Short description:

The fourth edition of this bestselling textbook offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the social psychology of aggression, covering all the relevant major theories, individual differences, situational factors, and applied contexts.

Long description:

The fourth edition of this best-selling textbook offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the social psychology of aggression, covering all the relevant major theories, individual differences, situational factors, and applied contexts.

The book examines a range of topics that can help us understand the causes, forms, and consequences of aggression and violence in order to better address these harmful forms of social behaviour. Initial chapters cover the definition and measurement of aggression, examine the development of aggression, and cover the role of situational factors in eliciting aggression and the impact of using violent media. The second part of the book focusses on specific forms and manifestations of aggression, including chapters on aggression in everyday life and in the family, sexual aggression, intergroup aggression, and terrorism. The final chapter presents strategies for reducing and preventing aggression. The new edition also includes additional coverage of aggression and violent behaviour that stems from the COVID-19 pandemic, new sections on the transfer of aggression from the virtual to the real world, as well as cyberbullying and aggressive fantasies.

Accessibly written and featuring chapter summaries, tasks, and strategies for reducing and preventing aggression, this book is essential reading for students of psychology and sociology who study aggression and violence. It will also be of interest to practitioners working with aggressive individuals and groups, and to policy makers dealing with aggression as a social problem.

"Professor Barbara Krahé?s fourth edition of The Social Psychology of Aggression hits the mark again! The book captures recent advances in human aggression research. It integrates these findings with past and current overarching theories of aggressive and violent behavior. It does so in an engaging and easy-to-comprehend way. As always, this edition goes well beyond social psychology, integrating biological (e.g., hormones, genetics, neuro), cognitive (e.g., executive functions, decision making, learning), developmental, personality and individual differences, sociological, political science and even climate change effects into a broad framework. Students of human aggression and violence?from undergraduates to Ph.D. research professionals to those interested in public policy?will find this a joy to ready and an excellent resource."

Prof. Craig A. Anderson, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Iowa State University, USA,  Associate Editor and former Editor-in-Chief of Aggressive Behavior, former President of the International Society for Research on Aggression. 

"I have been using Barbara Krahé?s textbook ? ?The social psychology of aggression? ? in my upper-level undergraduate aggression and violence course since the first edition, which was published in 2001. I am currently using the third edition, which was published in 2020. My students love this book and so do I. It is comprehensive in scope and based on a firm foundation of scientific research. I was delighted to learn that there is now a fourth edition. A lot has happened in the world and in the field of aggression since 2020. This is a very timely edition, and it is even better than the previous editions. I love being able to tell my students that this textbook was written by a first-rate aggression researcher who has been president of the International Society for Research on Aggression (ISRA) and was elected to be a Life Fellow of ISRA in 2024 ? an honor reserved for scholars who ?have made distinguished lifetime contributions to research on aggression.? I can?t wait to share the fourth edition with my students!"

Prof. Brad J. Bushman, PhD, Professor of Communication, The Ohio State University, USA, Executive Secretary, International Society for Research on Aggression, Editor of Psychology of Violence

"This is an expertly crafted book on what is a diverse topic. Classic theory and empirical research has been fully integrated with topics that align themselves to contemporary understandings. This text will prove an excellent resource for those planning and delivering academic programmes, and for practitioners who are wanting a thorough overview of the topic areas included. Consequently, I warmly recommend this text as the go-to source for students, academics, practitioners and pracademics."

Prof. Jane L. Ireland, University of Central Lancashire and Mersey Care NHS Trust, U.K, Editor-in-Chief of Aggressive Behavior.

Table of Contents:

Preface and acknowledgements

Introduction

1          Aggression as social behaviour

2          Theories of aggression

3          Aggression in childhood and adolescence

4          Personality and gender differences

5          Situational factors promoting aggression

6          Media violence and aggression

7          Aggression in everyday life               

8          Aggression in the family

9          Sexual aggression                  

10        Aggression between social groups

11        Terrorism                   

12        Preventing aggressive behaviour                   

13        Outlook and conclusion

References

Glossary

Subject index