Conflict and Cooperation

1. Conflict and Cooperation

2. Aggression • Any behavior that is intended to cause physical or psychological harm.

3. What causes humans to act in a way that will harm others? 1. Biological Influences • It’s proposed that humans have innate biological factors that cause aggression. • Neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, influence a person’s behavior. • When serotonin levels are decreased that may person may experience violent outbursts.

4. 2. Cognitive Factors • Children learn aggressive behavior from observing their parents. • We watch models and then imitate. • The media, music, movies, & video games may also be teaching aggressive behavior.

5. 3. Personality Factors • Personality traits, such as impulsiveness and having little empathy, combined with favoring domination, can turn a person into a bully. • Aggressive people may also be arrogant and egotistical.

6. 4. Environmental Factors • Frustration-aggression hypothesis exists when you become violent because something has provoked you. • This is the idea that frustration or failure to obtain something leads to aggression.

7. Controlling Aggression • Catharsis involves releasing anger or aggression by expressing powerful emotions. In other words…”Get it off your chest” • Punishing children fro violent behavior • Cut down on violence viewed by children • Teaching people to accept frustrations and react to disappointments in ways other than violence.

8. Group Conflict vs. Cooperation • Conflict between groups is fact of everyday life • Ex: Workers vs Bosses, men vs. women • (Sherif & Hovland 1961) – Boys camp experiment • Found cooperation was the crucial factor in eliminating group hostility • Conflict is also found in large groups as well which creates a greater opportunity for a social trap. This is when individuals in a group decide not to cooperate.

9. Alturism • Helping another, often with a cost to oneself, for reasons other than the expectation of a reward. • Whether you help or not may depend on Diffusion of Responsibility

10. Diffusion of Responsibility • When several people are present, each person assumes someone else will help. • This is known as the Bystander Effect • The larger the crowd the more likely any individual will feel it is not their responsibility to help • Another influence that inhibits action is the tendency to minimize the need for a response

11. Social Loafing • Occurs when you allow your contributions to the group to slack off because you realize that individual contributions are not easily measured in a group setting.

12. Deindividuation • People lose their sense of self and follow group behavior • This person will act without thinking and go along with the group • Reasons for this could be that crowds are anonymous and there is little chance of pinpointing an individual • Social pressure can also affect us in positive ways as well. This is because most of us care about what others think of us.

13. Each group will be supplied with the following: 100 straws, 10 paper clips, 4 thumb tacks, 2 feet of string, a pair of scissors, and a role of masking tape.. • Design and build the tallest free standing structure possible (using only the supplied materials) that is capable of supporting a golf ball. You will be given 30 min to complete this project. When each group is finished, each structure will be tested by placing a golf ball within it and by measuring the height. A winner will then be declared. • Reflection: • Write a reflection analyzing how interdependence, shared goals, norms, ideology, and commitment played a part in the group’s successful completion of the task (or its inability to do so). Evaluate the groups strengths and weaknesses. • Use your notes from day 1 or the text if needed to help answer the reflection. Build the Tallest Structure Activity