Aggression: Methods for Systematic Study

Abstract

Down through the ages, philosophers, poets, theologians, novelists, and others have grappled repeatedly with the puzzle of human violence. What is its nature? Why does it occur? What factors influence its form and direction? These and many related questions have been the subject of continued, careful attention. Unfortunately, attempts by such scholars to unravel the nature of aggressive behavior were based largely upon informal observation and rational speculation. As a result, they often made intriguing reading but failed to provide anything remotely approaching definitive answers to the important questions discussed.