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

Question 1

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.

Answer 1

Aggression may help men perpetuate their genes.

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

assertive.

Question 3

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) extreme prejudice.

Answer 3

instrumental aggression.

Question 4

________ 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 5

Based on the evolutionary explanations for aggression presented in your text, who is most likely to be physically aggressive?

A)an Asian American
B)a woman
C)an African American
D)a man

Question 6

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) involves inflicting pain as a means to an end.

Question 7

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 8

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 9

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 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 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 12

In a primitive tribe, Shantu fights with the other young men his age to impress the young ladies.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 13

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 14

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 15

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 16

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 17

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 18

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 19

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 20

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.

Question 21

According to research presented by the authors of your text, humans' two closest primate relatives (sharing 98 percent 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 22

The chimpanzee shares 98 percent 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 23

Most social psychologists regard aggressive behavior patterns as

A) infinitely modifiable and flexible.
B) completely due to culture, with no influence of biology.
C) inborn, but modifiable when threat is imminent.
D) expressing a limited range of responses to provocation.

Question 24

Evolutionary explanations for behavior are controversial for several reasons.Nonetheless, how true are the evolutionary explanations for aggression?

A)Experiments have been conducted, so they are proven facts.
B)The theory has been supported by substantial experimental research.
C)All the research is correlational, so they are speculations.
D)There is no data to support evolutionary explanations, so they have been disproven.

Question 25

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 26

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 27

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 28

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 29

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 30

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 31

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 32

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

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

Question 33

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 34

Bonobos are a close primate relative to humans, sharing 98 percent 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 35

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 36

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 37

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 38

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 39

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 40

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 41

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 42

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 43

Which of the following is out of place?

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

Question 44

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 45

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 46

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 47

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 48

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 49

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.

Question 50

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

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

Question 51

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 52

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 53

________ 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 54

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

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

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

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)either male or female.
D)The answer cannot be determined from this information.

Question 57

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 58

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 59

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 60

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 61

Chip and Dale get into a bitter fight over who owes what for their large phone bill.Chip is frustrated that Dale won't see his side of the argument.Which of the following will increase the odds that Chip will resort to physical aggression against Dale? Dale

A) pulls out his checkbook, but then refuses to write the check to Chip.
B) admits that he might have forgotten a few of his long-distance calls.
C) outweighs Chip by twenty-five pounds.
D) is the only legal tenant of the apartment.

Question 62

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 63

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 manage to spill a drink on Jeff's shoes, and 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 alcohol.
D) Jeff will most likely not behave aggressively because his cognitive processes will be slowed by the alcohol.

Question 64

Researchers (Barker, Dembo, & Lewin, 1941) frustrated some children in a study by making them view attractive toys that were kept out of their reach.Based on research presented in the chapter, what is most likely to happen when they did allow the children to play with the toys? They found that these frustrated children were more likely to

A) play with the forbidden toys longer.
B) ignore the forbidden toys.
C) act aggressively with the toys.
D) aggress toward the adult experimenters.

Question 65

A prison guard has to transport (by bus) four prisoners convicted of violent crimes.Based on information from your text, who would be most likely to cause the guard problems and behave aggressively?

A) Rough Robbie, who has a row in the bus all to himself
B) Tough Tony, who is sitting right by the air conditioning vent
C) Bold Bob, who is squeezed next to the luggage and is next to the smelly bathroom
D) Gunshot George, who is sleepy

Question 66

One problem with using archival data (e.g., existing records of disturbances) to demonstrate that exposure to uncomfortable levels of heat causes people to behave aggressively is that

A) it is difficult to access such records.
B) by definition, people who participate in disturbances are not a random sample.
C) more people might simply be outside on a warm day than on a cold day.
D) such disturbances do not involve the kind of aggression of interest to social psychologists.

Question 67

________ refers to the tendency to aggress when we perceive that our progress is thwarted.

A) Frustration-aggression theory
B) The catharsis hypothesis
C) The hydraulic model
D) The displacement effect

Question 68

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 69

Which is NOT a reason that global warming may increase aggression?

A) As the environment gets hotter, aggression increases.
B) Global warming will exacerbate existing problems that influence aggression such as poverty and unstable social units.
C) As warming occurs, cognitive processing of ambiguous situations is impaired, resulting in increased aggression.
D) With global warming come increased occurrences of famine and drought, thereby endangering populations already struggling to survive.

Question 70

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 71

Given what the text presents about temperature and levels of aggression, during which month would you expect to find the highest rate of violent crime in North America?

A)January
B)April
C)July
D)November

Question 72

Well-controlled laboratory experiments and field studies (e.g., McDonald, Zanna, & Fong, 1996) have revealed that alcohol consumption contributes to aggression by

A) increasing testosterone.
B) reducing social inhibitions and restraints.
C) increasing hostility.
D) decreasing frustration tolerance.

Question 73

Researchers (Griffitt & Veitch, 1971) administered tests to students who were randomly assigned to take the test in a room with normal temperature or in a ninety-degree room.After completing the test, students were asked how aggressive they felt, and their hostility toward a stranger was measured.These researchers found that students in the ________ hostile to the stranger.

A) normal room felt more aggressive than those in the ninety-degree room, but both sets of students were equally
B) ninety-degree room felt more aggressive than those in the normal room, but both sets of students were equally
C) normal room felt less aggressive than those in the ninety-degree room, but were more
D) the ninety-degree room felt more aggressive than those in the normal room, and were more

Question 74

________ occurs when a person is thwarted on the way to an expected goal or gratification.

A) Frustration
B) Depression
C) Aggression
D) Low self-esteem

Question 75

Riots do occur more often on hot days than on cool days.The hotter the day in a number of cities, the more violent crimes occur.These results suggest that discomfort can lead to aggression.However, such results should be interpreted with caution because

A) representative samples were not secured by the researchers.
B) some third variable might account for the relation.
C) researchers only studied violent aggression.
D) researchers limited themselves to the United States.

Question 76

Two children, Jane and Joan, have been eyeing a new water pistol in the local toy store for months.Each is convinced that her parents will buy her the water pistol as soon as summer comes.Yesterday, Jane's parents bought her the water pistol, which turned out to be the last one in the store.As soon as Joan found out, she had a temper tantrum and hit Jane in the stomach.________ best explains Joan's behavior.

A) Social exchange theory
B) Frustration-aggression theory
C) Social learning theory
D) The emotional consistency effect

Question 77

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 78

Which research findings below provide the soundest evidence that excessive heat causes greater aggression?

A) In cities all over the country, riots are more likely to occur on hot days than on cold days.
B) In Phoenix, drivers without air conditioning are more likely to honk at others than are drivers with air conditioning.
C) Compared to students who took a test in a normal temperature room, test-taking students in a ninety-degree room were more likely to express hostility toward a stranger.
D) Throughout the history of the World Series, more batters have been hit by pitched balls on hot days than on cool days.

Question 79

Citizens are outraged at an unpopular government policy, and in many parts of the country they have taken to the streets to protest.Results of research on the "long, hot summer" would lead you to predict that in the ________ would be LEAST likely to fill the streets in protest.

A) winter, residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota
B) fall, residents of Houston, Texas
C) summer, residents of Chicago, Illinois
D) winter, residents of Atlanta, Georgia

Question 80

Frustration increases the probability of an aggressive response, but does not inevitably lead to such a response (e.g., Berkowitz, 1993).A number of situational factors work to accentuate frustration, further increasing the odds of aggression.For example, frustration is accentuated when we

A) are close to our intended goal.
B) expect the frustration.
C) perceive the frustrating act as unintentional.
D) perceive the frustrating act as random.