What does science tell us about our facination with violence??

Question

Psychological concepts pertaining to depersonalization, social learning theory, thru manifestations of psychopathy can partially explain this. I feel that these types of notions can explain why and how we are equipped with the emotion empathy and how we can disengage from a violent image that might invoke this emotion.

Beyond this, though: are there specific biological explanations that can explain why some individuals are thrilled, or otherwise get excited by violent imagery, while others tend to feel squimish??

Greg: Thanx for your judgemental, presumptuous, crap answer.

Answer 1

Much of our propensity for violence probably relates to inherited brain functions that developed in the context of ancient male-male competition for females, as well as kin-group competition among social primates. As another commenter already said, such aggressive behavior goes way back down the evolutionary tree to the reptile brain. Anthropologists have studied violent behavior among our nearest relatives, the chimpanzees and bonobos, who share about 98% of our DNA. From an individual standpoint, it's all about maintaining dominance and showing who is the alpha male. From a group perspective, it's about territory and kinship. We tend to be susceptible to hatred towards out-groups- others who are not like us (look at how Americans often behave toward gays, Muslims, and Atheists) which is not unlike the males in a chimp troop attacking any strange males that stray into their area. If we didn't have that "fight or flight" adrenaline rush, then violence wouldn't be as exciting. On the other hand, we never would have evolved and survived.

Answer 2

Man, look up the word "succinct" in the dictionary. The purpose of language is ostensibly communication, after all, and you could have asked this question in one or two short sentences instead of trying to impress us with your verbosity and vocabulary.

That criticism aside, if you are working on a doctorate in psychology, you should be very well aware that there are both biological social factors (the social factors being even less clearly understood) that contribute to an attaction to violent imagery.

See, I said that without resorting to pretense. I could back it up with case studies if I were long-winded and really bored--smile.

Have a nice day.

Answer 3

well 1st consider why males are more violent then females it is because we have a large portion of our brain that is devoted to aggresion and violence and the pleasure that comes with it alligators have this area 2 only twice the size of ours which also explains there agression