Comparing Aggression and Prosocial Behaviour
Aggression and prosocial behaviour appear to be subject to very similar conditions, and processes. These two are discussed and compared along with correlations investigated by temperament theorists. The relevance of the Sherif (1953) experiment is examined, and used to illustrate how those with prosocial qualities and personalities can act in an aggressive manner at the same time, thereby bringing the idea of a continuum into doubt. The issues raised in the Sherif experiment are then re-applied to global instances of prosocial and aggressive behaviour.
Prosocial behaviour is described by Eisenberg (1988) as 'voluntary behaviour intended to benefit another regardless of motive', while aggression is viewed as 'behaviour intended to harm others'. Indeed the definitions would suggest that the two be opposed yet related. Yet the infinite array of situations in which people behave in these two particular ways and the differing extents to which they do so have made it difficult to discern the exact nature and, in fact, the very existence of, the link between them. Both require a degree of social perception and serve an extremely important purpose in the process of natural selection.
The norm of reciprocity can cause us to behave in both negative and positive ways towards our neighbours. Entirely altruistic behaviour is rare and egoistic motivations often underlie actions which cause the betterment of others lives. Just as a chimpanzee will groom another's body with the expectation of receiving the same service in return, so do we help others in the hope of being rewarded in some fashion, be it recognition, the avoidance of guilt or the long term well being of the group t...
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Aggressive individuals often act in ways that will result in having personal gain, rather than focusing what impact they have on others. Aggression is pervasive. It affects the rich as well as the poor, the upper and lower classes, it defines us. This means that most sole individuals will behave in certain ways to promote their well being, instead of how they affect others. Michael Crichton uses characters in Jurassic Park to portray the negative physical, social and intellectual impact they can have on society. This is evident in everyday life because society has molded individuals into looking out for their well being with no considerations of the impact that it has on others.
De Cremer established the main differences between prosocials and proselfs as being the way that they feel about their role in society therefore influencing their behavior within society. Brent Simpson and Robb Willer use these findings to establish a base for their own study about the relationship between altruism and indirect reciprocity. They use previous data to formulate a hypothesis that aims to explain why people act
Human social affinity appears to be much more interesting than “nice people are liked” and “aggressive people are disliked.” A more nuanced view emerges when considering the evolutionary functions of behaviors as they relate to dominance. The bulk of psychology considers antisociality and prosociality as opposite ends of a single continuum and, as such, assumes that they serve opposing functions. Here, I have considered them as serving the same function as two sides of the same coin (437).
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Prosocial Behavior is exhibited through actions that are directed towards the promotion of another’s well-being. Examples of these behaviors are helping, comforting, sharing, and cooperation. The term was coined in the 1970s and introduced as an antonym for “antisocial behavior.” Extensive study on prosocial behavior was conducted after an incident involving a young girl named Kitty Genovese, wherein she was murdered on her way home from work; she cried for help and although many heard her, none came to her aid until it was far too late (Cherry, 2005). This study aims to determine the students of De La Salle University who display and possess prosocial behavior as well as the reasons as to why they behave prosocially. The researchers conducted
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Antisocial personality disorder is a personality disorder marked by a general pattern of disregard for a violation of other people’s rights. Explanations of antisocial personality disorder come from the psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, and biological models. As with many other personality disorders, psychodynamic theorists propose that this disorder starts with an absence of parental love during infancy leading to a lack of basic trust. In this view, the children that develop this disorder respond to early inadequacies by becoming emotionally distant, and they bond with others through use of power and destructiveness. Behavioral theorists have suggested that antisocial symptoms may be learned through modeling, or imitation. As evidence, they point to the higher rate of antisocial personality disorder found among the parents of people with this disorder. Other behaviorists suggest that some parent’s unintentionally teach antisocial behavior by regularly awarding a child’s aggressive behavior. The cognitive view says that people with this disorder hold attitudes that trivialize the importance of other people’s needs. Cognitive theorists also believe that these people have a genuine difficulty recognizing a point of view other than their own. Finally studies show that biological factors may play an important role in developing antisocial disorder. Researchers have found that antisocial people, particularly those with high impulse and aggression, display lower serotonin activity and has been linked this same activity with other studies as well.
Raine, A. (2008). From genes to brain to antisocial behavior. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17, 323-329.
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Before proceeding on what antisocial personality disorder is, along with its debatable biological causes, it is important to understand the criteria for a personality disorder. According to the manual used to diagnose psychological disorders, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, describes personality disorders are ongoing mental illnesses that continue to dramatically affect an individuals’ life. The disorder involves feelings, i...
The social learning theories opened the gate into the study and research of the social cognitive theories that focuses on aggressive behavior and aggressive inputs are a major contribution to the theories of personality (Yeager et al., 2013). The insights provided by the professionals throughout this article focused on personality extremities and how they affected individuals involved in the study, while reflecting on internalizing and externalizing factors. The way individuals handle their differences in personality traits depends heavily upon several factors that begin affecting at an extremely young
Simon, PhD, D. G. (2008, November 7). Understanding the Aggressive Personalities | CounsellingResource.com.CounsellingResource.com – Psychology, Therapy & Mental Health
1. Aggression and Violence, social interactionists perspectives. , Richard B. Felson and James T. Tedeschi 1993
Social psychologists know that people hurt each other when they are angry, and the angrier a person is the more likely they are willing to aggress. The social psychologists would observe people while they are being provoked. The scale can range from not being provoked at all to being very provoked. An example of the scale can be from your brother eating some of your candy all the