Aggression

What Aggression covers

Aggression is examined in Component 02, Psychological factors affecting performance. It covers aggression and assertion, instinct and social learning theories of aggression and frustration-aggression and aggressive cue hypotheses.

The 3 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Aggression and assertionAggression, assertion and hostile aggression, the legal tackle, the ice hockey strike and the fast bowler aiming at a batter's head, why assertion is encouraged, intent and the rules, and the causes and costs of aggression.Open →
• Instinct and social learning theories of aggressionInstinct theory, Freud and Lorenz, survival and catharsis, its criticisms, social learning theory and Bandura's Bobo doll study, vicarious reinforcement and club culture, and reducing aggression through role models.Open →
• Frustration-aggression and aggressive cue hypothesesDollard's frustration-aggression hypothesis, causes of frustration, catharsis, Berkowitz's aggressive cue hypothesis, aggressive cues in a local derby, criticisms of both, and how a coach removes cues.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Aggression further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Aggression vs Assertion

  Aggression: intent to harm another person outside the rules. Assertion: forceful, controlled play within the rules with no wish to injure.

• Instinct theory vs Social learning theory

  Instinct theory: an innate drive to harm that builds up and needs release. Social learning theory: behaviour acquired by watching and copying significant others.

• Frustration-aggression hypothesis vs Aggressive cue hypothesis

  Frustration-aggression hypothesis: the claim that every blocked goal triggers an attack on others. Aggressive cue hypothesis: the claim that readiness to attack needs a triggering stimulus.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is aggression in sport?

   Model answer

   Aggression is behaviour intended to harm another person, outside the rules of the activity. Aggression can be physical or psychological.

2. 2

   What is assertion in sport?

   Model answer

   Assertion is forceful but controlled behaviour within the rules of the activity. Assertion involves no intent to harm, such as a hard but fair rugby tackle.

3. 3

   What is the key difference between aggression and assertion?

   Model answer

   Aggression is intended to harm and breaks the rules. Assertion is forceful and competitive but stays within the rules, with no intent to harm.

4. 4

   What is hostile aggression?

   Model answer

   Hostile aggression is harm caused as an end in itself, usually out of anger. A footballer who deliberately kicks an opponent after being fouled shows hostile aggression.

5. 5

   A rugby player makes a crunching tackle that is legal and timed to win the ball. Is this aggression or assertion?

   Model answer

   The tackle is assertion. The player used legal force to win the ball, with no intent to injure.

6. 6

   An ice hockey player strikes an opponent with his stick after the whistle. Is this aggression or assertion?

   Model answer

   The strike is aggression. The act is outside the rules and aimed at harming the opponent.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Aggression revision questions

What does Aggression cover in OCR A-Level Physical Education?

3 subtopics: aggression and assertion, instinct and social learning theories of aggression and frustration-aggression and aggressive cue hypotheses. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Aggression organised?

By the OCR H555 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.