Aggression in the Sports World A Social Psychological Perspective

by Russell, Gordon W.

• ISBN13: 9780195189599
• ISBN10: 0195189590
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-03-14
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

They are familiar scenes: sports fans turning on each other in acts of violence, and mobs of sports fans flooding onto the field or out into the streets. Is there something inherent in the competitive sport setting that produces this frequently dangerous behavior? Written in an engaging style,this volume addresses the question by exploring the wide range of influences at work, from a social psychological perspective. Topics range from a focus on the personality traits that predispose individuals to act aggressively, to a wider concern with who riots, why they riot, and situations thatfavor the occurrence of sports riots. Research on the equally disturbing phenomenon of crowd panics explores the underlying causes and peculiar behavior of people caught in the panics. Aggression is influenced and exacerbated by multiple factors: troublemakers who incite others to aggress, influence by the media, differing cultural backgrounds, blind obedience, and attempts by individuals to emulate unworthy personal heroes. Less obvious factors such as temperature, noise, andcolor also exert important effects on interpersonal aggression, and drugs such as alcohol and steroids further inflame the possibilities for violence. Russell examines all these factors in his international and interdisciplinary presentation of the best and most recent findings in the study ofsports aggression, and provides a series of proposals intended to prevent or minimize the severity of riots and panics. Additionally, he explores the relationship between aggression and what is probably the most revered concept in sports: competition. Scholars, students, and sports savvy fans willfind this book of interest.

Author Biography

Gordon Russell is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta where he taught social psychology and conducted research on sports aggression for over 32 years. He is an active member of the International Society for Research on Aggression having served as its Treasurer and Executive Secretary prior to his retirement.

Table of Contents

Social Influences	p. 3
Definitions	p. 3
Hostile Versus Instrumental Aggression	p. 4
Introduction	p. 5
The Cultural Factor	p. 5
Influence of Exemplars	p. 8
Rogues, Scoundrels, and Villains	p. 12
Obedience	p. 15
Third Party Influence	p. 18
Escalation Effects	p. 19
Targets of Aggression	p. 20
Racism	p. 26
Provocations	p. 30
Summary	p. 34
Suggested Reading	p. 34
Personality	p. 36
Introduction	p. 36
Traits	p. 36
Measurement of Personality	p. 38
Personality Theories	p. 42
Biological Influences	p. 60
Summary	p. 71
Suggested Readings	p. 71
Environmental and Situational Influences	p. 73
Environmental Determinants	p. 73
Drugs: Legal and Otherwise	p. 86
Situational Influences	p. 93
Summary	p. 101
Suggested Reading	p. 102
Witnessing Aggression: Media and Firsthand	p. 103
Introduction	p. 103
Media	p. 104
Does Violence Sell?	p. 107
Does Television Violence Increase Viewer Aggression?	p. 108
A Matter of Influence	p. 114
A Methodological Excursion	p. 115
The Baddest of the Bad?	p. 116
Priming	p. 120
The Language of Sports	p. 122
Personal Observation	p. 123
Spinoffs: Extreme Violence	p. 126
Summary	p. 130
Addendum	p. 131
Suggested Readings	p. 131
Violent Sports Crowds	p. 133
Introduction	p. 133
The Problem of Sport Riots: Severity of the Problem	p. 134
Definitions	p. 134
Incidence of Riots	p. 135
Theory	p. 139
The Rioters	p. 147
The Peacemakers	p. 155
Riots: Preventive and Mitigating Measures	p. 159
Summary	p. 170
Suggested Readings	p. 170
Panics	p. 171
Introduction	p. 171
Panics: Proactive and Mitigating Measures	p. 195
Summary	p. 199
Suggested Readings	p. 199
Methods, Measures, and Views of Sports Aggression	p. 201
Introduction	p. 201
The Experimental Option	p. 202
Experimenter and Participant Bias	p. 203
Measurement Options	p. 207
Theories of Aggression	p. 218
Summary	p. 229
Suggested Readings	p. 229
Supplemental Reading	p. 230
References	p. 233
Author Index	p. 261
Subject Index	p. 271
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