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ARE HUMAN BEINGS INHERENTLY AGGRESSIVE? UNDERSTANDING HUMAN AGGRESSION WITH VARIOUS THEORIES

Year 2025, Issue: 41, 328 - 340, 30.05.2025
https://doi.org/10.20875/makusobed.1641997

Abstract

This study conducts a discussion around the question of whether human aggression is innate or shaped by environmental factors. The aim of the study is to examine the causes of aggression in terms of biological (evolutionary) and socio-psychological dimensions and to reveal the multidimensional nature of aggression in line with the explanations provided by these two disciplines. The literature review method was based on the theories of important theorists such as Konrad Lorenz, Richard Dawkins, and Albert Bandura. The results show that aggression is not dependent on a single cause, and that biological tendencies emerge in interaction with social and environmental factors. The most important contribution of this study will be to present a more holistic perspective on the causes of violence, conflict, and war on both individual and societal levels of human aggression in this article that takes an interdisciplinary approach.

References

  • Amnesty International. (2024). Armed conflict. https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/armed-conflict/
  • Anderson, C. A. ve Huesmann, L. R. (2003). Human aggression: A social-cognitive view. In M. A. Hogg & J. Cooper (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (pp. 296–323). Sage Publications.
  • Baron, R. (1977). Human aggression. Plenum Press.
  • Başar, F. ve Demirci, N. (2016). Toplumsal Cinsiyet Esitsizligi ve Şiddet. Kadın Sağlığı Hemşireliği Dergisi, 2(1), 41-52.
  • Baumeister, R. F. ve Bushman, B. J. (2011). Social psychology and human nature. Wadsworth.
  • Bandura, A. (1971). Social learning theory. General Learning Press.
  • Berkowitz, L. (1989). Frustration-aggression hypothesis: Examination and reformulation. Psychological Bulletin, 106(1), 59–73. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.106.1.59
  • Bull, H. (1981). Hobbes and the international anarchy. Social Research, 48(4), 717–738. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40970843
  • Dawkins, R. (2006). The selfish gene. Oxford University Press.
  • Demirtaş-Madran, H. A. (2020). Cinsiyet ve saldırganlık ilişkisi: Görgül ve kuramsal çalışmalara güncel bir bakış. Turk Psikoloji Yazilari, 23(45), 97-114.
  • Diener, E. (1980). Deindividuation: The absence of self- awareness and self-regulation in group members. In P. B. Paulus (Ed.), Psychology of group influence (pp. 209–242). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
  • Dollard, J., Miller, N. E., Doob, L. W., Mowrer, O. H. ve Sears, R. R. (1939). Frustration and aggression. Yale University Press.
  • Eraslan, L. ve Kukuoglu, A. (2019). Social relations in the virtual world and social media aggression. World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues, 11(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.18844/wjet.v11i2
  • Feldman, R. S. (1998). Social psychology (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall.
  • Fox, S. ve Spector, P. E. (2009). A model of work frustration- aggression. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 20 (6), 915– 931. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099- 1379(199911)20:6<915::AID-JOB918>3.0.CO;2-6
  • Gat, A. (2006). War in human civilization. Oxford University Press.
  • Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. (2024). Today’s armed conflicts. http://geneva-academy.ch
  • Geen, R. G. (1990). Human aggression. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks-Cole.
  • Glasgow University. (2015). Aggression: Problems with definitions. http://www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~paddy/level_2/L7_aggrobio.pdf
  • Haddad, C., Malaeb, D., Sacre, H., Bou Khalil, J., Khansa, W., Al Hajj, R., Kheir, N., Saade, S., Obeid, S. ve Hallit, S. (2021). Association of problematic internet use with depression, impulsivity, anger, aggression, and social anxiety: Results of a national study among Lebanese adolescents. Pediatric investigation, 5(4), 255–264. https://doi.org/10.1002/ped4.12299
  • Heinze, J. (2013). Aggression in humans and other animals – A biological prelude. In H.-H. Kortüm & J. Heinze (Eds.), Aggression in humans and other primates (pp. 3–18). Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
  • Hooks, B. (2000). Feminism is for everybody: Passionate politics. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.
  • Huesmann, L. R., Dubow, E. F., Boxer, P., Landau, S. F., Gvirsman, S. D. ve Shikaki, K. (2017). Children's exposure to violent political conflict stimulates aggression at peers by increasing emotional distress, aggressive script rehearsal, and normative beliefs favoring aggression. Development and psychopathology, 29(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579416001115
  • Hunnicutt, G. (2009). Varieties of patriarchy and violence against women: Resurrecting "patriarchy" as a theoretical tool. Violence Against Women, 15(5), 553–573. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801208331246
  • Keles, B., McCrae, N. ve Grealish, A. (2020). A systematic review: The influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851
  • Lorenz, K. (2002). On aggression. Routledge.
  • Liu, J., Lewis, G. ve Evans, L. (2013). Understanding aggressive behaviour across the lifespan. Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 20 (2), 156–168. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2850.2012.01902.x
  • Mann, L., Newton, J. W. ve Innes, J. M. (1982). A test between deindividuation and emergent norm theories of crowd aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42(2), 260–272. https://doi.org/10.1037/0 3514.42.2.260
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. (2014). Biological and social causes of aggression. http://homepages.rpi.edu/~verwyc/oh10.html
  • Reicher, S., Spears, R. ve Postmes, T. (1995). A social identity model of deindividuation phenomena. European Review of Social Psychology, 6 (1), 161–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/14792779443000049
  • Sampasa-Kanyinga, H. ve Lewis, R. F. (2015). Frequent use of social networking sites is associated with poor psychological functioning among children and adolescents. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 18(7), 380– 385. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2015.0055
  • Sapolsky, R. M. (2006). A natural history of peace. Foreign Affairs, 85 (1), 104– 120. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/world/natural-history-peace
  • Shalit, B. (1988). The psychology of conflict and combat. Praeger.
  • Shahid, M. S. ., Yousaf, R. . ve Munir, H. (2024). Social media addiction, depression and aggression in young adults. Journal of Professional & Applied Psychology, 5(2), 276–285. https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v5i2.297
  • Taylor, S. E., Peplau, L. A. ve Sears, O. D. (2000). Social psychology (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc.
  • Twenge, J. M., Joiner, T. E., Rogers, M. L. ve Martin, G. N. (2018). Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among U.S. adolescents after 2010 and links to increased new media screen time. Clinical Psychological Science, 6(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702617723376
  • Thomas, D. G. (1989). Social withdrawal and aggression in children: Behavioral alternatives to frustration. In K. H. Rubin & D. Pepler (Eds.), The development and treatment of childhood aggression (pp. 219–237). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Nauts, S., Langner, O., Huijsmans, I., Vonk, R. ve Wigboldus, D. H. J. (2000). Person perception: Forming impressions of others. In S. E. Taylor, L. A. Peplau ve D. O. Sears (Eds.), Social psychology (pp. 62–97). Wadsworth. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000179
  • Walby, S. (1990). Theorizing patriarchy. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
  • Wilson, E. O. (1975). Sociobiology: The new synthesis. Harvard University Press.
  • Zillmann, D. (1979). Hostility and aggression. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Zimbardo, P. G. (1969). The human choice: Individuation, reason, and order versus deindividuation, impulse, and chaos. In W. J. Arnold & D. Levine (Eds.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation (Vol. 17, pp. 237–307). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

İNSANLAR DOĞUŞTAN SALDIRGAN MIDIR? İNSAN SALDIRGANLIĞINI ÇEŞİTLİ TEORİLERLE ANLAMAK

Year 2025, Issue: 41, 328 - 340, 30.05.2025
https://doi.org/10.20875/makusobed.1641997

Abstract

Bu çalışma, insan saldırganlığının doğuştan mı yoksa çevresel faktörlerle mi şekillendiği sorusu etrafında bir tartışma yürütmektedir. Çalışmanın amacı, saldırganlığın nedenlerini biyolojik (evrimsel) ve sosyo-psikolojik boyutuyla inceleyerek, bu iki disiplinin sunduğu açıklamalar doğrultusunda saldırganlığın çok boyutlu doğasını ortaya koymaktır. Literatür taraması yöntemiyle Konrad Lorenz, Richard Dawkins, Albert Bandura gibi önemli teorisyenlerin saldırganlıkla ilgili teorileri temel alınmıştır. Sonuçlar, saldırganlığın tek bir nedene bağlı olmadığı, biyolojik eğilimlerin sosyal ve çevresel faktörlerle etkileşim içinde gün yüzüne çıktığını göstermektedir. Disiplinlerarası bir yaklaşım ele alan makalede insan saldırganlığını hem bireysel hem de toplumsal düzeyde şiddet, çatışma ve savaşın nedenlerine dair daha bütüncül bir bakış acısı sunmak bu çalışmanın en önemli katkısı olacaktır.

References

  • Amnesty International. (2024). Armed conflict. https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/armed-conflict/
  • Anderson, C. A. ve Huesmann, L. R. (2003). Human aggression: A social-cognitive view. In M. A. Hogg & J. Cooper (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (pp. 296–323). Sage Publications.
  • Baron, R. (1977). Human aggression. Plenum Press.
  • Başar, F. ve Demirci, N. (2016). Toplumsal Cinsiyet Esitsizligi ve Şiddet. Kadın Sağlığı Hemşireliği Dergisi, 2(1), 41-52.
  • Baumeister, R. F. ve Bushman, B. J. (2011). Social psychology and human nature. Wadsworth.
  • Bandura, A. (1971). Social learning theory. General Learning Press.
  • Berkowitz, L. (1989). Frustration-aggression hypothesis: Examination and reformulation. Psychological Bulletin, 106(1), 59–73. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.106.1.59
  • Bull, H. (1981). Hobbes and the international anarchy. Social Research, 48(4), 717–738. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40970843
  • Dawkins, R. (2006). The selfish gene. Oxford University Press.
  • Demirtaş-Madran, H. A. (2020). Cinsiyet ve saldırganlık ilişkisi: Görgül ve kuramsal çalışmalara güncel bir bakış. Turk Psikoloji Yazilari, 23(45), 97-114.
  • Diener, E. (1980). Deindividuation: The absence of self- awareness and self-regulation in group members. In P. B. Paulus (Ed.), Psychology of group influence (pp. 209–242). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
  • Dollard, J., Miller, N. E., Doob, L. W., Mowrer, O. H. ve Sears, R. R. (1939). Frustration and aggression. Yale University Press.
  • Eraslan, L. ve Kukuoglu, A. (2019). Social relations in the virtual world and social media aggression. World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues, 11(2), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.18844/wjet.v11i2
  • Feldman, R. S. (1998). Social psychology (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall.
  • Fox, S. ve Spector, P. E. (2009). A model of work frustration- aggression. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 20 (6), 915– 931. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099- 1379(199911)20:6<915::AID-JOB918>3.0.CO;2-6
  • Gat, A. (2006). War in human civilization. Oxford University Press.
  • Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. (2024). Today’s armed conflicts. http://geneva-academy.ch
  • Geen, R. G. (1990). Human aggression. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks-Cole.
  • Glasgow University. (2015). Aggression: Problems with definitions. http://www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~paddy/level_2/L7_aggrobio.pdf
  • Haddad, C., Malaeb, D., Sacre, H., Bou Khalil, J., Khansa, W., Al Hajj, R., Kheir, N., Saade, S., Obeid, S. ve Hallit, S. (2021). Association of problematic internet use with depression, impulsivity, anger, aggression, and social anxiety: Results of a national study among Lebanese adolescents. Pediatric investigation, 5(4), 255–264. https://doi.org/10.1002/ped4.12299
  • Heinze, J. (2013). Aggression in humans and other animals – A biological prelude. In H.-H. Kortüm & J. Heinze (Eds.), Aggression in humans and other primates (pp. 3–18). Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
  • Hooks, B. (2000). Feminism is for everybody: Passionate politics. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.
  • Huesmann, L. R., Dubow, E. F., Boxer, P., Landau, S. F., Gvirsman, S. D. ve Shikaki, K. (2017). Children's exposure to violent political conflict stimulates aggression at peers by increasing emotional distress, aggressive script rehearsal, and normative beliefs favoring aggression. Development and psychopathology, 29(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579416001115
  • Hunnicutt, G. (2009). Varieties of patriarchy and violence against women: Resurrecting "patriarchy" as a theoretical tool. Violence Against Women, 15(5), 553–573. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801208331246
  • Keles, B., McCrae, N. ve Grealish, A. (2020). A systematic review: The influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 79–93. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851
  • Lorenz, K. (2002). On aggression. Routledge.
  • Liu, J., Lewis, G. ve Evans, L. (2013). Understanding aggressive behaviour across the lifespan. Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing, 20 (2), 156–168. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2850.2012.01902.x
  • Mann, L., Newton, J. W. ve Innes, J. M. (1982). A test between deindividuation and emergent norm theories of crowd aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42(2), 260–272. https://doi.org/10.1037/0 3514.42.2.260
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. (2014). Biological and social causes of aggression. http://homepages.rpi.edu/~verwyc/oh10.html
  • Reicher, S., Spears, R. ve Postmes, T. (1995). A social identity model of deindividuation phenomena. European Review of Social Psychology, 6 (1), 161–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/14792779443000049
  • Sampasa-Kanyinga, H. ve Lewis, R. F. (2015). Frequent use of social networking sites is associated with poor psychological functioning among children and adolescents. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 18(7), 380– 385. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2015.0055
  • Sapolsky, R. M. (2006). A natural history of peace. Foreign Affairs, 85 (1), 104– 120. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/world/natural-history-peace
  • Shalit, B. (1988). The psychology of conflict and combat. Praeger.
  • Shahid, M. S. ., Yousaf, R. . ve Munir, H. (2024). Social media addiction, depression and aggression in young adults. Journal of Professional & Applied Psychology, 5(2), 276–285. https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v5i2.297
  • Taylor, S. E., Peplau, L. A. ve Sears, O. D. (2000). Social psychology (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc.
  • Twenge, J. M., Joiner, T. E., Rogers, M. L. ve Martin, G. N. (2018). Increases in depressive symptoms, suicide-related outcomes, and suicide rates among U.S. adolescents after 2010 and links to increased new media screen time. Clinical Psychological Science, 6(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702617723376
  • Thomas, D. G. (1989). Social withdrawal and aggression in children: Behavioral alternatives to frustration. In K. H. Rubin & D. Pepler (Eds.), The development and treatment of childhood aggression (pp. 219–237). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Nauts, S., Langner, O., Huijsmans, I., Vonk, R. ve Wigboldus, D. H. J. (2000). Person perception: Forming impressions of others. In S. E. Taylor, L. A. Peplau ve D. O. Sears (Eds.), Social psychology (pp. 62–97). Wadsworth. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000179
  • Walby, S. (1990). Theorizing patriarchy. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.
  • Wilson, E. O. (1975). Sociobiology: The new synthesis. Harvard University Press.
  • Zillmann, D. (1979). Hostility and aggression. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Zimbardo, P. G. (1969). The human choice: Individuation, reason, and order versus deindividuation, impulse, and chaos. In W. J. Arnold & D. Levine (Eds.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation (Vol. 17, pp. 237–307). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
There are 42 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Sociology (Other), International Relations (Other), Political Psychology, Community Psychology
Journal Section Review Articles
Authors

Şeyma Biçer Hazır 0009-0001-6875-4525

Early Pub Date May 29, 2025
Publication Date May 30, 2025
Submission Date February 18, 2025
Acceptance Date April 11, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Issue: 41

Cite

APA Biçer Hazır, Ş. (2025). ARE HUMAN BEINGS INHERENTLY AGGRESSIVE? UNDERSTANDING HUMAN AGGRESSION WITH VARIOUS THEORIES. Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Journal of Social Sciences Institute(41), 328-340. https://doi.org/10.20875/makusobed.1641997