Psychology 487: Human Aggression

Spring 2012 T R 2:10 3:40

W117 Lagomarcino Hall
Professor Craig A. Anderson Office hours
375B Science Hall I Tuesday: 4-5
Phone: (515) 294-3118 Thursday: 4-5
email: caa@iastate.edu Friday: 8-9
Web page: http://www.CraigAnderson.org

Note: Changes to the syllabus will be announced in class, and the updated syllabus will be posted on
BlackBoard.
Prerequisites: Psychology 280, 301, and either 313, 316, or 380

Readings:
The textbook for this class is: The Social Psychology of Aggression, by Barbara Krahe, available at the
bookstore. In addition, a number of journal articles and book chapters are required reading. They are
available on BlackBoard.

Class structure:
For this advanced seminar, we will use the same basic structure that I use in my graduate seminars. For
Weeks 1-3 we will have regular class meetings (see below) on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Regular class meetings. There will be 2 different types of class activities.
1. Summary. This consists of a brief summary of one or more key points in the assigned reading
material, about 10 minutes per chapter or article. I will ask several students to present the summaries
during each class; this will be done in a random order. The best way for you to be ready to give a
summary is to prepare outlines of the main points for each reading, and bring them to class with you.
2. Discussion. We will discuss questions about the material brought in by all class members. Each
student is to prepare one discussion-type question for each assigned reading. These questions may
be about something you didn't understand in the reading, something you disagree with, possible
connections to other phenomena, or something that might lead to interesting speculations. They could
also be in the format of an essay question or short answer exam question. You may use your submitted
questions to help with the in-class discussions, or you may choose to raise other issues during class
discussion. You also are to prepare one multiple choice question for each assigned reading,
including the correct answer and page numbers from which it was taken. I may use some of these
questions on your exams instead of my own, so it is in your best interest to write good questions (not
too easy, not too difficult, incorporating an important point from the reading). I encourage you to
share your questions with other class members.
Both types of questions are to be posted to the course Blackboard assignments section before the first
"regular class meeting" of the week covering the reading. Most weeks will have 2 reading
assignments, so you will need to submit 4 questions. Questions will be scored on whether they are
submitted on time and are appropriate for the correct reading. Questions submitted after the "Due
date" but before the "Cutoff date" will receive half credit. You can get a lot of points simply by
keeping up with the reading/question writing assignments.

Beginning with Week 4: Tuesdays will consist of individual meetings in my office to discuss your
research paper project. I will send an announcement to you with a link to a web site on which you can
sign up for your meetings. If you've never been to my office before (it is next to Dr. Susan Cross's office),
come a few minute early to be sure that you can find it and be on time. The initial meetings will be

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scheduled every 15 minutes. Later meetings, once you have a topic and a partner (see "Research paper
and presentation" section), will be longer and will include you and your research partner. Thursdays will
continue to be Regular Class Meetings as defined above.

Grading:
Evaluation will be based on 6 parts. There will be 2 exams composed of multiple choice and essay
questions; each exam will be worth 20% of your grade. Your in-class summaries will be worth a total
10%. Turning in your discussion and multiple choice questions is worth 10%, and general in-class
participation is worth another 5%. Your team research paper will be worth 15%. Your team in-class
research presentation will be worth 15%. At the end of each in-class research presentation, all students
will turn in a brief summary of what they thought were the main points of the presentation. These will be
worth a total of 5%.

The final exam will be comprehensive and optional. If you are satisfied with your 2 in-class exams, then
skip the final. If you would like to attempt to get a higher score on the final than on the sum of your 2 in-
class exams, you may take the final exam. Please note that if you take the final exam, it will replace your
2 in-class exam total, even if it is lower. You must notify me by the end of Week 14 if you plan on taking
the final exam.

Research paper and presentation:

The research paper is due at noon on Friday of Week 15. You should find a research partner, select a
topic, and clear it with me by Week 7. (If there is an odd number of students, one 3-person team will be
allowed.) To clear your topic, you must present me with a 1 page (double spaced) proposal along with at
least 15 references that you have read and believe will be relevant to your final paper. The final research
paper itself should be either a narrative review paper or research proposal on some topic related to
human aggression. It should include an abstract, a clear statement of the problem to be addressed, and a
review of the relevant literature. If you are writing a research proposal, it should also very specifically
describe a proposed study that is designed to test a clear hypothesis. It may include hypothetical results
and discussion.

Feel free to ask your classmates or others to read and comment on early drafts. I will be happy to
comment on an early draft if it is submitted to me by Week 12.

I dislike giving page limits, but I know that some idea of what is expected will be useful. I do not think an
adequate paper can be produced in less than 15 pages (including references); I do not want to read an
overly lengthy one (i.e., more than 25 pages). Exceptionally concise writing and thinking, or
exceptionally interesting writing and ideas may, of course, warrant shorter or longer papers, respectively.
The paper should be in APA style.

The in-class research presentation should present an overview of what the paper is about. The
presentations should be well-rehearsed, well-timed, electronic (e.g., PowerPoint), and aimed at a generally
well-educated audience. Dress and act as if you are presenting to colleagues at a conference or to a search
committee that is considering hiring you. Presentations will be timed. The presentation should be at least
10 minutes and no more than 15. You will then have 5 minutes to answer questions from the audience.
Depending on time and circumstances, I may invite other faculty and students to attend.

At the end of each presentation, each audience member will write a brief summary of the main points of
the presentation. The summaries will be turned in to me at the end of the class. Presenters may obtain

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copies of these summaries from me after final grades are submitted (I won't have time to make copies
prior to then).

Although the two partners may differentially contribute to the paper and the presentation (e.g., one doing
more on the paper, the other on the presentation), each student should strive to contribute equal efforts to
the total of the two products. Each partner should individually submit to me a 1-page summary of what
he/she contributed to the final research products. These Contribution summaries are due the first day of
exam week. Don't be overly modest, but be as accurate as possible.

Disability accommodations:
If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor early in the semester so
that your learning needs may be appropriately met. You will need to contact the Disability Resources
(DR) office, located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076, 515-294-7220 to
obtain a Student Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) that describes the needed accommodations.

Meetings/
Tue. date Reading Assignments
Krahe Introduction (not Chapter 1)
Week 1:
Article 1 Huesmann, Anderson, & Bartholow, draft Chapter 1. The problem of violent
Jan. 10
behavior. (Blackboard download)
Krahe Chapter 1. Concepts and measures of aggression.
Week 2:
Article 2 Huesmann, Anderson, & Bartholow, draft Chapter 5. Research methods.
Jan. 17
(Blackboard download)
Krahe Chapter 2. Theories of aggressive behavior.
Week 3:
Article 3 Anderson, C.A., & Carnagey, N.L. (2004). Violent evil and the general
aggression model. Chapter in A. Miller (Ed.) The Social Psychology of Good
Jan. 24
and Evil (pp. 168-192). New York: Guilford Publications. (Blackboard
download)
Tuesday individual meetings begin. (Use the Doodle link in the announcement
sent in Week 2 to schedule your meeting.) On Tuesdays that you do not have an
individual meeting with me, you are urged to meet with other class members
(usual classroom time) to begin the process of finding a research partner.

All readings will be covered on Thursdays for Week 3 Week 11.

Week 4:
Krahe Chapter 3. Individual differences in aggression.
Jan. 31
Article 4 Anderson, C.A., Buckley, K.E., & Carnagey, N.L. (2008). Creating your own
hostile environment: A laboratory examination of trait aggression and the
violence escalation cycle. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,34, 462-
473. (Blackboard download)

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 Krahe Chapter 4. Situational influences on aggression.

Week 5: Article 5 Anderson, C. A., & DeLisi, M. (2011). Implications of global climate change
for violence in developed and developing countries. Chapter in J. Forgas, A.
Feb. 7 Kruglanski, & K. Williams (Eds.), The Psychology of Social Conflict and
Aggression. (pp. 249-265). New York: Psychology Press. (Blackboard
download)
Krahe Chapter 5. Media violence and aggression.
Week 6:
Article 6 Anderson, C. A., Gentile, D. A., & Dill, K. E. (2012). Prosocial, Antisocial, and
Other Effects of Recreational Video Games. Chapter in D. G. Singer, & J. L.
Feb. 14
Singer (Eds), Handbook of Children and the Media, 2nd Edition, (pp. 249-272).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (Blackboard download)
Week 7: Review, finalize research teams and projects on Tuesday in class

Feb. 21 Exam 1 on Thursday

Tuesday Research team meetings begin, continue through Week 13.

Krahe Chapter 6. Aggression in the public sphere.

Week 8:
Article 7 Kruglanski, A. W., & Orehek, E. (2011). The role of the quest for personal
Feb. 28
significance in motivating terrorism. Chapter in J. Forgas, A. Kruglanski, & K.
Williams (Eds.), The Psychology of Social Conflict and Aggression. (pp. 153-
166). New York: Psychology Press. (Blackboard download)
Krahe Chapter 7. Domestic violence.
Week 9:
Article 8 Anderson, C. A., & Anderson, K. B. (2008). Men who Target Women:
March 6 Specificity of Target, Generality of Aggressive Behavior. Aggressive Behavior,
34, 605-622. (Blackboard download)
March 13 Spring Break
Week 10: Krahe Chapter 8. Sexual aggression.

March 20
Krahe Chapter 9. Controlling and preventing aggressive behavior.
Week 11:
Article 9 Barlett, C. P., & Anderson, C. A. (2011). Re-Appraising the situation and its
March 27 impact on aggressive behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37,
1564-1573.
Week 12: Exam 2 on Thursday, April 5

April 3
Week 13: Tuesday: Last Research Team meetings with the instructor.

April 10 Thursday: Class meeting to work on papers and presentations.

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Week 14: Tuesday: Class meeting to work on papers and presentations.

April 17 Thursday: Class meeting to work on papers and presentations.

Week 15: Tuesday & Thursday: Team research project presentations.

April 24 Main points summaries turned in by audience members at the end of class.
Finals Final Exam week
week Contribution summaries due midnight April 30.