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Aggressive Behavior Jul 2023In general, individuals with low levels of coercive power are at greater risk of victimization than those who are more powerful. However, in some circumstances, superior...
In general, individuals with low levels of coercive power are at greater risk of victimization than those who are more powerful. However, in some circumstances, superior coercive power increases an individual's vulnerability. In this paper, I show how coercive power can increase vulnerability (offsetting its protective effect) by its effects on targeting and tactics. Individuals with greater coercive power can increase their risk of getting targeted because they tend to be less vigilant and more likely to behave in ways that provoke others. They generate more grievances and have more enemies because they are less compliant and more verbally aggressive and confrontational. Powerful parties are also at greater risk of being targeted by adversaries seeking to gain status. An attack on a strong adversary is more likely to enhance status than an attack on a weaker adversary since it is a greater achievement. Individuals with coercive power are also at greater risk because of the tactics used by their weaker adversaries. Weaker parties are more likely to engage in pre-emptive attack and use weapons. They are better able to attract and rely on allies because of the norm of social responsibility, that is, the tendency to protect those in need. Finally, they are more likely to attempt to kill more power adversaries in order to incapacitate them and, thereby, avoid retaliation.
Topics: Humans; Coercion; Aggression; Crime Victims
PubMed: 37210734
DOI: 10.1002/ab.22090 -
The Psychiatric Quarterly Jun 2021Emergency psychiatry has the main role of resolving suicidal behavior and aggression. These severe psychiatric symptoms can be found in many psychiatric disorders such...
Emergency psychiatry has the main role of resolving suicidal behavior and aggression. These severe psychiatric symptoms can be found in many psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, personality disorders, cognitive disorders, intellectual disability and substance abuse. Although indications for the use of antipsychotics are limited to a specific group of diseases, they are frequently used as rescue medication in high-risk or nonresponsive cases. Clozapine, the gold standard for TRS (treatment resistant schizophrenia) is effective in controlling aggression. The aim of the research was to identify the use of clozapine for treatment-refractory aggressive behavior in psychiatric emergency. A retrospective study based on the paper files of patients admitted between 2010 and 2019 in the Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry and Neurology of Brasov, Romania. Were included all the patients admitted as a psychiatric emergency and treated with clozapine for aggressive behavior. The hospital is an academic institution with 150 beds for acute patients, serving an area of over 600,000 inhabitants. It is the main public institution where patients with psychiatric emergencies are hospitalized. Off 19,000 patients admitted during the study period, 504 patients (2,4%) with a diagnosis other than schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder received clozapine for aggressiveness (89.5%). The first four diagnoses identified were bipolar disorder (n = 172), intellectual disability (n = 128), cognitive impairment (n = 112), and personality disorder (n = 92). Other disorders identified but with a smaller number of cases were major depressive disorder (n = 3), adjustment disorders (n = 2), delusional disorder (n = 2), obsessive compulsive disorder (n = 2) and postpartum psychosis (n = 1). Clozapine was used as 3rd or 4th choice. The dose was greater for manic patients (350.29 ± 98.01 mg/day) compared with all the other diagnoses. Clozapine was effective and safe in cases of patients with treatment-refractory aggressive behavior.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aggression; Bipolar Disorder; Clozapine; Cognition; Cognition Disorders; Female; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Male; Personality Disorders; Psychotic Disorders; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 32918660
DOI: 10.1007/s11126-020-09839-x -
Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology &... Mar 2021In modern societies, there is a strive to improve the quality of life related to risk of crimes which inevitably requires a better understanding of brain determinants... (Review)
Review
In modern societies, there is a strive to improve the quality of life related to risk of crimes which inevitably requires a better understanding of brain determinants and mediators of aggression. Neurobiology provides powerful tools to achieve this end. Pre-clinical and clinical studies show that changes in regional volumes, metabolism-function and connectivity within specific neural networks are related to aggression. Subregions of prefrontal cortex, insula, amygdala, basal ganglia and hippocampus play a major role within these circuits and have been consistently implicated in biology of aggression. Genetic variations in proteins regulating the synthesis, degradation, and transport of serotonin and dopamine as well as their signal transduction have been found to mediate behavioral variability observed in aggression. Gene-gene and gene-environment interactions represent additional important risk factors for aggressiveness. Considering the social burden of pathological forms of aggression, more basic and translational studies should be conducted to accelerate applications to clinical practice, justice courts, and policy making.
Topics: Aggression; Brain; Brain Chemistry; Dopamine; Gene-Environment Interaction; Humans; Neuroimaging; Serotonin
PubMed: 32822763
DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110059 -
Aggressive Behavior Nov 2016Multiple theoretical frameworks postulate that ego-depletion can influence aggressive behavior. Our experimental study assessed whether ego-depletion is related to...
Multiple theoretical frameworks postulate that ego-depletion can influence aggressive behavior. Our experimental study assessed whether ego-depletion is related to aggressive behavioral change and whether provocation moderated this effect. Aggression was measured by asking participants to take raffle tickets from an ostensible partner. First, participants were randomly assigned to either high or low ego-depletion (by having them memorize a short or long number throughout the entire study) prior to engaging in the first ticket exchange. Participants were then either provoked (or not) by having their "partner" take more or fewer tickets than the partner originally requested. The ticket exchange occurred three times to assess behavioral change. Results showed that aggression was highest for ego depleted participants who were provoked. Implications are discussed in terms of the General Aggression Model and the Strength Model of Self-Control. Aggr. Behav. 42:533-541, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aggression; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Self-Control; Young Adult
PubMed: 26932532
DOI: 10.1002/ab.21648 -
Aggressive Behavior Jan 2017Although psychological research shows that guns are aggressive cues, proponents of liberal gun control argue that people rather than guns are to blame for gun-related...
Although psychological research shows that guns are aggressive cues, proponents of liberal gun control argue that people rather than guns are to blame for gun-related violence. For instance, athletic target-shooters might classify guns as athletic rather than aggressive stimuli and thus should not be more aggressive than the general population. The present work investigated aggression and emotion-regulation in target-shooters. A longitudinal study found that initial self-reported aggression in target-shooters was higher than in the general population and further increased over 1 year. Additionally, the sample exhibited deficient emotion-regulation strategies, and this was related to self-reported aggression. In contrast, their implicit self-construct became more peaceful over time but was unrelated to all other measures. Two further cross-sectional experiments explored the causal impact of athletic target-shooting and other athletic activities (shooting a basketball) on aggression. Target-shooters and basketball players were tested before and after their regular team practice and aggressive thoughts and feelings were measured. Target-shooting but not basketball practice activated aggressive and anxiety-related thought more strongly than positive thought. Future research avenues, implications for the indirect measurement of aggression, and possible interventions to decrease aggression in target-shooters are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 43:3-13, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Topics: Adolescent; Aggression; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Emotions; Female; Firearms; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Self-Control; Sports
PubMed: 27135280
DOI: 10.1002/ab.21657 -
Subjective aggression during alcohol and cannabis intoxication before and after aggression exposure.Psychopharmacology Sep 2016Alcohol and cannabis use have been implicated in aggression. Alcohol consumption is known to facilitate aggression, whereas a causal link between cannabis and aggression...
RATIONALE
Alcohol and cannabis use have been implicated in aggression. Alcohol consumption is known to facilitate aggression, whereas a causal link between cannabis and aggression has not been clearly demonstrated.
OBJECTIVES
This study investigated the acute effects of alcohol and cannabis on subjective aggression in alcohol and cannabis users, respectively, following aggression exposure. Drug-free controls served as a reference. It was hypothesized that aggression exposure would increase subjective aggression in alcohol users during alcohol intoxication, whereas it was expected to decrease subjective aggression in cannabis users during cannabis intoxication.
METHODS
Heavy alcohol (n = 20) and regular cannabis users (n = 21), and controls (n = 20) were included in a mixed factorial study. Alcohol and cannabis users received single doses of alcohol and placebo or cannabis and placebo, respectively. Subjective aggression was assessed before and after aggression exposure consisting of administrations of the point-subtraction aggression paradigm (PSAP) and the single category implicit association test (SC-IAT). Testosterone and cortisol levels in response to alcohol/cannabis treatment and aggression exposure were recorded as secondary outcome measures.
RESULTS
Subjective aggression significantly increased following aggression exposure in all groups while being sober. Alcohol intoxication increased subjective aggression whereas cannabis decreased the subjective aggression following aggression exposure. Aggressive responses during the PSAP increased following alcohol and decreased following cannabis relative to placebo. Changes in aggressive feeling or response were not correlated to the neuroendocrine response to treatments.
CONCLUSIONS
It is concluded that alcohol facilitates feelings of aggression whereas cannabis diminishes aggressive feelings in heavy alcohol and regular cannabis users, respectively.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aggression; Alcohol Drinking; Alcoholic Intoxication; Cannabis; Case-Control Studies; Central Nervous System Depressants; Environmental Exposure; Ethanol; Female; Humans; Male; Marijuana Smoking; Young Adult
PubMed: 27422568
DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4371-1 -
Aggressive Behavior May 2020The present study sought to examine the influence of aggressive behavior, psychopathy, and gender on moral judgments of aggressive transgressions. A two-dimensional...
The present study sought to examine the influence of aggressive behavior, psychopathy, and gender on moral judgments of aggressive transgressions. A two-dimensional conceptualization of aggression was used, such that proactive relational aggression, reactive relational aggression, proactive physical aggression, and reactive physical aggression were treated as distinct subtypes of aggression and also as distinct subtypes of moral judgments of aggression. Participants were 421 emerging adults (215 women). Self-report measures of aggression, psychopathy, and moral judgments were collected. Peer-reports of aggression and psychopathy were obtained from a randomly assigned subsample of 73 participants (46 women) for validity purposes. Unique associations were found between subtypes of aggression and corresponding moral judgments of the same subtypes.
Topics: Adult; Aggression; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Female; Humans; Judgment; Morals; Peer Group; Sex Factors
PubMed: 32100888
DOI: 10.1002/ab.21883 -
Aggressive Behavior Nov 2020The aim of this study was to explore genetic and environmental contributions to laboratory-induced aggressive behavior. On a sample of 478 adult twins (316 monozygotic),...
The aim of this study was to explore genetic and environmental contributions to laboratory-induced aggressive behavior. On a sample of 478 adult twins (316 monozygotic), the Competitive Reaction Time Task was used for aggression induction. The results showed that the initial, basic level of aggression could be explained by both shared (45%) and nonshared environmental factors (55%), while only nonshared environmental factors (100%) had a significant influence on changes in aggression as provocation increased. Genetic factors had no influence on laboratory-induced aggression. The results highlight the importance of environmental factors in shaping situation-specific aggressive responses to provocation.
Topics: Adult; Aggression; Environment; Humans; Mental Disorders; Twins; Twins, Monozygotic
PubMed: 32656781
DOI: 10.1002/ab.21916 -
Journal of the American Association For... Sep 2021The Syrian hamster () is a solitary and naturally territorial animal, with female hamsters being more aggressive than males. This behavior makes handling difficult...
The Syrian hamster () is a solitary and naturally territorial animal, with female hamsters being more aggressive than males. This behavior makes handling difficult because they are usually housed in groups, which can lead to aggressive behavior. The objective of this study was to refine the management of Syrian hamsters in order to minimize aggressiveness, reduce the animal injuries, and lessen the risk of accidents among laboratory animal technicians due to the hamster aggression during handling. The experiment was conducted at the Center for Animals Experimentation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute. Four groups of hamsters were observed by video recording: group 1 (group-housed males, 6 to 8 wk of age), group 2 (group-housed females 6 to 8 wk of age), group 3 (group-housed female, 3 to 4 wk of age), and group 4 (individually housed females, 6 to 8 wk of age). Group 1 animals were less aggressive and agitated both during housing and during handling by the animal technician as compared with groups 2 and 3. Groups 2 and 3 showed greater agitation and aggression. Marked reduction in the level of aggressiveness and agitation was observed in group 4 as compared with all other groups evaluated during handling by the animal technician. Male hamsters housed in groups of 4 and females housed individually have reduced risks of accident during handling, thereby averting distress and consequent physiologic alterations. Avoiding these risks is essential to obtaining reliable experimental results.
Topics: Aggression; Animals; Cricetinae; Female; Housing; Male; Mesocricetus; Territoriality
PubMed: 34301345
DOI: 10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-21-000020 -
Journal of Animal Science May 2015Factors that have been shown to impact the welfare of group-housed sows are discussed in this review. Floor space allowance markedly affects sow welfare. In addition to... (Review)
Review
Factors that have been shown to impact the welfare of group-housed sows are discussed in this review. Floor space allowance markedly affects sow welfare. In addition to quantity of floor space, the quality of space is important: spatial separation between sows can be provided with visual or physical barriers and stalls. Whereas 1.4 m/sow is insufficient, further research is required to examine space effects in the range of 1.8 to 2.4 m/sow in more detail. The period immediately after mixing has the most pronounced effects on aggression and stress, and therefore, well-designed mixing pens offer the opportunity to reduce aggression, injury, and stress while allowing the social hierarchy to quickly form. Because hunger is likely to lead to competition for feed or access to feeding areas, strategies to reduce hunger between meals through higher feeding levels, dietary fiber, or foraging substrate should be examined. However, feeding systems, such as full-body feeding stalls, can also affect aggression and stress by providing protection at feeding, but deriving conclusions on this topic is difficult because research directly comparing floor feeding, feeding stalls, and electronic sow feeder systems has not been conducted. Familiar sows engage in less aggression, so mixing sows that have been housed together in the previous gestation may reduce aggression. Although there is evidence in other species that early experience may affect social skills later in life, there are few studies on the effects of early "socialization" on aggressive behavior of adult sows. Genetic selection has the potential to reduce aggression, and therefore, continued research on the opportunity to genetically select against aggressiveness and its broader implications is required. Most research to date has examined mixing sows after insemination and knowledge on grouping after weaning is limited.
Topics: Aggression; Animal Welfare; Animals; Feeding Methods; Female; Housing, Animal; Spatial Behavior; Swine
PubMed: 26020296
DOI: 10.2527/jas.2014-8742