Psychology 595B Social Psychology of Aggression

Spring 2022,
TR 11:00 Š 12:15 

Professor Craig A. Anderson            

375B Science Hall I

email: caa@iastate.edu

Web page: http://www.CraigAnderson.org

 

Prereq: Graduate standing in Departments of Psychology, Human Development & Family Studies, Sociology, or closely related social/behavioral science field.

Required Books: There are three required books. Two should be available at the bookstore.


1. Krahˇ, B. (2021). The Social Psychology of Aggression, 3nd Edition. London: Routledge. An electronic version is available.
    ISBN: 978-1-138-60852-8 (pbk) or 978-0-429-46649-6 (ebk)


2.
Bushman, Brad J. (Editor) (2017). Title: Aggression and Violence: A Social Psychological Perspective. Publisher: Routledge.  ISBN: 9781138859890 (paperback) or 9781315524696 (e-book)

 

3. The third book is Anderson, C.A., Gentile, D.A., & Buckley, K. E. (2007). Violent Video Effects on Children and Adolescents: Research, and Public Policy. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN: ISBN number:9780195309836, ISBN number:9780195345568 . It is available online in hardback and electronic at many online sites (e.g., Amazon, Google). An electronic version is free to ISU students through our library.


Other readings can be downloaded from links in the online syllabus (see below).


Supplemental readings. I've uploaded a bunch of readings to a Cybox folder that you can access at this link:
https://iastate.box.com/s/wovk64rpwrtlems2w4c472z9ak38qvw7

These are not required readings (except those that are separately linked in the syllabus below), but are articles and chapters that you may find useful in your own work.


Anderson Lab recent papers. I've uploaded some recent empirical articles and review papers to Cybox folders. You can access them at this link:
https://iastate.box.com/s/hn22no21067pmsstkqn0ntjz65hqite8.

These are not required readings (except those that are separately linked in the syllabus below).

Grading. This course will be conducted as an informal seminar. There will be no exams. Grades will be based on: In class performance (30%), written summaries of each reading (30%), a term paper (20%), a 30 minute in-class presentation based on your term paper (20%).

 

You should read and take notes on each reading assignment prior to class meetings, so that you can intelligently discuss them in class. In each class, we will discuss the main points of each reading, its strengths & weaknesses, and any questions you have.

 

Written summaries of each reading are due midnight on Monday prior to class discussion. Email them to me in Word or pdf format. The subject line should start with "595B," followed by your last name, followed by the week #. Thus, if your last name is Bagadonuts, the subject line for your summary of Week 1 readings would be: "595B Bagadonuts Week 1." For each week, the summaries should be about 2 to 3 double spaced pages long. The summaries may include your evaluations and questions about the readings, as well as the summary of the main points. You should begin writing these early in the week as you read and take notes, but they are not due until Friday night so that you can modify them based on our in-class discussions. The main purpose of this task is to help you integrate and remember key points for a long time (i.e., long after this semester).

 

Research Paper: The research paper is due at noon on Friday of Week 16. You should select a topic and clear it with me by the beginning of Week 10. To clear your topic, you must present me with a 2 page (double spaced) proposal along with at least 20 references that you have read and believe will be relevant to your final paper. The final research paper itself should be a research proposal on some aspect of human aggression. It should include an abstract, a review of the relevant literature, a clear statement of the research problem to be addressed, and a concrete proposal (methods) designed to test or demonstrate the idea proposed. Any empirical method is acceptable (e.g., experimental, cross-sectional, longitudinal, meta-analytic). The paper may include results from a few pilot participants or some hypothetical results, but a results section is optional. Ideally, the proposed research will actually be carried out at some point in your graduate career. You should feel free to have your classmates or others read and comment on early drafts. I will be happy to comment on an early draft if it is submitted to me by the end of Week 12.

 

I dislike giving page limits, but I know that some idea of what is expected will be useful. I do not think an adequate paper can be produced in less than 18 pages (including references); I do not want to read an overly lengthy one (i.e., more than 25 pages). Exceptionally concise writing and thinking, or exceptionally interesting writing and ideas may, of course, warrant shorter or longer papers. The paper should be in APA style. Here is a link to a useful resource: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/16/ .

 

 

Weeks

Source: Reading Assignments

Week 1

Jan. 18 & 20
Article:  Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B.J. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 27-51.

Article: Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2018). Media violence and the General Aggression Model. Journal of Social Issues, 74, 386-413.

 Bushman: Optional: Chapters 1 & 2.
Week 2:

Jan. 25 & 27
AGB: Part 1: Introduction & Chapters 1-3.

Article: Prot, S., & Anderson, C. A. (2013). Research methods, design, and statistics in media psychology. Chapter in K. Dill (Ed.) The Oxford Handbook of Media Psychology (109-136). New York: Oxford University Press.

Optional: Kim, E., Anderson, C. A., & Gentile, D. A. (2021). 7 ± 2 deadly sins of video game violence research (pp. 19-41). In V. Strasburger (Ed.)  Masters of Media Volume 1: Controversies and Solutions. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield. ISBN-13: 9781475855227

Optional:
Bushman, B. J., & Anderson, C. A. ( Online First Publication, September 2, 2021). Solving the Puzzle of Null Violent Media Effects. Psychology of Popular Media.
Week 3:

Feb. 1 & 3
AGB: Part II: New Studies, Chapters 4 - 6

Article: Gentile, D. A., Bender, P. K., & Anderson, C. A. (2017).  https://iastate.box.com/s/fcysxdg7e1xcmb1ml92nl43c5uqhpkpxComputers in Human Behavior, 70, 39-43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.12.045
Week 4:

Feb. 8 &10
AGB: Part III: General Discussion, Chapters 7-10

Article: Anderson, C. A., Shibuya, A., Ihori, N., Swing, E. L., Bushman, B.J., Sakamoto, A., Rothstein, H.R., & Saleem, M. (2010). Violent video game effects on aggression, empathy, and prosocial behavior in Eastern and Western countries. Psychological Bulletin,136, 151-173. doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.lib.iastate.edu/10.1037/a0018251

Krahe: Optional: Intro., Chapter 1. Defining & measuring aggression
Week 5:

Feb. 15 & 17
Krahe: Chapters 2-3. Theories of aggression, development.

Article: Bartholow, B.D., Anderson, C.A., Carnagey, N.L., & Benjamin, A.J. (2005). Interactive effects of life experience and situational cues on aggression: The weapons priming effect in hunters and nonhunters. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 41, 48-60.

Article: Optional: Gilbert, F., & Daffern, M. (2011). Illuminating the relationship between personality disorder and violence: Contributions of the General Aggression Model. Psychology of Violence, 1, 230-244.
Week 6:

Feb. 22 & 24
Krahe: Chapters 4 & 6. Situational effects, Everyday life aggression.

Article: Anderson, C. A., Buckley, K. E., & Carnagey, N. L. (2008). Creating your own hostile environment: A laboratory examination of trait aggression and the violence escalation cycle
. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,34, 462-473.

Miles-Novelo, A., & Anderson, C. A. (2020). The effect of media on public perceptions of Muslims in the United States. In Abe W. Ata (E.), Muslim Minorities and Social Cohesion: Cultural Fragmentation in the West (pp. 59-66). New York:  Routledge. ISBN 9780367484668

Krahe: Optional: Chapter 5, Media violence.

Article: Optional:
DeLisi, M., Vaughn, M. G., Gentile, D. A., Anderson, C. A., & Shook, J. (2013).  Violent video games, delinquency, and youth violence: New evidence. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 11, 132-142. doi:10.1177/1541204012460874
Week 7:

Mar. 1 & 3

Krahe: Chapters 7 & 8. Family aggression, Sexual aggression.


Article: Anderson, C. A., & Anderson, K. B. (2008). Men who target women: Specificity of target, generality of aggressive behavior. Aggressive Behavior, 34, 605-622.


Article: Ybarra, M. L., Mitchell, K. J., Hamburger, M., Diener-West, M., & Leaf, P. J. (2011). X-Rated material and perpetration of sexually aggressive behavior among children and adolescents: Is there a link? Aggressive Behavior, 37, 1Š18.

Article: Optional: Coyne, S. M., Stockdale, L., Linder, J. R., Nelson, D. A., Collier, K. M., & Essig, L. W. (2017). Pow! boom! kablam! effects of viewing superhero programs on aggressive, prosocial, and defending behaviors in preschool children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 45(8), 1523-1535. doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy.lib.iastate.edu/10.1007/s10802-016-0253-6

Week 8:

Mar. 8 & 10
Krahe: Chapters 9, 10. Aggression between groups, terrorism.

Article: Kruglanski, A. W., & Orehek, E. (2011). The role of the quest for personal significance in motivating terrorism. Chapter in J. Forgas, A. Kruglanski, & K. Williams (Eds.), The Psychology of Social Conflict and Aggression. (pp. 153-166). New York: Psychology Press.

Article: Optional:
Nasie et al. (2016). Young children in intractable conflicts: The Israeli case. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 20, 365-392.
Week 9:

March 15
Spring Break
Week 10:

March 22 & 24

Paper topic due on Tuesday
Krahe: Chapter 11. Aggression reduction.

Article: Krahˇ, B., & Busching, R. (2015). Breaking the vicious cycle of media violence use and aggression: A test of intervention effects over 30 months. Psychology of Violence, 5(2), 217-226.

Saleem, M., Prot, S., Cikara, M., Lam, B. C. P., Anderson, C. A., & Jelic, M. (2015). Cutting Gordian knots: Reducing prejudice through attachment security. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41, 1560-1574.

Article: Optional: Levesque et al. (2016). Teen dating violence prevention: Cluster-Randomized trial of Teen Choices, and online, stage-based program for healthy, nonviolent relationships. Psychology of Violence, 6, 421-432.
Week 11:

March 29 & 31
Bushman: Part II.  Individual Risk Factors for Aggression and Violence. Chapters 3-8.

Week 12:

April 5 & 7
Bushman: Part III. Contextual Risk Factors for Aggression & Violence. Chapters 9-13.
Week 13:

April 12 & 14
Bushman: Part IV. Targets of Aggression and Violence. Chapters 14-18.
Week 14:

April 19 & 21
Bushman: Part V. Making the World a More Peaceful Place. Chapter 19.

Article: Optional:
Barlett, C. P., & Anderson, C. A. (2011). Re-Appraising the situation and its impact on aggressive behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37, 1564-1573.

Article: Miles-Novelo, A., & Anderson, C. A. (2019).  Climate change and psychology: Effects of rapid global warming on violence and aggression. Current Climate Change Reports, 5, 36-46.

News article: McCain, J. (2011). Bin Laden's death and the debate over torture. The Washington Post, 5/16/11.

News article: Mazzetti, M. (2014). Senate Torture Report Faults C.I.A. for Brutality and Deceit. The New York Times, 12/9/14.

Week 15:

April 26 & 27
Article: Swing, E. L., & Anderson, C. A. (2014). The role of attention problems and impulsiveness in media violence effects on aggression. Aggressive Behavior, 40, 197-203. DOI: 10.1002/ab.21519

Article: Derrick et al., (2014). Daily reports of intimate partner verbal aggression by self and partner: Short-term consequences and implications for measurement. Psychology of Violence, 4,  416-431.

Article: Chen et al. (2014). Cognitive behavioral therapy to reduce overt aggression behavior in Chinese young male violent offenders. Aggressive Behavior, 40, 329-336.

Optional Article: Anderson, C. A., Suzuki, K., Swing, E. L., Groves, C. L., Gentile, D. A., Prot, S., Lam, C. P., Sakamoto, A., Horiuchi, Y., Krahˇ, B., Jelic, M. , Liuqing, W., Toma, R., Warburton, W. A., Zhang, X., Tajima, S., Qing, F., & Petrescu, P. (2017). Media violence and other aggression risk factors in seven nations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43, 986-998.

Week 16:

 

May 2 & 4

Monograph: MilesNovelo, A. and Anderson, C. A. (2022). Climate Change and Human Behavior: Impacts of a Rapidly Changing Climate on Human Aggression and Violence. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Finals week

May 9-12

Student presentations instead of final exam

Student Learning Outcomes

After successfully completing this course you will be able to:

į      Understand and discuss the main concepts and theories of the psychology of human aggression

į      Give brief oral summaries of empirical journal articles on the psychology of human aggression

į      Write research proposals which summarize a specific area of human aggression and propose original research that is designed to advance that area

į      Present research proposals to other psychologists in a clear a concise manner.

 

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As noted in recent communications from President Wintersteen and Provost Wickert, Iowa State encourages all members of the university community to wear masks in indoor spaces when around others. This includes classrooms, studios, teaching laboratories, advising offices and other academic environments. Note that while both masks and vaccinations are encouraged, they cannot be required, consistent with current Board of Regents guidance.

 

Academic Dishonesty

The class will follow Iowa State UniversityÕs policy on academic dishonesty.  Anyone suspected of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Students Office.

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Iowa State University is committed to assuring that all educational activities are free from discrimination and harassment based on disability status. Students requesting accommodations for a documented disability are required to work directly with staff in Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to establish eligibility and learn about related processes before accommodations will be identified. After eligibility is established, SAS staff will create and issue a Notification Letter for each course listing approved reasonable accommodations. This document will be made available to the student and instructor either electronically or in hard-copy every semester. Students and instructors are encouraged to review contents of the Notification Letters as early in the semester as possible to identify a specific, timely plan to deliver/receive the indicated accommodations. Reasonable accommodations are not retroactive in nature and are not intended to be an unfair advantage. Additional information or assistance is available online at www.sas.dso.iastate.edu, by contacting SAS staff by email at accessibility@iastate.edu, or by calling 515-294-7220. Student Accessibility Services is a unit in the Dean of Students Office located at 1076 Student Services Building.

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This class follows the Iowa State University Dead Week policy as noted in section 10.6.4 of the Faculty Handbook.

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