The European Union (EU) is facing a crisis of territorial integrity: one of its member states and several of its candidate members have had parts of their territory under occupation as a result of...Show moreThe European Union (EU) is facing a crisis of territorial integrity: one of its member states and several of its candidate members have had parts of their territory under occupation as a result of foreign aggression, with the occupation ongoing for an extended time period in each case. It is unclear whether action taken to recover territory from long-running occupation is legal under the law on self-defence. Treaty law does not rule out such an option, but its approval is implicit at best. Furthermore, publicists are split on the matter between those who favour the preservation of the right to self-defence throughout time, especially for weaker victims of aggression, and those who prefer to regard the restored peace and new status quo resulting from long-running occupation. These divisions warrant a turn to customary law for answers. A case study of state practice and opinio juris in the question of Cyprus, the sole member state of the EU under partial military occupation, reveals contrasting findings. The international community, through the positions of the United Nations (UN) Security Council and the General Assembly, has repeatedly condemned the occupation and considered any new status quo as illegal. At the same time, the Security Council undertook measures under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to cease the right of Cyprus to self-defence, including by non-forcible means, although these measures were ineffective in attaining the end of occupation and the withdrawal of unauthorised foreign troops from the island. This raises the question whether the formulation of Article 51, requiring “necessary action” by the Security Council to end the right to self-defence while not mentioning sufficiency, is adequate in cases of long-standing aggression.Show less
With increased media use, the research interest in media violence and its effect on behavior is also increasing. It is often reported that people watch aggressive acts on television and acquire...Show moreWith increased media use, the research interest in media violence and its effect on behavior is also increasing. It is often reported that people watch aggressive acts on television and acquire this behavior through for example observational learning. Multiple theories suggest that an interplay between person, situation, environment, and biology is accountable for the effect of media violence on behavior. However, investigating this topic in humans is often neither convenient nor ethical. Due to existing genetic and cognitive similarities between humans and chimpanzees, it is possible to do this research in captive chimpanzees. This study investigates the effect of media representations of conspecific aggression on chimpanzee behavior and how this relationship changes over time. Three observers focused on one individual and observed him for four months. Data was categorized into three conditions: test (aggressive stimuli), control (non-aggressive stimuli), and control-control (no stimuli). It was expected that the chimpanzee would show more aggressive behavior on test days compared to non-test days and that this display would increase over time due to desensitization. However, Kruskal-Wallis F-tests revealed no such significant differences for aggressive behavior, and no effect of time was found for this relationship. Therefore, the hypotheses were not supported by the data. It appeared there was no effect of viewing videos of conspecific aggression on chimpanzee behavior. The lack of significant findings might be due to a lack of power, the complexity of interactions described by multiple theories, and methodological issues. This research contributes to the theoretical framework, poses new challenges for future research, and provides implications for policy on media use.Show less
Background: Aggression is often described as a key feature of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Yet, it is not clear what contributes to...Show moreBackground: Aggression is often described as a key feature of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Yet, it is not clear what contributes to aggression in these disorders. Previous literature proposes that experiences of childhood maltreatment might be an underlying cause. In this study, it was investigated if childhood maltreatment severity predicts aggression and if this depends on the diagnosis. Methods: The sample consisted of 96 women, diagnosed with BPD (N=30), ADHD (N= 28) or none of these disorders (N=30) based on semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) measured aggression and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) assessed childhood trauma severity. Hypotheses were tested with correlational, moderation and multivariate analyses. Results: Group differences in aggression and childhood trauma severity were observed. Both psychopathological groups reported higher aggression and childhood trauma. Severity of BPD correlating the strongest with childhood trauma severity, followed by ADHD. Furthermore, aggression and childhood trauma were correlated. Yet, childhood trauma was not a significant moderator for aggression in BPD versus ADHD groups. Discussion: Findings suggest that childhood trauma is a predictor for aggression but this does not differ between the psychopathological groups. Since aggression was linked to a diagnosis of BPD, higher levels of aggression in BPD might not be restricted to childhood trauma severity but also influenced by other factors, such as impaired emotion regulation. Future studies should investigate this further, avoiding current limitations such as the cross-sectional design, self-report questionnaires, possible multicollinearity between variables and the small sample size.Show less
Current literature suggests that certain traits are considered of higher value when selecting an individual to start any kind of relationship with, due to the evolutionary benefits these traits...Show moreCurrent literature suggests that certain traits are considered of higher value when selecting an individual to start any kind of relationship with, due to the evolutionary benefits these traits hold for the selecting individual. Attractiveness, dominance and social connections are considered of high value for survival. Dominance can be expressed through aggressive behaviour, while forming social connections can be expressed through grooming. These types of behaviour are contradicting to each other, yet both considered of great value for survival. Through an eye-tracking study we investigated the attentional bias towards either the initiator of aggressive behaviour (aggressor) or the recipient of aggressive behaviour (victim), as well as the attentional behaviour towards either the more dominant (groomee) or the more submissive (groomer) individual during grooming behaviour. Participants were presented with videos followed by corresponding still frames of aggressive (aggressor vs. victim) and grooming (groomer vs. groomee) interactions. Eye-tracking data was collected during the presentation of the still frame in the form of total looking time towards either of the individuals shown in the still frames. The results suggest that humans have an attentional bias towards the aggressor instead of the victim and have an attentional bias towards the groomee compared to the groomer. Both findings suggest that the more dominant person is considered of higher value for survival. Potential explanations and potential future researches are discussed in this paper.Show less
There is currently little scientific research on male juvenile offenders with Conduct Disorder (CD), while 73% of male juvenile offenders have this disorder. In addition, many adolescents with CD...Show moreThere is currently little scientific research on male juvenile offenders with Conduct Disorder (CD), while 73% of male juvenile offenders have this disorder. In addition, many adolescents with CD receive no treatment or the incorrect treatment, while demonstrating high levels of aggression and psychopathic traits. People with CD show abnormalities in brain areas responsible for social cognition. The question is whether the neurocognitive abnormalities for social cognition is the cause of symptomatic behaviors such as aggression and psychopathic traits. This study aimed to investigate whether there is an association between social cognition, aggression and psychopathy in male juvenile delinquents with CD. The sample consisted of 52 male juvenile delinquents with CD (M = 16.94 years; SD = 1.36 years; range = 15 - 19 years). The mean IQ was 95.92 (SD = 6.45). In addition, the mean socioeconomic status (SES) of the participants was -0.83 (SD = 1.80; range = -5.24 - 2.77). The following questionnaires were used: Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Reactive Proactive Questionnaire (RPQ) and the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI). Results showed that impairments in social cognition was a significant predictor of both reactive aggression and total aggression score. No significant association was found between impairments in social cognition and proactive aggression and psychopathy. The current research contributes to the knowledge of the treatment of male juvenile delinquents with CD. More scientific research is needed to confirm the results of this study.Show less
(Domesticated) animals play a remarkable role alongside human characters in the novel 'De geluiden van de eerste dag' (1975), by Dutch author Anton Koolhaas. In dominant anthropocentric discourses...Show more(Domesticated) animals play a remarkable role alongside human characters in the novel 'De geluiden van de eerste dag' (1975), by Dutch author Anton Koolhaas. In dominant anthropocentric discourses subjectivity (the active, desire driven perception and experience of reality) and individuality of non-human animals often get erased. However, this doesn't seem to be the case in 'De geluiden van de eerste dag'. In this thesis, I aim to formulate an answer to the question: 'Does the novel 'De geluiden van de eerste dag', by Anton Koolhaas, represent and thematize an anti-anthropocentric human-animal-relationship?' This study shows that the novel attributes agency and subjectivity to non-human animals, while (to a certain extent) respecting their species-specific susceptibilities, modes of communication and behavior. Overall the novel takes an ethical stance against mechanical animal exploitation and promotes an empathic relationship to other animals. I draw specific attention to the way aggression is connected to agency, the constitution of the subject and to the creative act of taking up space (Umwelt). I also emphasize how language and anthropomorphism (in and via literature) contribute to the constitution of subjectivity, agency and individuality of non-human and human animals.Show less
The experience of being socially accepted or rejected can elicit different changes in heart rate reactivity of both children and adults. In addition, personal characteristics like aggressive...Show moreThe experience of being socially accepted or rejected can elicit different changes in heart rate reactivity of both children and adults. In addition, personal characteristics like aggressive behavior may influence this reaction. This study examined whether heart rate reactivity of four-to-seven-year-old children differed during the processing of positive, negative and neutral social judgments, and whether aggression levels were related to heart rate reactivity during the processing of social judgments. Heart rate and behavioral data of 29 children was collected during an adjusted version of the Social Judgment Task. Results showed significant differences in the behavioral responses to negative and neutral judgments, compared to the responses to positive judgments. No significant differences were found in heart rate reactivity during the three conditions. These results indicate that children do distinguish between the three conditions, but their heart rate reactivity might not be influenced by the content of the feedback yet. Additionally aggression seems to be related to heart rate reactivity during the positive and negative condition. These findings suggest that heart rate reactivity in response to social judgments might develop throughout childhood, while aggression levels already influence heart rate reactivity in young children.Show less
Introduction: Aggressive behavior following positive, negative and neutral social judgments has been examined in an exploratory research, namely in an experimental setting. Furthermore the link...Show moreIntroduction: Aggressive behavior following positive, negative and neutral social judgments has been examined in an exploratory research, namely in an experimental setting. Furthermore the link between fear of rejection and aggressive reactions has been investigated. Methods: Eleven participants (age 22-26) gave consent for joining the study. Aggressive reactions, i.e., positive, negative and neutral social judgments about their toy, were measured using a modified version of the social judgment paradigm. Fear of social rejection has been measured with a standardized survey (FNE-R). Results: Rejection seems to result in heightened aggressive reactions, compared to positive and neutral judgments. However, aggression following neutral and negative judgments correlated around .9. Fear of rejection did not influence aggression scores. Discussion: The results show a trend towards a consistency between rejection and increased aggression. Further research is needed to examine the role of gender in the interplay between rejection and aggression, and to examine the ambiguous character of the neutral social judgment found in this research.Show less
Children with a disruptive behaviour disorder (DBD) develop an inimical worldview over the years; their aggressive behaviour, events experienced as negative and their poor emotion regulation, may...Show moreChildren with a disruptive behaviour disorder (DBD) develop an inimical worldview over the years; their aggressive behaviour, events experienced as negative and their poor emotion regulation, may play a role in this. This study focused on the influence of emotion regulation and events that are experienced as negative on type of aggression (reactive, proactive or reactive and proactive in combination) in boys aged between eight and twelve year with and without DBD. 43 Boys with and 41 boys without DBD participated in this study. The data were collected with the ‘Instrument voor Reactieve en Proactieve Agressie’, the ‘Vragenlijst Meegemaakte Gebeurtenissen’ and the ‘Ultimatum Game’. There were four research questions formulated out of the main question. The research questions were examined with t-tests, a oneway analysis of variance and three times a Spearman’s rho. Boys with DBD are more aggressive, have gone through more events experienced as negative and have an equal to poorer emotion regulation than boys without DBD. There is no relationship found between emotion regulation, events that are experienced as negative and aggression type in boys with and without DBD.Show less
This study researches the differences in social cognitive skills and cognitive distortions between boys with Disturbed Behavior Disorders (DBD) and boys without DBD. Subsequently the correlation...Show moreThis study researches the differences in social cognitive skills and cognitive distortions between boys with Disturbed Behavior Disorders (DBD) and boys without DBD. Subsequently the correlation between eight social cognitive skills, four self-serving cognitive distortions and reactive and proactive aggression was researched. 24 boys with DBD and 24 boys in the control group were tested with the SCST (social cognitive skills) and the How I Think-questionnaire (cognitive distortions). Parents of these children completed the IRPA-questionnaire (reactive and proactive aggression). Boys with DBD scored significantly higher on the subscale of the SCST ‘Comparing Perspectives’. Boys with DBD appear to be better in naming differences and similarities between different perspectives than boys in the control group. Proactive aggression was partially predicted by the subscale of the SCST ‘Understandig Perspectives’, in which boys with better capabilities demonstrate more proactive aggression. Both results are possibly explained by the lack of empathy. No indications were found that cognitive distortions correlate with reactive and proactive aggression.Show less
