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Related Concept Videos

Aggression01:47

Aggression

Humans engage in aggression when they seek to cause harm or pain to another person. Aggression takes two forms depending on one’s motives: hostile or instrumental. Hostile aggression is motivated by feelings of anger with intent to cause pain; a fight in a bar with a stranger is an example of hostile aggression. In contrast, instrumental aggression is motivated by achieving a goal and does not necessarily involve intent to cause pain (Berkowitz, 1993); a contract killer who murders for hire...
Humanistic Psychology01:24

Humanistic Psychology

Humanistic psychology emerged in the mid-20th century as a response to the deterministic and pessimistic nature of behaviorism and psychoanalysis. While behaviorism focused on observable behaviors influenced by the environment and psychoanalysis delved into unconscious motivations, both theories suggested that human actions lacked free will. In contrast, humanistic psychology offers a perspective that emphasizes the innate potential for goodness and growth within every individual.
This approach...
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective01:23

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation01:21

Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation

Affiliation motivation is the intrinsic desire to connect with others and belong to a social group, which plays a crucial role in forming and maintaining personal relationships. This type of motivation is essential for psychological well-being, as it provides individuals with a sense of community and support. An example of this is a student who joins a study group in order to feel a sense of connection. People with high affiliation motivation actively seek social approval, take satisfaction in...
Impact of Individuals on Individuals01:30

Impact of Individuals on Individuals

Human behavior is intricately shaped by social influences that arise from interactions with others in diverse contexts. These influences not only mold beliefs and attitudes but also drive the regulation of behaviors through both direct communication and observational learning. The study of these processes falls within the domain of social psychology, which seeks to understand how individuals are affected by and affect those around them.Mechanisms of Social InfluenceDirect social influence...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Studying Aggression in Drosophila (fruit flies)
11:06

Studying Aggression in Drosophila (fruit flies)

Published on: February 25, 2007

Control of human aggression. A comparative perspective

R K Lore1, L A Schultz

  • 1Rutgers University, State University of New Jersey, Department of Psychology, Busch Campus, New Brunswick 08903.

The American Psychologist
|January 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human aggression is not unique, as even aggressive animals use it selectively. Research suggests humans are sensitive to social controls that can reduce violence.

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The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Studying Aggression in Drosophila (fruit flies)
11:06

Studying Aggression in Drosophila (fruit flies)

Published on: February 25, 2007

The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
09:12

The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress

Published on: July 4, 2013

A New Approach that Eliminates Handling for Studying Aggression and the "Loser" Effect in Drosophila melanogaster
07:19

A New Approach that Eliminates Handling for Studying Aggression and the "Loser" Effect in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: December 30, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral Science
  • Ethology
  • Evolutionary Psychology

Background:

  • Aggression is observed across vertebrate species, including humans.
  • Animal research indicates aggression is an optional, not obligatory, behavior.
  • Inhibitory mechanisms coevolved with aggression, allowing selective use or suppression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the nature of aggression in humans compared to other species.
  • To explore the role of social controls in modulating aggressive behavior.
  • To determine if humans possess unique inhibitory mechanisms for aggression.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of animal and human aggression studies.
  • Review of research on aggression in children, adults, and societal contexts.
  • Examination of evolutionary pressures on aggressive and inhibitory behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Humans are not uniquely aggressive; aggression is a facultative strategy in all studied species.
  • All species possess potent inhibitory mechanisms for aggression.
  • Humans exhibit high sensitivity to social cues that regulate violence.

Conclusions:

  • Aggression is a flexible strategy, influenced by context and social factors.
  • Understanding social controls is key to mitigating human violence.
  • Comparative research provides insights into the evolution and regulation of aggression.