PSY307-Excitation-transfer theory
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Section I
Despite the steady decrease in the number of violent crimes in society today, aggression is still a prevalent occurrence. It is something we encounter and witness on a daily basis, in our own personal lives and in the general public; so much so, that there is a constant world wide effort to discover new ways that will enable society to not only further prevent the dangers of aggression, but also attempt to abolish it. However, because it is dangerous, those who choose to study aggression and its causes are also at risk of being harmed, or even causing harm. This in turn makes experimenting with and observing aggression a very difficult and precarious task. Many of the theories that have been established are often challenged and criticized for being too vague and failing to provide a solid explanation for why and how aggression occurs. For example, the frustration-aggression and aggressive-cue theories, which both support the belief that aggression is a motivational drive, were challenged by Dolf Zillmann, because drive is not a measurable variable. He suggested that by measuring arousal through the physiological processes that take place in the sympathetic nervous system as an individual becomes excited, it is easier to identify the cause of aggression (Baron & Richardson, 1994). These “fight or flight” biological responses include, but are not limited to, increased heart rate and breathing, heighten blood pressure, changes in pupil dilation, and perspiration.
Zillmann acknowledged that arousal dissipates slowly and therefore has an increased likelihood of interacting with a second source of arousal. This transfer can either enhance or reduce the probability and magnitude of a certain emotional response, for example aggression. This is what Zillmann called the excitation-transfer theory. Often times the theory can influence aggressive behavior when an individual misattributes their arousal from one source as anger when they are met with a second source of arousal. Anderson and Bushman (2002) state that as long as someone labels the arousal as aggression, he or she “remains ready to aggress” over long periods of time. A classic example of Zillmann’s theory used from the Baron and Richardson text (1994) is a jogger coming home from his workout when he is provoked by his neighbor. Although the man’s heart rate and breathing have increased due to exercise, he attributes his arousal to his neighbor and therefore responds aggressively. Zillmann and many other researchers have done studies using physical exercise, noise, aggressive films, and arousing erotica to test and prove the influences of excitation-transfer theory.
If misinterpreting the source of arousal leads to aggression, than it is usually found that when one can correctly identify the source of their arousal then they will be less likely to aggress. However, misattribution can sometimes also produce a decreased effect on aggression. Baron and Richardson (1994) discussed a study in which a placebo pill was given to two groups. One group was told the pill would increase arousal, while the second group was told it would cause a relaxing effect. Later, subjects in both groups were either provoked or not provoked. “Subjects who expected the pill to induce arousal did not need to look to the behavior of the accomplice for an explanation for their arousal. However, those who expected the pill to cause relaxation could only attribute subsequent arousal to the [provocation] and respond accordingly” (Baron and Richardson, p. 265).
Section II
Excitation-transfer theory is a common happening in today’s culture. It is one of the main occurrences that happens when people interact aggressively. One example would be an altercation at a heavy metal music show after the music has stopped and concert goers have decided to return home. Studies like Rubin, West, and Mitchell (2001), show that heavy metal can influence behavior and attitudes as it is an extremely reliable source of arousal through noise. Many times as listeners enjoy the music, their physiological responses peak and in order to let go of this building physical energy and adrenaline, people will crowd to the front of the stage and begin to “mosh.” Such a display is what distinctively sets rock concerts apart from many others, and it is also serves as evidence of the type of arousal that is experienced through the music. If two people are at a rock concert and one was to accidentally bump another on their way out to the parking lot because he tripped, the second person might misattribute their lingering arousal from the noise to the first person’s push as a threat. Without a distinct period of time in between the two different types of arousal, correctly labeling the source can become confusing for the individual who was pushed; therefore, his interpretation may lead to an aggressive behavior that could cause a physical fight between the two individuals.
Section III
In order to understand how excitation-transfer theory applies to this situation, we can focus on the individual who received the push. Since he was at the heavy metal show, he has already been deeply aroused by the intense volume. Excitation-transfer theory states that such arousal takes some time to fade; therefore any remaining arousal can combine with another source of arousal to which can misattributed. As the individual leaves the show he is still carrying that bit of arousal from the music when he is suddenly pushed on accident by another person. Since the physiological “fight or flight” mechanisms are already going, he mislabels the arousal as a need to defend himself from being pushed around. As a result, he is more likely to swing at the person who pushed him or push him back in an act of aggressive behavior. If however, the same person who was pushed is able to realize that his present arousal is still from the original source of the music, then he should be able to correctly identify this and know that despite the peaked physiological responses, they are not signifying a need to fight or defend oneself in the current situation. Therefore, if he is able to attribute arousal to the correct source, then the individual who was shoved will be less likely to react in an aggressive manner.
Section IV
Although Zillmann’s theory does allow us to measure a variable of aggression, it does not remain the single explanation for aggressive behavior and cannot always be applied to all violent acts. In regards to the 1999 Columbine High School shootings, excitation-transfer theory does not apply. As the tragedy approached its 10 year anniversary, news informed us that many of the original beliefs about the shooters, their intentions, and the actual events that occurred that day were wrong. Contrary to what has been repeated over the past few years, the two boys Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were not bullied, nor were they loners, or members of The Trench Coat Mafia. In fact, investigations provided evidence that they were seriously troubled individuals who suffered from psychological issues, Harris showed symptoms of being psychopathic and Klebold was extremely depressed (Chen, 2009). That being the case, the motives for their actions can hardly be attributed to a misinterpretation of arousal. Even in the case of the original theory of bullying, if they had been treated in such a way then their resentment towards their classmates would actually be a correctly distinguished arousal; and while it still may have caused aggression, it does not follow the rules of excitation-transfer theory. The fact that these boys were suffering from serious mental illnesses proves that aggression can be caused by numerous variables including biology and other individual determinants, such as personality.
References
Anderson, C., & Bushman, B. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53(1), 27-51. Baron, R. A., & Richardson, D. R. (1994). Human Aggression. 2nd ed. New York: Plenum Press.
Cantor, J., Zillmann, D., & Bryant, J. (1975, July). Enhancement of experienced sexual arousal in response to erotic stimuli through misattribution of unrelated residual excitation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32(1), 69-75.
Chen, S. (2009). Debunking the myths of Columbine, 10 years later. Retrieved May 20, 2009, from http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/20/columbine.myths/
Rubin, A., West, D., & Mitchell, W. (2001). Differences in aggression, attitudes toward women, and distrust as reflected in popular music preferences. Media Psychology, 3(1), 25-42.
Zillmann, D., & Bryant, J. (1974, December). Effect of residual excitation on the emotional response to provocation and delayed aggressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30(6), 782-791.
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