was 2% less active than normal in nonabused murderers and 45% smaller in the antisocial men.
C) the prefrontal cortex was 14% less active than normal in nonabused murderers and 15% smaller in the antisocial men.
D) All of the choices are correct.

Question 37

Jessie's car had a flat tire in the rain. After she managed to fix it, she arrived home late only to have the parking spot that is just in front of her apartment taken by a faster driver. Entering her home, she kicks her pet cat, who is waiting at the door. Jessie's behaviour is perhaps most easily explained in terms of

A) frustration-aggression theory.
B) the adaptation-level phenomenon.
C) Murphy's law.
D) social learning theory.

Question 38

Your friend Regina tells you that geese must have a flocking instinct because she often sees geese in flocks. Regina is doing something that social psychologists have done with the problem of aggression. Regina is

A) mistaking habitat for ecology.
B) observing an adaptation-level phenomenon.
C) experiencing relative deprivation.
D) trying to explain observed behaviour by naming it.

Question 39

A person punching a wall after losing a game of checkers is an example of

A) regression.
B) displacement.
C) relative deprivation.
D) the weapons effect.

Question 40

Research on alcohol and aggression has indicated that

A) violent people are both more likely to drink and more likely to become aggressive when intoxicated.
B) people who have been drinking commit about half of all reported violent crimes.
C) in experiments, intoxicated people administer stronger shocks.
D) all of the choices are correct.

Question 41

According to Albert Bandura, an important influence on one's tendency to be aggressive is

A) hormonal factors.
B) how much anger or frustration has built up inside.
C) one's hereditary predisposition to be aggressive.
D) observations of others' behaviour.

Question 42

In a famous experiment by Albert Bandura and colleagues, children watched an adult attack a Bobo doll with a mallet. They were then shown some attractive toys they were forbidden to play with. When they were taken to another room, they

A) began to cry.
B) attacked a Bobo doll.
C) verbally attacked the adult experimenter.
D) chose to watch a violent rather than a non-violent film.

Question 43

Becky has just had a frustrating day in her university classes and while she knows she shouldn't behave aggressively towards her professors, she is angry and ends up taking this out on someone else. Which of the following individuals is Becky most likely to displace her aggression towards?

A) A lady at the grocery store that is holding up the line by counting out her pennies.
B) Her boyfriend who comes over for dinner and surprises her with flowers.
C) A fellow student in one of her classes that annoys her by asking for her notes.
D) Her 6-year old sister who made a mess in her room while she was at school.

Question 44

Hennigan and her colleagues suggest that the larceny theft rate in U.S. cities jumped after television was first introduced because the thieves

A) observed too much crime on television.
B) felt deprived relative to wealthy television characters and those portrayed in advertisements.
C) became more removed from the socializing influence of home and school.
D) wanted but could not afford the luxury of a television set.

Question 45

According to the text, frustration arises from the gap between

A) expectations and attainments.
B) daily frustrations.
C) consistent minor irritations.
D) none of the choices are correct.

Question 46

The famous "Bobo doll" experiments were conducted by

A) Sigmund Freud.
B) Ken Dion.
C) Leonard Berkowitz.
D) Albert Bandura.

Question 47

Frustration triggers the most aggression when we perceive the frustration as

A) inevitable.
B) deserved.
C) unjustified.
D) unwelcome.

Question 48

We are most likely to displace our aggression onto a target that is

A) nothing like the person who provoked our anger in the first place.
B) similar to the person who provoked our anger in the first place.
C) helpless to retaliate in kind.
D) nonhuman.

Question 49

Your textbook author describes Marc Lepine's murder of 14 women at the École Polytechnique de Montréal as an example of

A) instrumental aggression.
B) the effects of alcohol on aggression.
C) frustration due to a disparity between expectations and attainments.
D) frustration due to retroactive association.

Question 50

Jeremy instigates more and more fights with younger children on the school playground because it gains him the attention and respect of his friends. This most clearly suggests that his aggression is

A) the result of frustration.
B) instinctive.
C) a learned response.
D) the result of displacement.

Question 51

When your expectations are fulfilled by your attainments, you feel ___________.

A) frustrated
B) stress
C) anger
D) satisfied

Question 52

The perception that one is less well off than others to whom one compares oneself is referred to as

A) the adaptation level phenomenon.
B) relative deprivation.
C) Parkinson's second law.
D) the unjust-world principle.

Question 53

Imagine that you've just finished vacuuming when your young daughter races through the house into the bathroom with her muddy shoes still on her feet. According to the revised version of the frustration-aggression theory, in which situation would you be the least angry at your daughter?

A) Your daughter is only seven years old.
B) Your daughter is with a friend.
C) Your daughter is ill and couldn't stop to take off her shoes.
D) No matter what the situation, you'll be furious.

Question 54

Arvid didn't work very hard on his last class essay assignment, so he was relieved at first to find he'd gotten a C on it. But when he learned that most of his classmates had gotten Bs and As, he felt unhappy and angry about his grade. Arvid's experience is best explained in terms of

A) the adaptation-level phenomenon.
B) the relative deprivation principle.
C) displacement.
D) Parkinson's second law.

Question 55

Berkowitz's revised frustration-aggression theory argues that

A) frustration always leads to some form of aggression.
B) aggressive people are more sensitive to frustration cues.
C) frustration can produce many emotional responses, not solely aggression.
D) frustration produces anger; anger is released when confronted with aggressive cues.

Question 56

Although most abused children do not become criminals or abusive parents, ___________ do later abuse their own children.

A) 20%
B) 30%
C) 40%
D) 50%

Question 57

After arguing with her boyfriend, Peter, over the telephone, Roberta smashes down the receiver and then throws the phone across the room. This behaviour most clearly demonstrates

A) the weapons effect.
B) displacement.
C) instrumental aggression.
D) Parkinson's second law.

Question 58

Three theories of aggression are

A) instinct theory, social identity theory, and social learning theory.
B) realistic conflict theory, social identity theory, and frustration-aggression theory.
C) instinct theory, frustration-aggression theory, and social learning theory.
D) frustration-aggression theory, instinct theory, and realistic conflict theory.

Question 59

Which of the following is the best example of frustration-induced aggression?

A) suicide bombing
B) road rage
C) terrorist acts
D) sexual coercion

Question 60

Aggression is _______ likely when we are aroused and it seems safe and rewarding to aggress.

A) most
B) least
C) all of the choices are correct
D) none of the choices are correct

Question 61

In Schachter and Singer's classic study, participants injected with adrenaline were exposed to either an angry or a euphoric confederate. Participants who expected the injection to make them feel _____ became _____ when placed with the angry confederate.

A) aroused; angry
B) aroused; euphoric
C) no side effects; angry
D) no side effects; euphoric

Question 62

Aggressive behaviour has been linked with

A) offensive odours.
B) cigarette smoking.
C) air pollution.
D) all of the choices are correct.

Question 63

The recipe for aggression often includes

A) pain.
B) an attack.
C) uncomfortable heat.
D) all of the choices are correct.

Question 64

Sandra and her date Adrian are on a rollercoaster at the fair. After getting off the ride, Sandra feels like she may be falling in love with Adrian. This example can be best explained by the fact that

A) arousal decreases aggressive impulses.
B) engaging in similar events influences attraction.
C) arousal decreases psychological inhibitions.
D) arousal of any type feeds emotions.

Question 65

Research suggests that the sight of a weapon can

A) elicit frustration.
B) sensitize one to the danger of violence.
C) amplify aggression.
D) produce catharsis.

Question 66

Imagine that when Steve is driving home, a car cuts him off on the highway. Under which of the following conditions is Steve most likely to be enraged by this incident?

A) When he's on his way home from a 12-hour shift at work
B) When he's on his way home from a lecture on stress reduction and relaxation techniques
C) When he's on his way home from an electrifying rock concert
D) When he's on his way home from his mother's house

Question 67

According to research,

A) hotter days have more violent crimes.
B) cooler days have more violent crimes.
C) hotter days have least violent crimes.
D) none of these choices are correct.

Question 68

Nancy is running around in the park, playing a vigorous game with her children, when she sees someone who treated her badly at a recent social event. She feels a very strong surge of anger. This is an example of the idea that

A) alcohol unleashes aggression.
B) group membership increases hostility.
C) arousal of any type feeds emotions.
D) pheno-motives are dangerous.

Question 69

Research in the laboratory and in real life suggests that pain, personal attacks, and overcrowding are _______ experiences that _______ the likelihood of aggression.

A) aversive; increase
B) aversive; decrease
C) frustrating; do not affect
D) frustrating; decrease

Question 70

Research with children suggests that observing aggressive behaviour can

A) lower their inhibitions against aggression.
B) teach them ways to be aggressive.
C) lead them to imitate directly aggressive behaviour.
D) all of the choices are correct.

Question 71

In a revision of frustration-aggression theory, Berkowitz maintained that frustration most directly produces

A) anger.
B) aggression.
C) relative deprivation.
D) arousal.

Question 72

In a revision of frustration-aggression theory, Berkowitz emphasized the importance of

A) aggressive cues, such as weapons.
B) the role of biochemical influences, such as alcohol.
C) relative deprivation and the adaptation level phenomenon.
D) catharsis as a reducer of frustration.

Question 73

According to social-learning theory, aversive experiences lead directly to

A) aggression.
B) anticipated negative consequences.
C) emotional arousal.
D) constructive problem solving.

Question 74

Berkowitz proposed that __________ rather than __________ is the basic trigger of hostile aggression.

A) aversive stimulation; frustration
B) frustration; aversive stimulation
C) frustration; pain
D) pain; aversive stimulation

Question 75

According to social-learning theory, aggression is most likely when we ___________ and ____________.

A) are aroused; it seems safe and rewarding to aggress
B) feel hopeless; alternative strategies to achieve important goals have failed
C) are deprived; see others profiting from aggression
D) suffer a loss of self-esteem; want to impress others

Question 76

found that frustrated men delivered more shocks when

A) guns happened to be in the room.
B) badminton racquets happened to be in the room.
C) they had just received a shot that lowers serotonin levels.
D) they were initially depressed.

Question 77

According to cross-cultural research, __________ attacks breed __________ attacks.

A) intentional; retaliatory
B) non-intentional; retaliatory
C) all of the choices are correct
D) none of the choices are correct

Question 78

The results of the Schachter and Singer experiment in which participants were injected with adrenaline prior to waiting with either a hostile or euphoric person support the idea that

A) bodily arousal feeds one emotion or another depending on how we interpret the arousal.
B) distinct physiological differences exist among the emotions.
C) frustration is largely a function of our prior experience and of whom we compare ourselves with.
D) every emotion triggers an opposing emotion.

Question 79

Azrin's research with rats and other animal species has found that

A) a consistent pain-attack response that occurs across species.
B) aggressive responses vary across species depending on the level of provocation.
C) pain from shocks leads to attack only against one's own species.
D) only physical pain, not psychological pain, led to aggressive responses.

Question 80

Which of the following aversive events can trigger an angry emotional outburst?

A) overcrowding
B) a dashed expectation
C) a personal insult
D) all of the choices are correct