🔑 Key Definitions
Aggression: Intent to harm another person + reasonable expectation harm will occur
Hostile Aggression: Goal is to injure (with anger)
Instrumental Aggression: Harm as means to another goal (winning)
Assertiveness: Legitimate force with NO intent to harm (DIFFERENT from aggression)
Hostile Aggression: Goal is to injure (with anger)
Instrumental Aggression: Harm as means to another goal (winning)
Assertiveness: Legitimate force with NO intent to harm (DIFFERENT from aggression)
🧠 Four Theories of Aggression
1. Instinct Theory
- Aggression is inborn and innate
- Natural human instinct
- Cannot be eliminated, only controlled
2. Social Learning Theory
- Aggression is learned through observation
- People imitate aggressive models
- Young athletes copy professional players
3. Moral Reasoning Theory
- Higher moral development = less aggression
- People with higher morals less likely to aggress
- Moral education can reduce aggression
4. Frustration-Aggression Theory
- Frustration naturally leads to aggression
- Blocked goals create frustration
- Frustration increases likelihood of aggressive response
⚠ Critical Point
Neither hostile nor instrumental aggression is acceptable in sport
Young athletes imitate professional players' aggressive behavior
Coaches and officials must discourage all aggression
Young athletes imitate professional players' aggressive behavior
Coaches and officials must discourage all aggression
💡 Exam Tips
- Aggression requires INTENT to harm + expectation harm will occur
- Hostile = goal to injure with anger, Instrumental = harm to achieve other goal
- Assertiveness ≠ Aggression (no intent to harm)
- 4 theories: Instinct (inborn), Social Learning (learned), Moral Reasoning (higher morals = less), Frustration-Aggression (blocked goals)
- Neither type of aggression is acceptable