Psychology of Aggression

The term “aggression” is well known and often used. But what does it mean exactly and where does it come from? The basis for it forms the Latin verb “aggredi” which means “to approach”. Does aggressive behaviour always mean something negative? What are aggression triggers and why don´t they have the same effect on all people? These questions as well as possible answers give evidence about the nature of this social construction. Aggression is determined on the basis of shared values and normative order in a society.[1] That is why it is obvious that the perception of aggression may differ not only from a society to another but also in the course of the history. 

Although there are two ways which aggression can be understood:

 1. as a product of instigating conditions and existing biological factors.

 2. a sequence of events where provocation is viewed as a causal factor[2].

The research in this field is undertaken in the second meaning of aggression.