Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
Published on: July 4, 2013
Why are bystanders friendly to recipients of aggression?
Orlaith N Fraser1, Sonja E Koski, Roman M Wittig
1Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology; School of Natural Sciences and Psychology; Liverpool John Moores University; Liverpool, UK.
Abstract:
The escalation of conflicts of interest into aggressive conflict can be costly in terms of increased post-conflict stress and damage to the opponents' relationship. Some costs may be mitigated through post-conflict interactions. One such type of interaction is affiliative contact from a bystander to the recipient of aggression. This type of interaction has been suggested to have a number of functions, including stress reduction and opponent relationship repair. It may also protect bystanders from redirected aggression from the original recipient of aggression. Here we review the evidence for such functions and propose a framework within which the function and occurrence of post-conflict affiliation directed from a bystander to the recipient of aggression is related to the quality of the relationships between the individuals involved and the patterns of behavior expressed.
More Related Videos
07:19A New Approach that Eliminates Handling for Studying Aggression and the "Loser" Effect in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: December 30, 2015
06:42Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
Published on: September 28, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Bystander Effect
Aggression
Bullying
Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation
Egoism and Altruism
Altruism