Aggression as a social behavior

The theory of social learning considers aggression as a social behavior that includes actions “behind which are complex skills that require comprehensive learning.”

For example, in order to carry out an aggressive action, you need to know how to handle a weapon, which movements during physical contact will be painful for the victim, and you also need to understand exactly which words or actions that cause suffering to objects of aggression. Since this knowledge is not given at birth, people must learn to behave aggressively.

Biological factors. Although the theory of social learning emphasizes the role of learning through observation and direct experience in the assimilation of aggression, the contribution of biological factors is not denied. As in the case of any motor activity, the commission of an aggressive action depends on the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms. Simply put, the nervous system is involved in the implementation of any action, including aggressive. However, the influence of these basic structures and processes is limited. From the standpoint of social learning:

People are endowed with neuropsychological mechanisms that provide the possibility of aggressive behavior, but the activation of these mechanisms depends on appropriate stimulation and is controlled by consciousness. Therefore, different forms of aggressive behavior, the frequency of its manifestations; the situations in which it unfolds, as well as the specific objects chosen for the attack, are largely determined by factors of social learning.

In the case of precisely human aggressive behavior, the natural limitations caused by biological factors lose their power due to the ability of a person to produce and use weapons of destruction. Similarly, the relationship between the effects of aggressive actions and survival is different in humans and animals. For example, while physical strength may be an important condition in choosing a marriage partner for animals, social factors such as physical attractiveness and financial position are more important for people.