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What are the causes of aggression?

Answer:

Ans.     1. Inborn Tendency: Aggressiveness is an inborn tendency among human beings. Biologically, this inborn tendency may be meant for self-defence/survival.

2. Physiological Mechanisms: Aggression could also be indirectly functions due to physiological mechanism, especially by the activation of certain parts of the brain that play a role in emotional experience.

A general physiological state of arousal, or feeling activated might often be expressed in the form of aggression.

3. Child-rearing: The way an individual is brought up often influences his aggressiveness, e.g., parents using physical punishment.

4. Frustration: It is an emotional state that arises when a person is prevented from reaching a goal, or attaining an object he wants.

Aggression is an expression and consequence of frustration. People in frustrated situations show more aggression than those who are not frustrated.

Experimental Evidence:

Children were prevented from getting some attractive toys that was visible through a screen.

They were found to be more destructive in play. An American psychologist, John Dollard, gave Frustration-Aggression theory. According to this theory, it is frustration that leads to aggression.

5. Displacement: It refers to aggression shown towards the weaker person who is unlikely to react to aggression. Usually members of the majority group show aggressive behaviour towards minority group using abusive language or even physically assaulting the minority group.

6. Observing the Aggressive Model: Albert Bandura shows the role of modelling in learning aggression. For example, child observes aggression and violence on television and may start imitating that behaviour.

7. Provocation: Anger provoking action by others. For example, insults or threats, physical aggression or dishonesty may provoke aggression.

8. Availability of Weapons of Aggression: Observing violence leads to a greater likelihood of aggression on the part of the observer only if weapons of aggression like a stick, pistol or knife are easily available.

9. Personality Factors: Aggressiveness is a personal quality. For example, there are people who are naturally more hot tempered. It has been observed that people, who have very low self-esteem, suffer from insecurity, may behave more aggressively, in order to ‘boost their ego’.

10. Cultural Factors: The culture in which one grows can teach its members to be aggressive or not to be aggressive by encouraging or praising aggressive behavior or discouraging aggressive behaviour, eg. Some tribes are peace loving and some are very aggressive.