Advances in the Study of Aggression (PDF)

Advances in the Study of Aggression, Volume 2 is a compendium of papers that discusses application of techniques and programs to human problems of aggression control. Papers evaluate interactive variables and phenomena in aggressive behavior: namely, the behavior of victims and perpetrators; the experience of the aggressive person before and after the aggressive event; pharmacological agents such as alcohol; and limitations on access to social opportunities for these same persons. A significant commonality of these papers is their recognition of the importance cognitive factors play in the control of aggression. One paper argues that a variety of emotional, physiological, situational, social, and cognitive antecedents regulate the expression of aggressive behavior. Another paper explains that in using punishment techniques, which can effectively control aggression, the inherent problems should be balanced against the benefits to victims, to the aggressor, and to society. One paper reviews studies that have examined the impact of television violence on children, as well as the attitude program designed by Huesmann et al. (1983) to mitigate these effects. The paper points out that though programs designed to mitigate the effects of sexual violence on young adults can be worthwhile, waiting until late adolescence or early adulthood is already waiting too long. The compendium can prove valuable for police administrators, criminologists, counselors, psychologists, lawyers, social workers, and parents of young and adolescent children.