Aggression Is Necessary for Survival: Discuss. Base Your Answer on Psychological Theories and Models Introduced in Class.
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Aggression is necessary for survival: Discuss. Base your answer on psychological theories and models introduced in class.
2646 words
In this essay I will discuss the considerable controversy that still exists over the origins of aggression in humans where the old issue of nature versus nature is raised again. I will look at whether aggression is the result of genetically inherited biological drives and impulses carried down from our forebears which were necessary for our survival, or whether it is a part of human nature that has come from our social and environmental situation, in other words, a behaviour that is acquired through experience and learning.
The first thing is to differentiate anger from aggression. Aggression can be an expression of anger, but is not necessarily so. Aggression is the use of power or strength, either verbally or physically, against someone else in order to cause harm and is not necessarily the result of anger but can be quite calculated and intentional. Chrysalis (2010) uses the following definition for anger: “n: a strong feeling of annoyance, v: provoke anger in someone” and defines aggression as “hostile or violent behaviour or attitudes – very forceful: the action of attacking without provocation, especially in beginning a war”. Anger is part of the ‘fight or flight’ response first described by physiologist Walter Cannon who argued that this response is genetically hard-wired into our brains and designed to protect us from bodily harm. This response actually corresponds to an area of our brain called the hypothalamus and, when stimulated by a trigger, a series of nerve cells start to fire, and chemicals are released that prepare our body for running or fighting. When this fight or flight response is activated chemicals like adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol are released into our bloodstream and our bodies undergo a series of very dramatic changes: our respiratory rate and blood pressure increase,...
2646 words
In this essay I will discuss the considerable controversy that still exists over the origins of aggression in humans where the old issue of nature versus nature is raised again. I will look at whether aggression is the result of genetically inherited biological drives and impulses carried down from our forebears which were necessary for our survival, or whether it is a part of human nature that has come from our social and environmental situation, in other words, a behaviour that is acquired through experience and learning.
The first thing is to differentiate anger from aggression. Aggression can be an expression of anger, but is not necessarily so. Aggression is the use of power or strength, either verbally or physically, against someone else in order to cause harm and is not necessarily the result of anger but can be quite calculated and intentional. Chrysalis (2010) uses the following definition for anger: “n: a strong feeling of annoyance, v: provoke anger in someone” and defines aggression as “hostile or violent behaviour or attitudes – very forceful: the action of attacking without provocation, especially in beginning a war”. Anger is part of the ‘fight or flight’ response first described by physiologist Walter Cannon who argued that this response is genetically hard-wired into our brains and designed to protect us from bodily harm. This response actually corresponds to an area of our brain called the hypothalamus and, when stimulated by a trigger, a series of nerve cells start to fire, and chemicals are released that prepare our body for running or fighting. When this fight or flight response is activated chemicals like adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol are released into our bloodstream and our bodies undergo a series of very dramatic changes: our respiratory rate and blood pressure increase,...