The Social Psychology of Aggression

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.

Barbara Krahé is Professor Emerita and former Chair of Social Psychology at the University of Potsdam, Germany. She was awarded the German Psychology Prize for her work on aggression in 2015 and served as president of the International Society for Research on Aggression.