The Dynamics Of Human Aggression

Aggression is often thought of as involving hostility, anger, or destructiveness. The authors of book challenge this view, and justify their new theory to readers on both the theoretical and clinical fronts.

Aggression usually involves a sequence of behaviors, reflecting escalations and de-escalations in the form or intensity of the actions taken, which play out over time. This book provides a context in which social and biological research on the aggressive behaviors of human and non-human subjects, interacting in dyads or groups, can be compared and integrated. Implicit in this juxtaposition is the major question of whether general principles governing the dynamics of aggression within and between episodes may be discerned. Aggressive behavior is described at different levels of analysis in humans and a number of other animal species. Three basic views of aggression dynamics become apparent: * The economic interpretation: Aggression will be escalated when it pays one of the combatants to do so or, more generally, when the potential benefits outweigh the risks. Decisions to escalate or de-escalate are part of a calculated "strategy", in one or another sense. This interpretation is formalized within game theoretic models as applied to animal conflicts and to international conflicts, within the chapters of this text. * The psychological process interpretation: Emphasis is placed on psychological/physiological processes within the individual. The chapters stress the importance of acute emotional states of anger and aggressive arousal and argue the role of peripheral sympathetic activation, while proposing a central neural mechanism. Children escalating their tantrums, adult humans and animals of other species intensifying their interpersonal conflicts, national leaders going to a war footing all appear to suffer a narrowing of attention and progressive failure of cognitive function under the intensifying stress of conflict. Perhaps these changes in attention, sensory and cognitive functions, and risk taking reflect a "commitment to aggression" which is necessary for organisms to engage in potentially dangerous and painful encounters. * The emergent process interpretation: Escalation emerges in a spontaneous and dynamic way as the actions of one participant elicit reactions from the other(s).

In this important work twelve eminent scholars review the latest theoretical work on human aggressive behavior. Emerging theories of aggression; peers, sex-roles, and aggression; environmental investigation and mitigation of aggression; development of adult aggression; and group aggression in adolescents and adults are all discussed in detail to provide clinicians, researchers, and students with a cutting-edge overview of the field.

For centuries, scholars have debated the causes of aggression and the means to reduce its occurrence. Human Aggression brings together internationally recognized experts discussing the most current psychological research on the causes and prevention of aggression. Scholars, policy makers, practitioners, and those generally concerned with the growing issue of aggression find this a much needed reference work. Topics include how aggression is related to the usage of drugs, how temperature affects aggression, the effect of the mass media on aggression, violence by men against women, and the treatment of anger/aggression in clinical settings. The book also provides a comprehensive review of theory and methodology in the study of aggression. Presents the latest research findings from internationally recognized researchers Familiarizes the reader with implications of aggression research Examines the causes and prevention of aggression Offers perspectives for both the researcher and policy maker

In this volume leading international authorities present the results of their original scientific studies of aggressive behavior. Written in honor of the eminent Polish psychologist, Adam Fraczec, for this work in this area, the contributed chapters highlight the similarities and differences in the findings provided by investigators working in diverse cultural settings.