Why Negative Responses Often Occur In Sporting Situations
Evaluate critically theories of aggression that seek to explain why negative responses often occur in sporting situations. Use practical examples for the theories you evaluate.
The instinct theory of aggression states that aggression is natural and involves innate tendencies that are stable and enduring, meaning they are difficult to modify. It proposes the idea that aggression is a result of survival instinct to protect or survive. Aggression is said to occur in high arousal situations where stressful cues act as triggers for that aggression, often caused by others as a result of retaliation. However, not all people show aggression as a result of high arousal or stressful cues, so this theory lacks some validity when explaining aggression. Also, aggression is shown by different …show more content…
We learn how to respond to cues from previously learned experiences (vicarious reinforcement), thus strengthening the SR bond between the stimuli and the aggressive response. Praise acts as reinforcement to this type of aggression as the SR bond is learnt, so praise strengthens this made link. However, the same cue can result in different in a different response in different people and so does not take into account individual differences. Also, this theory does not account that people can control their levels or aggression no matter the signal/cue, if the situation is not appropriate for them to show that aggression they can reduce/control it. For example, if normally in a training game a particular cue would make an individual aggressive, and that same cue was present in a game where a scout/coach was watching, that individual would try and control that aggression so as to impress them. Normally this is possible, showing that aggression can be controlled despite there being a strong SR bond associated with that
The instinct theory of aggression states that aggression is natural and involves innate tendencies that are stable and enduring, meaning they are difficult to modify. It proposes the idea that aggression is a result of survival instinct to protect or survive. Aggression is said to occur in high arousal situations where stressful cues act as triggers for that aggression, often caused by others as a result of retaliation. However, not all people show aggression as a result of high arousal or stressful cues, so this theory lacks some validity when explaining aggression. Also, aggression is shown by different …show more content…
We learn how to respond to cues from previously learned experiences (vicarious reinforcement), thus strengthening the SR bond between the stimuli and the aggressive response. Praise acts as reinforcement to this type of aggression as the SR bond is learnt, so praise strengthens this made link. However, the same cue can result in different in a different response in different people and so does not take into account individual differences. Also, this theory does not account that people can control their levels or aggression no matter the signal/cue, if the situation is not appropriate for them to show that aggression they can reduce/control it. For example, if normally in a training game a particular cue would make an individual aggressive, and that same cue was present in a game where a scout/coach was watching, that individual would try and control that aggression so as to impress them. Normally this is possible, showing that aggression can be controlled despite there being a strong SR bond associated with that