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How can aggressive
behavior be explained? - Psychology makes a distinction between two classic
explanations: drive theory and frustration theory, which are presented on a separate page. This page sets out to address a more general approach that can also be used to explain
aggression; this approach is called learning theory.
"While drive and frustration theory both draw on a specific factor to explain
aggression, the learning theory attempts to explain aggression using principals that are equally valid for other
types of behavior. Learning is a fundamental phenomenon, that is, it has the power to change a person's disposition
(knowledge, attitude, skills etc..) through experience. In psychological terms,
however, learning is not uniform; different types of learning exist.
There is also a great deal of variety in what is
learned. For instance, who's at fault, how to use a weapon and when to be obedient and much more besides can all be
learned. To this end, using learning to explain aggressive behavior can pose a
difficult challenge depending on which aggressive phenomenon we are dealing with.
And it for this reason that learning theory should really be seen as a collective term for a wide range of
explanations. As far as aggression is concerned, the following types of learning would appear to be of particular
relevance:
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Learning from a model. This principle is common to
everyone: New behavior is adopted by watching others. While most of the behavior
seen by an individual is just stored in the mind, sometimes it is actually
imitated. An individual's own parents, circle of friends and other important
'attachment figures' are the most important role models. In addition to
this, it's also possible to impart aggressive (but also prosocial and other) behavioral
traits via the media.
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Learning from success and failure. This is where an individual learns from the consequences of his
actions. Examples of aggressive behavior leading to success include getting your own way by
'putting your foot down', profiting from violence, getting media acknowledgement or approval from within one's own group
following the use of force and hitting back at an attacker. To this end, enforcement and
profit, acknowledgement and recognition, and defense and self-protection are particularly important
in terms of aggression success. This is also coupled with a number of pleasant internal effects such as
getting a thrill (football hooligans for example) and positive self-assessment
(for example pride about one's own strength and bravery). While learning from a model enables us to experience new ways of
behaving, successes 'teach' us to use particular ways of behavior, at least in certain
'promising' situations. If aggressive behavior fails to achieve the desired effect or has negative
consequences, it is less likely to be used in the future.
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Cognitive learning means learning in the sense of developing
knowledge. This involves the learning of aggression-relevant terms, thinking, action plans and
methods. People learn, for instance, terms such as 'self-defense', 'enemy' and
'honor' and what they could mean in terms of their actions (...). People are taught methods for outwitting an apposing force and how to use
weapons. This knowledge and and these beliefs can, on the one hand, have an impact on the way in which we interpret things and, on the
other, be used to guide our actions.
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Learning theory delivers a large number of
conclusions on how to reduce aggressive behavior. Indeed, models, success and
failure, and cognitive learning can all be used to teach people alternative, non-aggressive
behavior and thinking. This approach has also been shown to work for all people to a greater or lesser
extent. This type of learning can be promoted by education, training and
therapy. It's possible, for instance, to show and explain to people how to deal with conflict sensibly and practice these skills using role play. Children can be
'rewarded' with attention and kindness when they are good, and ignored when they
throwing a tantrum and complaining. Individuals can also begin to ask themselves and others
'how we can resolve this problem?' (instead of always 'looking for someone to
blame?') and much more besides (...).
There is a broad base of agreement on the dependence of each individual and each situation, that is to
say, on internal and external factors, for actual behavior and for the internal processes that lie behind them. If drive theory more or less ignores external factors and the original frustration theory attaches too much importance to them
(frustrating events as a trigger), a contemporary combination of frustration and learning theory offer an intermediate
position. Indeed, this is the only way of explaining why it is that the same person is capable of acting aggressively and peacefully depending on the situation and the
presence or otherwise of certain people (influence of the situation), and why it is that different people react differently given the same situation
(influence of the person).
As far as aggressive behavior is concerned, the most distinct differences between people are their motives
(tendency towards retaliation, greed for money etc.), their inhibition towards aggression and their behavioral repertoire
(having command over aggressive and alternative forms of behavior). Taken
together, these person-related factors determine an individual's visible
aggressiveness.
[Taken from: Hans-Peter Nolting, Aggression ist nicht gleich Aggression. Ein Überblick aus psychologischer Sicht; in: Der Bürger im Staat 43, 2/1993, p. 93]
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