Deck 12: Aggression: Why Do We Hurt Other People Can We Prevent It

Question 1

According to most social psychologists, aggression is defined as __________.

A) the intention to cause harm to or pain in another
B) the infliction of harm or pain on another
C) the intention to relieve frustration by harming another
D) any action that results in physical or psychological pain in another

Answer 1

the intention to cause harm to or pain in another

Question 2

Hostile aggression differs from instrumental aggression in that instrumental aggression __________.

A) often follows from anger or frustration
B) is more destructive than hostile aggression
C) is more likely to result in retaliation
D) is done as a means to an end other than causing pain

Answer 2

is done as a means to an end other than causing pain

Question 3

Hostile is to __________as instrumental is to __________.

A) physical pain; emotional pain
B) emotional pain; reaching a goal
C) reaching a goal; physical pain
D) physical or emotional pain; reaching a goal

Answer 3

physical or emotional pain; reaching a goal

Question 4

According to the social-psychological definition of "aggression," which of the behaviors below is the best example of aggression?

A) Donald is not paying attention and runs over the neighbor's bicycle as he backs out of the driveway.
B) Amanda asserts herself with her boss and makes a spirited argument for a raise.
C) A child throws a temper tantrum and tries to hit his father.
D) One basketball player fouls another when he is trying to shoot.

Question 5

__________ aggression is an act that stems from feelings of anger, and that is aimed at inflicting pain.

A) Misplaced
B) Hostile
C) Instrumental
D) Malicious

Question 6

Andrea asks her friends to spread a nasty rumor about her opponent for the office of class president to attempt to damage his reputation in the days before the election. This is an example of __________.

A) instrumental aggression
B) hostile aggression
C) assertiveness
D) physical aggression

Question 7

According to evolutionary theory, some psychologists argue that men are programmed to be aggressive. What is their explanation for this claim?

A) Men are stronger than women, thus more aggressive.
B) Men are socialized to be more aggressive.
C) Aggression may help men perpetuate their genes.
D) Acts of aggression and violence are attractive to many women.

Question 8

Which of the following is the best example of instrumental aggression?

A) Scott has a quick temper and gets into fights at parties.
B) An assassin kills a leader to ensure the success of a coup.
C) Angry at her boyfriend, Liz destroys his stereo.
D) Karin runs over her neighbor's cat.

Question 9

According to the authors of your text, the same act may be considered aggression or not depending on whether __________.

A) physical harm was actually done
B) physical or psychological harm was done
C) physical or psychological harm was intended
D) the act was due to anger or was a means to an end

Question 10

__________ aggression is an act in the service of a goal that does not involve the infliction of pain.

A) Misplaced
B) Hostile
C) Instrumental
D) Oblique

Question 11

Which of the following is the best example of hostile aggression?

A) Bernie is angry at his mother and screams at her, "I hate you!"
B) Angela threatens her younger brother to force him to give up a toy that belongs to her.
C) A lineman sacks a quarterback to put him out of the game.
D) An angry driver loses control and runs his car into a ditch.

Question 12

Ada runs over to Abella and steals the ball from her hands so that she can have it. This is an example of __________ aggression.

A) assertive
B) misguided
C) instrumental
D) hostile

Question 13

Julie is really interested in Tom. She flirts with him at lunch a few times, and finally asks him out for a drink on Friday. According to the authors of your text, Julie's behavior is __________.

A) assertive
B) aggressive
C) masculine
D) abnormal

Question 14

Xiao runs over to Cheng and shouts, "I hate you" while pushing Cheng to the ground. This is an example of ___________ aggression.

A) hostile
B) instrumental
C) assertive
D) anxious

Question 15

Which of the following best describes an incident of aggressiveness?

A) Josh tackles another player on the football field.
B) Ben spray paints over graffiti that says negative things about gays and lesbians.
C) Gregory puts oil on the floor in hopes that his late coworker comes in the door and immediately slips and falls.
D) Hannah corners her boss and screams at him that she wants a raise.

Question 16

In a primitive tribe, Shantu fights with the other young men his age to impress the young women. As it turns out, several young women are attracted to him because he seems to be able to protect them and is rising in social status. In essence, Shantu's aggression can be explained in evolutionary terms as a display of __________.

A) jealousy
B) dominance
C) brutality
D) fertility

Question 17

The goal of __________ aggression is to inflict pain; the goal of __________ aggression is to achieve some other outcome.

A) hostile; instrumental
B) hostile; functional
C) functional; instrumental
D) biological; evolutionary

Question 18

Based on information presented in your text, what are the two evolutionary reasons why males are aggressive?

A) dominance and jealousy
B) hostility and instrumentality
C) jealousy and hostility
D) dominance and instrumentality

Question 19

Which of the following is an example of hostile rather than of instrumental aggression?

A) A farmer kills a pig for an Easter ham.
B) A teenager throws eggs at a homeless person.
C) A woman uses a fly swatter to kill a fly.
D) A soldier kills an enemy at war.

Question 20

Mr. Jenkins was backing out of his driveway and accidentally hit his neighbor (whom he dislikes) as he was biking by. Why isn't this act aggressive?

A) Because no psychological harm was done.
B) Because Mr. Jenkins wasn't angry at the time.
C) The neighbor was defenseless.
D) It was unintentional.

Question 21

Which of the following is an area of the brain that shows reduced activity when exposed to testosterone?

A) amygdala
B) hypothalamus
C) orbitofrontal cortex
D) reward processing areas

Question 22

Scientists wanting to understand sex differences in aggression will need to study the way __________ relate to aggression.

A) cortisol and estradiol
B) testosterone and estradiol
C) estradiol and cortisol
D) cortisol and testosterone

Question 23

Aggression in females is general seen when they must __________.

A) find a mate
B) defend their young
C) gain status in the group
D) learn to fight in battle

Question 24

Researchers have found that testosterone levels are significantly higher in men __________, suggesting a __________ contribution to aggression in humans.

A) from abusive homes; biological
B) convicted of violent crimes; biological
C) from lower socioeconomic backgrounds; social
D) convicted of property crimes; biological

Question 25

The Pygmies of Central Africa and the Arapesh of New Guinea live in peace and harmony, while European history consists of one war after the other. Formerly peace-loving, the Iroquois became a fierce and aggressive Native American tribe in the seventeenth century. These examples illustrate that __________.

A) in humans, innate behavioral patterns-including aggression-are infinitely malleable and modifiable
B) frustration often contributes to aggression in otherwise peaceable societies
C) there are strong regional differences in the endorsement of aggression as a solution to social problems
D) humans, lacking inhibitory mechanisms, must rely on cultural norms to curb aggression

Question 26

Males tend to be more violent in their teens and twenties than later in life. Based on evolutionary theory (as discussed by the authors of your text), why would this be true?

A) They are having trouble finding their place in the world.
B) These are peak reproductive years.
C) They are starting puberty.
D) This is when antisocial personality disorder manifests.

Question 27

Based on research conducted with nonhuman animals, it is reasonable to conclude that aggression __________.

A) is not inevitable, but instead an optional strategy
B) may be instinctive; very few species are able to suppress aggressive urges
C) is not instinctive, but rather solely a result of learned processes
D) is instinctive in all species except humans

Question 28

Shortly after Mary and Robert were married, he became somewhat aggressive to other men who showed an interest in his wife, and made claims like, "Anyone who lays a hand on my woman has to go through me first." Such claims and aggression are explained by evolutionary theory as __________.

A) displays of dominance
B) acts of power
C) domestic violence
D) sexual jealousy

Question 29

Bonobos are a close primate relative to humans, sharing 98% of human DNA. Bonobos are particularly interesting to use when studying aggression because they are __________.

A) highly aggressive primates who are known to brutally attack one another
B) led by a male hierarchy
C) very peaceful and led by a female hierarchy
D) the only other animal with the hormone testosterone

Question 30

Testosterone may lead to aggression by reducing our __________.

A) fear
B) anxiety
C) impulse control
D) empathy

Question 31

According to your textbook, most social psychologists agree that aggression is a(n) __________ strategy.

A) inherited
B) uncontrollable
C) optional
D) inflexible

Question 32

According to the __________, testosterone only relates to dominance behaviors when the stress hormone cortisol is low.

A) social aggression hypothesis
B) Challenge Hypothesis
C) Dual-Hormone Hypothesis
D) aggression effect

Question 33

The chimpanzee shares 98% of its DNA with humans, and can be described as __________.

A) the only nonhuman species that commits murder
B) the only nonhuman species that steals from members of its own group
C) extremely peaceful
D) led by a female hierarchy

Question 34

Biologist Zing Yang Kuo (1961) demonstrated that a cat that had been raised from birth with a rat in the same cage would attack neither that specific rat nor other rats. This research suggests that __________.

A) conflict over scarce resources contributes to aggression
B) aggression is a learned response
C) aggressive behavior is not instinctive
D) aggressive instincts can be modified through experience

Question 35

How does female-dominated society lead bonobos to deal with conflict?

A) They diffuse tension by having sex.
B) There is aggressive conflict, but only among females.
C) There is aggressive conflict, but among both males and females in mixed sex combat.
D) They have a clear and unchallenged hierarchy with a female firmly in charge of the group.

Question 36

What, according to the social-psychological point of view, is inherited about aggression?

A) nothing; aggression is completely learned from one's parents, peers, and culture
B) a tendency to respond to provocation against an aggressor, which can be overridden
C) fixed action patterns of responding to certain "trigger" cues
D) patterns of threat and attack in response to challenge

Question 37

According to research presented by the authors of your text, humans' two closest primate relatives (sharing 98% of DNA with humans) are the __________, known for their aggressive nature, and the __________, known for their peaceful nature.

A) bonobos; chimpanzees
B) pygmy chimps; bonobos
C) chimpanzees; bonobos
D) bonobos; pygmy chimps

Question 38

When testosterone and aggression are only related when opportunities for reproduction are high, it is called __________.

A) assertiveness
B) Challenge Hypothesis
C) Dual-Hormone Hypothesis
D) Frustration-aggression Theory

Question 39

Researchers have found that humans kill members of their own kind at __________ rate __________.

A) the same; as bonobos
B) a lower; than bonobos
C) a higher; than chimpanzees
D) the same; as chimpanzees

Question 40

A researcher (Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1963) raised rats in isolation. When other rats were finally introduced into their cages, rats raised alone __________, suggesting that __________.

A) could not defend themselves; aggression is learned
B) used the same aggressive behaviors as other rats; aggression need not be learned
C) did not aggress against them; instrumental aggression does not exist in nonhumans
D) fled from the new rats; aggression must be learned

Question 41

According to the review prepared for the government on Child Safety and Online Technologies, where is the greatest source of danger for teenagers?

A) pornography
B) predatory adults
C) sexting
D) cyberbullying and harassment

Question 42

Chris was aggressive with a romantic partner because of jealousy and because the partner wasn't paying enough attention to Chris. According to the research presented in the text, Chris is ___________.

A) most likely male
B) most likely female
C) equally likely to be male or female
D) The answer cannot be determined from this information

Question 43

Nisbett (1993) has conducted research pointing to regional differences in the propensity to aggress. Based on his findings, which of the men below would be more likely to beat up another man who called his wife "ugly"?

A) Jethro, who lives in New York City
B) Rocky, who is from Maine
C) Ted, who lives in Texas
D) Brian, who lives in rural Indiana

Question 44

The Teduray of the Philippines believe that humans are violent by nature, so they work to be sure that their behavior does not harm others. However, when will they become aggressive?

A) when someone in the group commits adultery
B) when they must protect themselves from outside groups
C) when it is hunting season and they must compete with one another for scarce food
D) when they have to compete to find a wife or husband

Question 45

Which of the following is out of place?

A) gossiping
B) shunning
C) slapping
D) backbiting

Question 46

According to Nisbett (1993), a(n) __________ is characteristic of regions where inhabitants evolved from herding societies, and thus __________.

A) culture of honor; aggression is relatively rare
B) culture of honor; some forms of aggression are more common
C) norm of "machismo"; aggression is more common and more lethal
D) ethos of cooperation; aggression has become evolutionarily maladaptive

Question 47

A study presented in the text demonstrated that when participants were first "accidentally" bumped, then called a disrespectful name, northerners tended to react __________ southerners.

A) more aggressively than
B) more assertively than
C) as aggressively as
D) less aggressively than

Question 48

Suzanne is a master of relationship aggression. Her tools for being aggressive would include __________.

A) spreading rumors
B) punching
C) stealing
D) hitting

Question 49

Bullying is a particularly __________.

A) hidden form of aggression
B) harmful form of relational aggression
C) mild form of familial aggression
D) hurtful form of physical aggression

Question 50

Gender differences show up in relational aggression around the age of __________.

A) 6 months
B) 1 year
C) 3 years
D) 7 years

Question 51

Most social psychologists regard aggressive behavior patterns as __________.

A) modifiable
B) a cultural phenomenon
C) inborn
D) a response to provocation

Question 52

Who is most likely to be aggressive?

A) a female from Australia
B) a male from Korea
C) a male from Sweden
D) a female from the U.S.

Question 53

Amu lives in an isolated area and very close-knit community. The community hunts and farms together and must do so to survive. If Amu suddenly becomes aggressive toward other community members, how is he likely to be treated?

A) He'll be rewarded with a larger share of food.
B) He will be elected to a leadership position in the community.
C) He will be shunned and perhaps even cast out of the community.
D) His behavior will be ignored and won't attract any attention.

Question 54

Which of the following is FALSE?

A) Across cultures, men have been found to be more aggressive than women in everyday life.
B) Gender differences exist in aggression, particularly in response to provocation (e.g., an insult).
C) When aggression is indirect (nonphysical), females may be as aggressive as males.
D) Females tend to feel more guilt and anxiety over aggressive behavior than males do.

Question 55

In romantic relationships, a study of nearly 500 first-year American college women reported that they were __________ likely to hit, slap, and throw objects as their boyfriends.

A) equally
B) less
C) more
D) not at all

Question 56

Survey research by Nisbett (1993) has revealed that although southerners are no more likely than northerners to endorse aggression in general, __________.

A) southerners are more prone to aggress in response to insults
B) the availability of handguns in the South produces more homicides there
C) the "culture of honor" in the North encourages alternatives to aggression
D) southerners are less likely to endorse aggression at the service of self-protection

Question 57

During the seventeenth century, when European fur traders arrived, the Iroquois changed from a peace-loving tribe to fierce enemies of their neighbors, the Hurons. This suggests that __________.

A) there are consistent cultural norms driving the expression of aggression
B) tribal inbreeding selects for aggressive behaviors
C) economic and social competition can elicit aggression
D) aggression is affected by innate propensities and learned inhibitory responses

Question 58

Assume that Kyle grew up in the South, where a "culture of honor" predominates. Based on research presented in the text, Kyle would be more likely than a northerner to behave aggressively when__________.

A) he feels his life is threatened
B) someone insults him
C) he has been drinking
D) he has won a contest

Question 59

Research shows that most cases of extreme violence in a family are perpetrated by __________.

A) men
B) women
C) children
D) the elderly

Question 60

Brigit has been hanging out with the same group of friends for over 10 years. However, Brigit recently met a man and has found that her friends now talk about her behind her back. This is categorized as ___________.

A) familial aggression
B) relational aggression
C) physical aggression
D) bullying

Question 61

According to the "think-drink" effect research, which of the following participants will be most aggressive toward the research confederate?

A) Jake, who believes he has had 5 very strong drinks.
B) Ken, who believes that he has had nothing to drink.
C) Randy, who believes that he has had one weak drink.
D) Kevin, who believes he has had two weak drinks.

Question 62

Based on research presented in the text, who would likely have the highest salary on the professional hockey team?

A) Mark, who is very aggressive and who has spent the most time in the penalty box this year
B) Simon, who is somewhat aggressive but is considered to be a very nice guy
C) Alan, who is aggressive, but has scored the fewest goals on the team
D) John, who is not at all aggressive and is considered the nicest person on the team by the fans

Question 63

__________ theory posits that we learn to aggress by observing and imitating others.

A) Frustration-aggression
B) Direct reinforcement
C) Social-cognitive learning
D) Aggression spillover

Question 64

Well-controlled laboratory experiments and field studies have revealed that alcohol consumption contributes to aggression by __________.

A) increasing testosterone
B) disrupting the way we process information
C) increasing hostility
D) decreasing frustration tolerance

Question 65

Which statement below most accurately reflects the relationship between alcohol and aggression?

A) Alcohol makes all people more aggressive.
B) People who are prone to violence are most likely to be high alcohol consumers.
C) Alcohol interferes with our ability to attribute ambiguous behavior to situations.
D) Alcohol will not make violence-prone people more likely to aggress if they are in a situation where violence is condemned.

Question 66

Gary, a northern male who has a reputation for violence, has been drinking with his friends. Stan approaches Gary and insults his girlfriend. Gary and Stan get into a fistfight. Which of the following best explains why Gary and Stan began to fight? Research suggests that __________.

A) northern males are more prone to react to insults with aggression
B) alcohol is especially likely to interact with testosterone to increase aggression
C) alcohol lowers our social inhibitions and allows us to act impulsively
D) people from different parts of the country hold different expectations about the effects of alcohol

Question 67

In Bandura's famous "Bobo" doll study, he had some children watch a woman aggress against an inflated doll, while other children did not watch an aggressive act. Bandura found that the children who watched someone beat up the doll were later __________.

A) just as likely as the control-group children to aggress against a similar doll
B) less likely than control-group children to behave aggressively against a similar doll
C) more likely than control-group children to behave aggressively against a similar doll
D) likely to behave more aggressively in general

Question 68

Based on social-cognitive learning theory, what is one reason why parents who were abused as children are more likely to abuse their own children in turn?

A) Aggression is inherited.
B) They are usually uneducated.
C) They learned that violence is acceptable.
D) They are pressured by the grandparents to use an iron fist.

Question 69

Of the following people, who would be most likely to demonstrate aggressive behavior?

A) Mark who is completely sober.
B) Gerald who has separated his shoulder and is in considerable pain.
C) Pete who is sitting in the shade, reading a book.
D) Jessica who is experiencing a hot day drinking cold water.

Question 70

Glen and Stacy are at a park with friends. Another couple begins taunting them and saying rude things. Based on research presented in this chapter regarding provocation, who is likely to behave aggressively?

A) Glen
B) Stacy
C) both
D) neither

Question 71

Based on the research presented in the text, if a group of 4-year-old girls wanted the play purse that another girl was given, what are they most likely to do?

A) push her and take it
B) cry until she gives it to them
C) not play with her until she gives it to them
D) wait patiently for their turn to play with it

Question 72

Research examining the "think-drink" effect gave some participants a nonalcoholic drink, some a weak alcohol drink, and some a strong alcohol drink to see how aggressive they would be. The participants were also told how much alcohol they were getting, but the researchers did not necessarily tell them the truth about the amount. What is (are) the independent variable(s)?

A) amount of aggression
B) amount of alcohol received
C) amount of alcohol they were told was in the drink
D) both the amount of alcohol they received and the amount of alcohol they were told was in the drink

Question 73

Jeff is participating in a research study where he is given several drinks. He is told that the goal is to get his blood alcohol level to a point just shy of the legal driving limit. However, he is really only getting a nonalcoholic mixer and fruit juice. How will Jeff behave toward another participant who just insulted his favorite sports team and managed to spill a drink on Jeff's shoes. Why?

A) Jeff will most likely behave aggressively because he expects to be disinhibited by alcohol.
B) Jeff will most likely not behave aggressively because he is not being affected physiologically by the alcohol.
C) Jeff will most likely behave aggressively because he is being physiologically aroused by the belief he has had alcohol.
D) Jeff will most likely not behave aggressively because his cognitive processes will be slowed by the sugar in the fruit juice.

Question 74

Bushman and his colleagues (2007) found that the more respected a person or institution is, the greater their influence as a role model for aggression. They found this effect holds for __________.

A) men but not women
B) northerners and southerners
C) nonreligious and religious people
D) athletes and non-athletes

Question 75

A little girl watches a television cartoon in which a woman yanks a child by the hair and screams at her. After seeing the cartoon, the little girl acts out this same interaction with her doll. This is an example of __________.

A) catharsis
B) imagined aggression
C) social-cognitive learning
D) the frustration-aggression link

Question 76

Desdemona is having a bad day. As she runs to answer the phone, she bangs her knee on the coffee table. Cursing and limping, Desdemona grabs the phone and is rude to the person at the other end of the line. This is an example of __________.

A) hostile aggression caused by pain
B) instrumental aggression caused by pain
C) a biochemical cause of hostile aggression
D) the neural basis of aggression

Question 77

Research demonstrates that, when shown a model who responds to provocation in a restrained, pleasant manner, children __________.

A) perceive the model as weak
B) focus on the provocateur and ignore the model
C) make fun of the model
D) are less likely to respond with aggression when they themselves are provoked

Question 78

Which of the following findings provides the soundest support for the assertion that we learn aggression by observing others and imitating them?

A) Aggressive children often have aggressive parents.
B) Alleged criminals often use the "CSI" defense.
C) Children who watch an adult assault a "Bobo" doll will imitate that behavior in the laboratory.
D) There is a high correlation between watching TV violence and aggressive behavior, and that correlation increases with age.

Question 79

A teacher at a preschool tries to show some rowdy children how to "play nice." She shows them a doll hitting her, and her hugging the doll in response. The teacher's behavior is an example of __________.

A) modeling nonaggressive behavior
B) training good communication skills
C) teaching the children how to solve problems more effectively
D) building empathy in the children

Question 80

Extrapolating from the research on relational aggression, which of the following would be the best thing a parent could teach a young girl?

A) Have a thick skin about what other people think, and work on developing a few good friends.
B) Practice running so you can be very fast.
C) Make sure that you always carry a cell phone.
D) Always keep your fists up to guard your face in a fight.