Editing Aggression (section)

===Situational factors===
{{See also|Stereotype threat}}

There has been some links between those prone to violence and their alcohol use. Those who are prone to violence and use alcohol are more likely to carry out violent acts.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1002/ab.20231 |pmid=17922526 |title=Predictors of injurious assault committed during or after drinking alcohol: A case–control study of young offenders |journal=Aggressive Behavior |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=167–74 |year=2008 |last1=Navis |first1=Charlene |last2=Brown |first2=Stephen L. |last3=Heim |first3=Derek }}</ref> Alcohol impairs judgment, making people much less cautious than they usually are (MacDonald et al. 1996). It also disrupts the way information is processed (Bushman 1993, 1997; Bushman & Cooper 1990).

Pain and discomfort also increase aggression. Even the simple act of placing one's hands in hot water can cause an aggressive response. Hot temperatures have been implicated as a factor in a number of studies. One study completed in the midst of the civil rights movement found that riots were more likely on hotter days than cooler ones (Carlsmith & Anderson 1979). Students were found to be more aggressive and irritable after taking a test in a hot classroom (Anderson et al. 1996, Rule, et al. 1987). Drivers in cars without air conditioning were also found to be more likely to honk their horns (Kenrick & MacFarlane 1986), which is used as a measure of aggression and has shown links to other factors such as generic symbols of aggression or the visibility of other drivers.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1037/h0076960 |pmid=1142063 |title=Naturalistic studies of aggressive behavior: Aggressive stimuli, victim visibility, and horn honking |journal=Journal of Personality and Social Psychology |volume=31 |issue=6 |pages=1098–107 |year=1975 |last1=Turner |first1=Charles W. |last2=Layton |first2=John F. |last3=Simons |first3=Lynn S. |s2cid=36562997 }}</ref>

Frustration is another major cause of aggression.<ref name="pmid2667009">{{cite journal |vauthors=Berkowitz L |title=Frustration-aggression hypothesis: examination and reformulation |journal=Psychol Bull |volume=106 |issue=1 |pages=59–73 |date=July 1989 |pmid=2667009 |doi=10.1037/0033-2909.106.1.59 |url=}}</ref> The [[Frustration aggression theory]] states that aggression increases if a person feels that he or she is being blocked from achieving a goal (Aronson et al. 2005). One study found that the closeness to the goal makes a difference. The study examined people waiting in line and concluded that the 2nd person was more aggressive than the 12th one when someone cut in line (Harris 1974). Unexpected frustration may be another factor. In a separate study to demonstrate how unexpected frustration leads to increased aggression, Kulik & Brown (1979) selected a group of students as volunteers to make calls for charity donations. One group was told that the people they would call would be generous and the collection would be very successful. The other group was given no expectations. The group that expected success was more upset when no one was pledging than the group who did not expect success (everyone actually had horrible success). This research suggests that when an expectation does not materialize (successful collections), unexpected frustration arises which increases aggression.

There is some evidence to suggest that the presence of violent objects such as a gun can trigger aggression. In a study done by [[Leonard Berkowitz]] and Anthony Le Page (1967), college students were made angry and then left in the presence of a gun or badminton racket. They were then led to believe they were delivering electric shocks to another student, as in the [[Milgram experiment]]. Those who had been in the presence of the gun administered more shocks. It is possible that a violence-related stimulus increases the likelihood of aggressive cognitions by activating the [[semantic network]].

A new proposal links military experience to anger and aggression, developing aggressive reactions and investigating these effects on those possessing the traits of a serial killer. Castle and Hensley state, "The military provides the social context where servicemen learn aggression, violence, and murder."<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1177/0306624X02464007 |pmid=12150084 |title=Serial Killers with Military Experience: Applying Learning Theory to Serial Murder |journal=International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology |volume=46 |issue=4 |pages=453–65 |year=2002 |last1=Castle |first1=T. |last2=Hensley |first2=C |s2cid=35278358 }}</ref> [[Post-traumatic stress disorder]] (PTSD) is also a serious issue in the military, also believed to sometimes lead to aggression in soldiers who are suffering from what they witnessed in battle. They come back to the civilian world and may still be haunted by flashbacks and nightmares, causing severe stress. In addition, it has been claimed that in the rare minority who are claimed to be inclined toward serial killing, violent impulses may be reinforced and refined in war, possibly creating more effective murderers.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=blennow|last2=Manhem|date=20 January 2021|title=CSF studies in violent offenders|url=|journal=Journal of Neural Transmission|volume=108|pages=869–878|via=Forsman A.}}</ref>