Soziologie und Kriminologie – Offener Zugang
Offener Zugang

Abstrakt

Politicized Social Science and Human Nature

Vladimir J Konečni

Abstract The background and pitfalls of the original catharsis hypothesis with regard to human aggressive behavior are first presented, which is followed by an account of the research on the reformulated “cathartic effect” by VJ Konečni and the development of his Anger-Aggression Bidirectional-Causation theoretical model (AABC). After analyzing the key findings and applications of this model, the article comments on the anti-catharsis studies by BJ Bushman, which were carried out twenty five years later and published from the standpoint of neglect, or lack of awareness, of prior work. Such eyebrow-raising attitude to scholarship is discussed in terms of its broad socio-cultural and political backdrop – a zeitgeist of antagonism to research that does not support a blanket “aggression breeds aggression” view and is too preoccupied with politicized quasi-sociological preferences to bother with the subtle findings and provisions of the AABC model.