The affective basis of violence

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Developmental Science

Background:

• Violence is often studied through objective behaviors, neglecting its subjective psychological and affective underpinnings.
• Psychoanalytic theories offer a developmental context for understanding aggression and violence.
• Recent advances in developmental science and neuroscience can enhance our comprehension of these phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review psychoanalytic perspectives on aggression and violence.
• To explore how developmental science and neuroscience findings can refine understanding of the mind-behavior relationship in violence.
• To construct a psychobiological model of aggression and violence within a social context.

Main Methods:

• Critical review of psychoanalytic theories on aggression and violence.
• Integration of recent findings from developmental science and neuroscience.
• Development of a biopsychosocial model.

Main Results:

• Psychoanalytic perspectives highlight the subjective, affective substrates of violence.
• Developmental and neuroscience findings can augment understanding of the relationship between mental states and behavior.
• Aggression is conceptualized as a complex, heuristic concept vital for survival in typical development.

Conclusions:

• Violence in humans can be understood as a pathological deviation from adaptive aggression.
• A psychobiological model, situated within a social context, offers a comprehensive view of violence.
• Understanding the affective and psychological dimensions is crucial for addressing violence.