Outline and evaluate one social psychological theory of aggression
Can use Social Learning Theory or Deindividuation.
Deindividuation= process where normal constraints on behaviour are weakened as a person loses their sense of individuality
Anonymity- Deindividuation- Aggression
Research Support: Zimbardo- guards with glasses, anonymous so became very aggressive.
Mann: Study on crowd baiting, looked at 21 suicides and in 10 cases crowds urged victim to jump.
SLT= Idea that we learn through observation. three stages: Observation, Vicarious reinforcement and
imitation
Study support Bandura: Bobo Doll Study and found that children imitated behaviour of models when seeing them hit a doll violently.
Noble argues that there are demand characteristics because he observed a child from the stdudy say "look mummy there's the doll we are meant to hit."
Issues with SLT
Issues with Deindividuation
Johnson and Downing: Nurses in uniforms gave less shocks than people in hoodies etc. This criticises the theory because they state that any uniform should cause deindividuation.