This book provides an impressive, well-rounded, authoritative overview of the latest research and theory about human aggression. Written by a diverse phalanx of highly respected experts, from evolutionary psychologists and behavioral geneticists to developmental, social, and clinical psychologists, the chapters offer a rich assortment of perspectives and an indispensable survey of issues, facts, and theories about why and how people hurt each other. It is an ideal introduction to the modern psychology of aggression for scholars and students, and a convenient reference for specialists, journalists, and the general public.-Roy F. Baumeister, author of Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty This volume is an outstanding, integrated, biopsychosocial approach to aggression ranging over the contributions of genes, neurophysiology, early life influences, social relationships, personality, and cultures and exploring the "victim perspective." Edited by internationally renowned researchers in attachment and social relationships, this gem of a book provides detailed, up-to-date access to current work by world leaders in the field. The best way of dealing aggression and becoming more compassionate is to better understand the facilitators and inhibitors of aggression, and this volume significantly contributes to this important endeavor.ùPaul Gilbert, author of The Compassionate Mind In this exciting book, leading experts cover contemporary theory, research, and practice in the psychology of aggression and violence. There is something here for everyone interested in these topics: basic theory, up-to-date reviews, and practical applications. There is a broad range of approachesùincluding evolutionary background, neuroscience and genetics, environmental influences, violence between groups, and the impact on victims.ùJohn Archer, School of Psychology University of Central Lancashire, Lancashire, United Kingdom Violence and aggression have existed as long, as humankind, and the need to understand and control these forces has only continued to grow throughout history. Thanks to the advance of psychological research within the social and behavioral sciences, as well as several other scientific disciplines, we have more knowledge than ever before about the genetic, developmental, interpersonal, and cultural causes of aggression. Yet these findings have not been integrated into meaningful discussions about how to transform aggression research into practical applications. With so many answers to the question "What makes a person violent?" there is surprisingly little insight into "How do we prevent violence?" In this comprehensive book, editors Phillip R. Shaver and Mario Mikulincer have assembled chapters from international experts to provide a broad-based and multidisciplinary analysis of aggression and violence, their negative consequences, and promising interventions. Five sections examine major theoretical perspectives, genetic and environmental determinants, and the psychological and relational processes underlying human violence and aggression. The tone of the book is realistic in its investigation of violence as an inherent part of human genetics and interaction, but hopeful in its exploration of research-based interventions aimed at reducing violence in future generations. In its assessment of aggression and violence across individual, relational and societal levels, this book will engage a broad audience. This book is part of the Herzliya Series on Personality and Social Psychology. Phillip R. Shaver, PhD,, a social and personality psychologist, is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. Before moving there, he served on the faculties of Columbia University, New York University, University of Denver, and State University of New York at Buffalo. He has coauthored and co-edited numerous books. He is a member of the editorial boards of Attachment and Human Development, Personal Relationships, the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Emotion, and has served on grant review panels for the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. He has been executive officer of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology and is a fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. Dr. Shaver received a Distinguished Career Award from the International Association for Relationship Research and has served as president of that organization. Mario Mikulincer, PhD, is professor of psychology and dean of the New School of Psychology at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel. He has published 3 books and over 280 scholarly journal articles and book chapters. He is a member of the editorial boards of several scientific journals, including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Psychological Inquiry, and Personality and Social Psychology Review, and has served as associate editor of two journals. Recently, he was elected to serve as chief editor of the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. He is a fellow of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology and the Association for Psychological Sciences. He received the EMET Prize in Social science for his contributions to psychology and the Berscheid-Hatfield Award for Distinguished Mid-Career Achievement from the International Association for Relationship Research

This book provides a broad and contemporary overview of aggression and violence by some of the most internationally renowned researchers in the field. It begins with an integrative theoretical understanding of aggression and shows how animal models shed light on human aggression and violence. Individual risk factors for aggression and violence from different research perspectives are then examined. First, there is a cognitive neuroscientific, neuropsychological, and psychophysiological study of the brain. It then explores the developmental psychological factors in aggressive behavior, incorporating work on gender and the family. Other perspectives include the role of testosterone, individual differences, and whether humans are innately wired for violence. The following sections moves from the individual to the contextual risk factors for aggression, including work on the effects of adverse events and ostracism, guns and other aggressive cues including violent media, and drugs and alcohol. Targets of aggression and violence are covered in the next section, including violence against women and loved ones; aggression between social groups; and the two very contemporary issues of cyberbullying and terrorism. The book concludes with work showing how we may make the world a more peaceful place by preventing and reducing aggression and violence. The volume is essential reading for upper-level students and researchers of psychology and related disciplines interested in a rigorous and multi-perspective overview of work on aggression and violence.

Faced with the ceaseless stream of news about war, crime, and terrorism, one could easily think this is the most violent age ever seen. Yet as bestselling author Pinker shows in this startling and engaging new work, just the opposite is true.

Derived from a meeting of natural and social scientists, this interdisciplinary book aims to summarize the main issues regarding the problem of human aggression, as well as human beliefs about the subject. This study brings together internationally known authorities and presents their recent contributions which range in complexity from the physiological to individual aggression, group conflict and international war. The study concludes with a multi-level approach to the problems of aggression and war. In nontechnical language suitable for general science readers, the book provides a valuable framework for the development of ideas and new attitudes in a field rife with misconceptions.

Traditional explorations of war look through the lens of history and military science, focusing on big events, big battles, and big generals. By contrast, The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspective views war through the lens of the social sciences, looking at the causes, processes and effects of war and drawing from a vast group of fields such as communication and mass media, economics, political science and law, psychology and sociology. Key features include: More than 650 entries organized in an A-to-Z format, authored and signed by key academics in the field Entries conclude with cross-references and further readings, aiding the researcher further in their research journeys An alternative Reader’s Guide table of contents groups articles by disciplinary areas and by broad themes A helpful Resource Guide directing researchers to classic books, journals and electronic resources for more in-depth study This important and distinctive work will be a key reference for all researchers in the fields of political science, international relations and sociology.

In The Better Angels of Our Nature Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker argued that modern history has witnessed a dramatic decline in human violence of every kind, and that in the present we are experiencing the most peaceful time in human history. But what do top historians think about Pinker's reading of the past? Does his argument stand up to historical analysis? In The Darker Angels of our Nature, seventeen scholars of international stature evaluate Pinker's arguments and find them lacking. Studying the history of violence from Japan and Russia to Native America, Medieval England and the Imperial Middle East, these scholars debunk the myth of non-violent modernity. Asserting that the real story of human violence is richer, more interesting and incomparably more complex than Pinker's sweeping, simplified narrative, this book tests, and bests, 'fake history' with expert knowledge.

Now in a thoroughly revised and updated edition, this classic text presents a comprehensive survey of the many alternative theories that attempt to explain the causes of interstate war. For each theory, Greg Cashman examines the arguments and counterarguments, considers the empirical evidence and counterevidence generated by social-science research, looks at historical applications of the theory, and discusses the theory’s implications for restraining international violence. Among the questions he explores are: Are humans aggressive by nature? Do individual differences among leaders matter? How might poor decision making procedures lead to war? Why do leaders engage in seemingly risky and irrational policies that end in war? Why do states with internal conflicts seem to become entangled in wars with their neighbors? What roles do nationalism and ethnicity play in international conflict? What kinds of countries are most likely to become involved in war? Why have certain pairs of countries been particularly war-prone over the centuries? Can strong states deter war? Can we find any patterns in the way that war breaks out? How do balances of power or changes in balances of power make war more likely? Do social scientists currently have an answer to the question of what causes war? Cashman examines theories of war at the individual, substate, nation-state, dyadic, and international systems level of analysis. Written in a clear and accessible style, this interdisciplinary text will be essential reading for all students of international relations.