Deck 11: Aggression

Question 1

Based on Bonta's (1997)research on nonviolent societies, a powerful way to reduce violence within a society would be to

A) emphasize a strict division of labor by gender.
B) promote cooperation.
C) harshly punish all acts of aggression.
D) separate subcultures within the society.

Answer 1

promote cooperation.

Question 2

Group attacks against other groups are least likely to occur in

A) the Middle East.
B) Eastern Europe.
C) Africa.
D) the United States.

Answer 2

the United States.

Question 3

Which of the following best illustrates aggression?

A) Felix and Oscar engage in a heated debate concerning the merits of the Big Mac versus the Whopper.
B) Maude trips over the scooter her son absentmindedly left in the driveway.
C) In his attempt to save Samantha from drowning, Darin breaks three of her ribs.
D) Ginger kicks MaryAnn in the shins to keep her from eating the last coconut pie.

Answer 3

Ginger kicks MaryAnn in the shins to keep her from eating the last coconut pie.

Question 4

The fact that the American population has been aging in recent years has been offered as an explanation for the

A) decrease in violent crimes.
B) increase in gun-related violence.
C) greater availability of violent pornography.
D) current overcrowded conditions in prisons.

Question 5

Proactive is the same as _____ aggression, while reactive is the same as _____ aggression.

A) instrumental; emotional
B) emotional; instrumental
C) relational; impersonal
D) impersonal; relational

Question 6

Robbing a bank because you need money is an example of

A) proactive aggression.
B) emotional aggression.
C) institutional aggression.
D) reactive aggression.

Question 7

When Katie found out that her brother Matt had pulled the heads off all of her Barbie dolls, she threw her Easy Bake oven at him.Katie's behavior illustrates

A) instrumental aggression.
B) proactive aggression.
C) incompatible responses.
D) reactive aggression.

Question 8

Craig and colleagues (2000)set up hidden cameras and microphones in a Canadian schoolyard and found that bullying in midsized schools occurred at a rate of _____ episodes per hour.

A) 1
B) 4.5
C) 7.25
D) 10

Question 9

One form of violence that seems to be fairly consistent across cultures is

A) violence against young girls.
B) gun violence.
C) domestic violence.
D) bullying.

Question 10

Aggressive behavior whereby harm is inflicted as a means to a desired end is known as

A) proactive aggression.
B) reactive aggression.
C) emotional aggression.
D) relational aggression.

Question 11

According to your text, the fact that groping schoolgirls on the train in Japan is not uncommon illustrates that

A) what is unacceptable aggression in relation to children differs across cultures.
B) what is unacceptable aggression in relation to children is consistent across cultures.
C) collectivist cultures are hypersexualized.
D) collectivist cultures are repressed sexually.

Question 12

A negative, antagonistic attitude toward another person or group is called

A) emotional aggression.
B) hostility.
C) anger.
D) instrumental aggression.

Question 13

The difference between aggression and violence is best described as one of

A) extremity.
B) intent.
C) affect.
D) hostility.

Question 14

Which of the following situations best illustrates instrumental aggression?

A) When Buster finds out that his favorite television show has been preempted by the presidential debates, he kicks Gob, who just happens to be standing nearby.
B) After getting fired from his job at the nuclear power plant, Homer pulls out his semi-automatic machine gun and shoots at the squirrels.
C) Karen pinches Grace until Grace finally moves out of the way so that Karen can get to the liquor cabinet.
D) Edith stabs Archie with a fork when she finds out that he forgot her birthday.

Question 15

United States citizens tend to be more likely than those of other nations to disapprove of

A) violence against young girls.
B) gun violence.
C) a husband slapping his wife.
D) bullying.

Question 16

Which of the following would decrease the likelihood that Chris would behave aggressively?

A) If Chris is a teenager
B) If Chris is male
C) If Chris is drunk
D) None of these

Question 17

The defining characteristic of aggression is that the aggressor

A) intends to injure another living being.
B) actually causes physical or psychological harm.
C) is angry or otherwise emotionally aroused during the aggressive act.
D) derives enjoyment from the aggressive act.

Question 18

Forbes and others (2009)examined how levels of aggression differed in individualist versus collectivist cultures.They found that

A) aggression levels were highest in the U.S., a highly individualist culture.
B) aggression levels were highest in China, a highly collectivist culture.
C) aggression levels were lowest in the U.S., a highly collectivist culture.
D) both the U.S. and China had equally high levels of aggression.

Question 19

Whitley feels intensely displeased that Lena deliberately left the tuna fish sandwich sitting out in the sun so that Whitley would get food poisoning after she ate it.Whitley's emotional response would best be described as

A) instrumental aggression.
B) hostility.
C) anger.
D) displacement.

Question 20

United States citizens tend to be more likely than those of other nations to engage in

A) politically motivated violence directed toward groups.
B) mob violence at sporting events.
C) violence against young girls.
D) gun-related violence against individuals.

Question 21

Which of the following statements regarding human gender differences and aggression is false?

A) In virtually every culture, males are more violent than females.
B) Studies of 16-year-olds suggest that boys are more likely to show higher rates of aggression than girls.
C) Males are more likely to engage in risky, self-destructive behavior than females.
D) Boys demonstrate more overt and relational forms of aggression than do girls.

Question 22

In which state is there most likely to exist a culture of honor?

A) Texas
B) Illinois
C) South Dakota
D) Rhode Island

Question 23

Which of the following is most consistent with evolutionary explanations of aggression?

A) Children are more likely to be abused by their biological parents than by stepparents.
B) Male-to-female violence is predominantly triggered by sexual jealousy.
C) Male-to-male violence is triggered by a rise in testosterone.
D) Different cultures demonstrate different levels of aggressiveness.

Question 24

Though women are more likely than men to aggress in an intimate relationship, men's aggression in such relationships differs in that it typically

A) emerges in the face of provocation.
B) has more severe consequences.
C) results from alcohol abuse.
D) is sexual in nature.

Question 25

According to Smith's (2007)book about the evolutionary origins of human warfare,

A) pacifists have a greater chance for reproductive success.
B) pacifism is likely to become part of human nature.
C) warriors have a greater chance for reproductive success.
D) warriors are least likely to be accepted as part of the group

Question 26

Women are more likely than men to use relational aggression because women

A) lack direct access to wealth.
B) have lower levels of testosterone.
C) place more of a value on their own lives and therefore avoid risky behaviors.
D) do not want to risk physically harming the father of their offspring.

Question 27

The theory that emphasizes genetic (rather than individual)survival is referred to as

A) catharsis.
B) evolutionary social psychology.
C) reproductive success.
D) instrumental aggression.

Question 28

Evolutionary accounts of aggression emphasize the

A) role of aggression in securing food and land.
B) contribution of genetics and hormones to aggressive behavior.
C) importance of intrapsychic conflict in aggressive behavior.
D) role of aggression in securing a mate.

Question 29

Regarding self-esteem and aggression, which of the following is false?

A) Narcissism is a good predictor of aggression.
B) Low self-esteem is a good predictor of aggression.
C) Narcissism is correlated with aggression in response to provocation.
D) High self-esteem is predictive of aggression when combined with narcissism and provocation.

Question 30

Bettina is extremely Type A.Research suggests that she will tend to

A) be more aggressive than most people across situations.
B) rely more on verbal versus physical aggression.
C) be more aggressive than other people when provoked.
D) exhibit more relational than overt forms of aggression.

Question 31

Which of the following concerning violence in intimate relationships is false?

A) Women are more likely than men to use violence in self-defense.
B) Men are more likely than women to use violence to intimidate.
C) Women are more likely than men to be killed in instances of domestic violence.
D) Husband-to-wife violence is more common than wife-to-husband violence.

Question 32

According to an evolutionary perspective, males are competitive with each other because

A) males are predisposed to sexual jealousy.
B) females select high-status males for mating.
C) aggression enhances the male's confidence in the paternity of his offspring.
D) All of these

Question 33

The finding that male-to-male violence occurs primarily in response to status challenges, but male-to-female violence occurs primarily in response to sexual jealousy, supports the

A) instinct view of aggression.
B) evolutionary perspective on aggression.
C) learning theory account of aggression.
D) sociocultural perspective on aggression.

Question 34

Which personality factor is most strongly associated with aggression?

A) Being low in agreeableness
B) Being low in conscientiousness
C) Being high in neuroticism
D) Being high in openness to experiences

Question 35

A murder has been committed.Given the research on homicide, which of the following is most likely?

A) The murderer was of a different race than the victim.
B) The murder occurred in the eastern United States.
C) The murderer was 35 years old.
D) The murderer and victim were both African American.

Question 36

Which of the following concerning gender differences in aggression is true?

A) Men use more relational aggression than verbal aggression.
B) Women use relational aggression more than men.
C) When there is a clear provocation, men use much more overt aggression than women.
D) Women use more verbal aggression than indirect aggression.

Question 37

The relatively greater violence rates in the southern United States has been attributed to

A) greater variability of temperature in the South than in the North.
B) the manner in which residents of the South respond to status threats.
C) the ratio of males to females living in the South.
D) the age demographics of the South.

Question 38

Charice, a teenaged girl, is angry with her friend, so she tells all her other friends that this girl is a slut.Carmen's behavior illustrates

A) indirect aggression.
B) hostile aggression.
C) physical aggression.
D) overt aggression.

Question 39

What is the nature of the relationship between self-control and aggression?

A) Clear and consistent negative correlation
B) Ambiguous and inconsistent
C) Clear and consistent positive correlation
D) The relationship is mediated by self-esteem

Question 40

Compared to straight men, gay men are

A) less likely to physically aggress, but equally likely to engage in indirect aggression.
B) less likely to both physically and indirectly aggress.
C) more likely to physically aggress, but less likely to engage in direct aggression.
D) more likely to both physically and indirectly aggress.

Question 41

Twin research indicates that ______ is more heritable than _____.

A) physical aggression; relational aggression
B) instrumental aggression; emotional aggression
C) verbal aggression; physical aggression
D) None of these

Question 42

According to research on the role of the brain and executive function in predicting aggressive tendencies, when very aggressive teenagers witnessed a situation in which someone intentionally inflicted pain on another person, they exhibited brain activity associated with

A) being part of a group.
B) empathy.
C) experiencing rewards.
D) None of these

Question 43

Mario and Luigi are trying to decide whether to spank their child when she does something undesirable.Research suggests that this type of punishment

A) will be most effective if she perceives her parents to be warm and supportive.
B) is very unlikely to lead their daughter to engage in serious aggression later in life.
C) is not used by many of their friends, if they are representative of U.S. citizens.
D) All of these

Question 44

Chris is a playground bully.He finds that he can win the admiration of his peers by acting aggressively.Chris's aggressive behavior is encouraged by

A) positive reinforcement.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) positive punishment.
D) negative punishment.

Question 45

Research concerning the role of testosterone in aggression has demonstrated that

A) acts of aggression may increase levels of testosterone.
B) testosterone levels drop after successful aggressive episodes.
C) the relationship between testosterone and aggression is stronger among fraternity members than college males who do not belong to fraternities.
D) individuals with low testosterone levels tend to smile less.

Question 46

Which of the following research results would provide evidence that aggression is a heritable trait?

A) Identical twins reared together are more similar in their levels of aggressiveness than identical twins reared apart.
B) Adopted children are more similar in levels of aggressiveness to their adoptive parents than to their biological parents.
C) Fraternal twins are more similar in levels of aggressiveness than non-twin siblings.
D) Identical twins are more similar in levels of aggressiveness than fraternal twins.

Question 47

Consider a mother who slaps her son whenever he engages in aggression.If negative reinforcement is responsible for her behavior, what likely happens after she slaps him?

A) He ignores her
B) He slaps her back
C) He behaves more aggressively
D) He behaves less aggressively

Question 48

Finnegan notices his wife talking to another man and flies into a jealous rage.According to the evolutionary perspective, Finnegan's behavior is designed to

A) assert his social intelligence.
B) increase his confidence in the paternity of his offspring.
C) deflect the death instinct outward instead of inward.
D) increase the level of serotonin in his brain.

Question 49

The strong positive correlation between testosterone levels and aggressive behavior could reflect all of the following except

A) testosterone and aggression are unrelated.
B) testosterone increases aggression.
C) aggression increases testosterone.
D) stress may increase both aggression and testosterone.

Question 50

The theory that behavior is learned through the observation of others as well as through the direct experience of rewards and punishments is called _____ theory

A) modeling
B) frustration-aggression
C) social learning
D) cultivation

Question 51

When aggression stops an undesired outcome or prevents it altogether, the aggressive behavior will increase in the future through the process of

A) positive reinforcement.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) positive punishment.
D) negative punishment.

Question 52

Each of the following people behaved aggressively, and each was punished for his or her aggression.For which of these people should the indicated punishment have the best chance of successfully reducing aggression?

A) Jake, who was punished immediately following his act of aggression
B) Keifer, who was extremely angry when punished after committing an act of emotional aggression
C) Lakeesha, who was punished in a very angry, hostile manner by her parents after committing an act of instrumental aggression
D) Danielle, who was punished for some of her aggressive acts but not for others, and cannot discern a pattern in the incidence of punishment

Question 53

Research on testosterone and aggression indicates that

A) it is surprising that women ever aggress given that they have no testosterone.
B) their relationship is stronger among non-human animals than it is among humans.
C) very little regarding aggressive behavior is actually heritable.
D) their relationship disappears when you examine samples of elderly adults.

Question 54

The only way that Britney can get her husband to stop leaving his dirty socks on the kitchen table is to pinch him every time he does it.Britney's aggressive behavior is maintained through

A) positive reinforcement.
B) negative reinforcement.
C) positive punishment.
D) negative punishment.

Question 55

Several studies have found that finger length ratio is associated with higher levels of _______ aggression in ______ and ________ aggression in _______.

A) direct, men; indirect, women
B) indirect, men; direct women
C) positive men; negative, women
D) negative, women; positive, men

Question 56

Research on aggression with transsexual participants

A) indicates that gender differences in aggressive tendencies have been greatly exaggerated by previous researchers.
B) conclusively identifies a link between biology and aggression.
C) provides a rare means of ethically studying the causal effects of testosterone on human aggression.
D) All of these

Question 57

In a study about status (to successfully compete for mates), Vladas Griskevicius and others (2009)found that

A) women do not use aggression of any type to boost their status.
B) men are more likely to boost their status through indirect aggression.
C) women are more likely to boost their status through direct aggression.
D) men are more likely to boost their status through direct aggression

Question 58

Gershoff's (2002)analysis of studies with over 36,000 participants indicates a positive correlation between corporal punishment and

A) aggression as a child.
B) aggression as an adult.
C) adult criminal behavior.
D) All of these

Question 59

Drugs that_____ the level of serotonin tend to _____ aggression levels.

A) boost; lower
B) boost; increase
C) boost; not affect
D) decrease; raise

Question 60

Angelina is interested in whether the teenager she is preparing to adopt is likely to be aggressive as an adult.Research suggests that she would be wise to consider whether he

A) is a twin.
B) was aggressive as an eight-year-old.
C) has long fingers.
D) was born in a nation with a warm climate.

Question 61

Ira believes that aggression is an acquired tendency picked up by observing others and by experience with rewards and punishments.Ira's beliefs are most consistent with

A) social learning theory.
B) the evolutionary perspective.
C) instinct theory.
D) negative affect escape model.

Question 62

Of the following, the frustration-aggression hypothesis would probably be least effective as an explanation for

A) instrumental aggression.
B) emotional aggression.
C) a strong correlation between economic conditions and prejudice toward minority groups.
D) examples of "road rage."

Question 63

Aggressing against a substitute target because aggressive acts against the source of the frustration are inhibited by fear or lack of access is called

A) catharsis.
B) displacement.
C) rumination.
D) desensitization.

Question 64

A socialization explanation for gender differences in aggressive tendencies

A) would focus on differences between men and women in levels of hormones and neurotransmitters.
B) might consider ways in which parents react differently to the aggressive actions of young boys versus girls.
C) would suggest that such differences should be identical across different cultures.
D) None of these

Question 65

Which of the following concerning a culture of honor is true?

A) It is more prevalent among women than men.
B) It is more prevalent in the northern United States than in the southern United States.
C) It is a product of socialization that can influence the tendency to aggress.
D) It is produced by differences in testosterone and serotonin levels.

Question 66

Nonie gets a new Barbie doll for her sixth birthday, and she immediately begins to punch, kick, and throw the doll around the house.Which of the following is likely to have contributed to this behavior?

A) Nonie saw Uncle Floyd yell at Auntie Mame when she threw her Barbie doll.
B) Nonie saw her cousin Brucie hug and kiss his Barbie doll.
C) Nonie just finished watching the new Barney beat up Barbie in a cartoon on television.
D) Nonie has been socialized in a stereotypical female role.

Question 67

Aggressive models teach aggressive behavior by all of the following except

A) teaching observers how to perform the aggressive act.
B) fostering positive attitudes toward aggression.
C) allowing observers to construct aggressive scripts.
D) increasing the frustration experienced by observers.

Question 68

Deion is least likely to imitate the aggressive behaviors of Darcy if Darcy

A) is a cartoon character.
B) is punished for behaving aggressively.
C) is rewarded for behaving aggressively.
D) experiences catharsis following the aggressive behavior.

Question 69

The idea that (1)frustration always elicits the motive to aggress and (2)all aggression is caused by frustration is known as

A) the frustration-aggression hypothesis.
B) the negative affect model.
C) excitation transfer theory.
D) catharsis.

Question 70

Marty watches his older brother act non-aggressively after being provoked.According to social learning theory, Marty is subsequently likely to

A) act less aggressively and experience stronger restraints against aggression.
B) refrain from acting aggressively because he believes that he will be punished for aggressing.
C) experience catharsis and displace his aggression onto safer, more acceptable targets.
D) find more socially acceptable outlets for his impulses, such as rough sports.

Question 71

The transmission of domestic violence across generations is called the

A) cultivation.
B) rumination.
C) perpetual desensitization.
D) cycle of violence.

Question 72

Vandello, Cohen, and Ransom (2008)found that Caucasian men from the southern part of the U.S.were more likely than Caucasian northern men to

A) respond to frustration with aggression.
B) show negative attitudes toward aggression.
C) overestimate the aggressiveness of their peers.
D) underestimate the aggressiveness of their peers.

Question 73

Ethan has been released from jail in the United States and is applying for jobs in the South and the Northeast.Ethan is probably more likely to land interviews in the South than in the Northeast if he was in jail for

A) murdering a person who taunted him in public about an affair with his wife.
B) committing fraud on a million-dollar insurance claim.
C) illegally importing cocaine across the border.
D) robbing a jewelry store owned by a member of a racial minority group.

Question 74

Gee and Leith (2007)analyzed aggressive behavior in the National Hockey League (NHL).They concluded that players born in North America were more likely to resort to fighting to deal with their frustration because

A) hockey players generally have aggressive personalities.
B) they were always punished severely when they acted aggressively.
C) the sport of hockey makes people act aggressively.
D) they had been exposed to models of aggression in hockey from a young age.

Question 75

Which of the following conclusions is least consistent with the original formulation of the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

A) The need to aggress in response to frustration can be reduced if the frustrated individual behaves in an aggressive but relatively harmless way toward an object that is not related to the source of the frustration.
B) The need to aggress in response to frustration is taught directly by reinforcement, important models, and the media, and can be "unlearned" if the reinforcements and models change.
C) The need to aggress in response to frustration is a psychological drive that resembles the physiological drive of seeking food in response to hunger.
D) The need to aggress in response to frustration can lead to nonviolent acts of aggression such as spreading rumors about someone or telling hostile jokes.

Question 76

Bandura's (1961)study of aggressive behavior in children

A) demonstrated that children will follow an adult model's lead in terms of degree and nature of aggression demonstrated.
B) identified the specific antisocial personality characteristics associated with highly aggressive children.
C) demonstrated that violent TV has little effect on children's own aggressive tendencies.
D) illustrated the ability of punishment to curtail the aggressive tendencies of children.

Question 77

When his wife tells him that he cannot go out bowling with the guys, Homer gets mad and throttles his son, Bart.Homer's behavior is an example of

A) instrumental aggression.
B) catharsis.
C) displacement.
D) vicarious aggression.

Question 78

Ryan was abused as a child.He is now married to a woman who abuses him, and he is physically abusive toward his child.This pattern of behavior is consistent with

A) the negative affect escape model.
B) the arousal affect model.
C) cultivation.
D) the cycle of violence.

Question 79

Based on the principles of social learning theory, which of the following measures is most likely to be successful in teaching a child to act nonviolently?

A) Punishing the child physically for acting aggressively
B) Exposing the child to older models who are punished harshly for acting aggressively
C) Exposing the child to older models who act non-aggressively in response to provoking situations
D) Teaching the child how to displace frustrations and anger in safe, socially acceptable ways, such as by hitting a punching bag or role-playing a desired outcome

Question 80

Brown and others (2009)found the school violence is especially associated with

A) the presence of weapons in the school.
B) the culture of honor in the area.
C) the level of economic frustration in the geographic region.
D) the temperature of the day.