To begin, he debunks many of the sacred cows of modern psychology, such as:
• Unexpressed anger always leads to neurotic behavior. (Wrong. Suppressing anger can frequently be a sign of mental health and adjustment.)
• Watching violent sports serves as a “pressure valve” to defuse hostile feelings. (Wrong. The mere act of observing violence can sometimes cause violence.)
• Man is an aggressive animal by nature, therefore war is inevitable. (Wrong. There is no such thing as the “aggressive impulse” per se.)
• All great human accomplishment stems from aggressive behavior redirected into creative acts. (Wrong. There is no scientific evidence whatsoever to support this notion.)
After addressing the misconceptions which have made the clinical and objective study of human aggression difficult, the author introduces some new and startling ideas concerning the origins of violence and aggression. These include the concepts that there is not one but several different kinds of aggression, that each has a different psychological basis, that many aggressive disorders stem not from psychic but physical problems, that electrical stimulation of neural systems in the brain can be used to provoke hostile reactions, and that many types of aggression can be directly inhibited by psychological intervention. A ground-breaking book, Violence and Aggression offers stimulating ideas for psychologists, biologists, sociologists, and criminologists, yet its easily accessible style makes it fascinating reading for anyone concerned with the problems of violence, peace, and, ultimately, human survival.
Violence and Aggression taps the roots of our culture. Written in an accessible, lucid style, it appeals to psychologists, sociologists, biologists, criminologists, and anyone interested in the possibilities of peace, and human survival. A thorough examination of aggression, including the effects of culture, caste, class, and environment.
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter I Four Cases
Chapter II The Problem of Violence
and Aggression
Chapter III A Bio-experiential Model
Chapter IV Modulation of Thresholds for
Aggression
Chapter V Disorders Producing Aggression
Facilitation
Chapter VI Some Theoretical Issues
Chapter VII Potential for the Inhibition of
Aggression: Learning and Direct Neurological Interventions
Chapter VIII Potential for the Inhibition of Aggression:
Hormone and Pharmaceutical Interventions
Chapter IX The Limitations of Physiological
Methods of Aggression Reduction
Chapter X Territoriality
Notes
Appendix A: Drugs and Aggression Inhibition
Appendix B: Glossary
References
Index
K. E. MOYER has taught at Carnegie-Mellon University for the past 35 years and has published widely on the subject of human violence. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Psychopharmacology division of the American Psychological Association.
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