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'Discuss one or more social psychological theories of aggression.' Social psychology attempts to explain aggression through several different theories. Two theories include the theory of effects of deindividuation and the theory looking at the effects environmental stressors can have on aggressive behaviour. Deindividuation refers to the anonymity a person can feel for example, in crowd situations such as football games and when their identity is hidden with a mask, costume, or uniform. An explanation of aggressive behaviour could be offered by the theory that a person who feels anonymous may therefore feel less inhibited by social norms, therefore increasing the likelihood of aggressive behaviour occurring. Zimbardo's (1973) classic prison study can illustrate the effects of deindividuation through observing the behaviour of the guards in uniform; but this does not explain the non-aggressive behaviour of the prisoners who were also deindividuated. The theory of deindividuation is a good means of explaining why in some...

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