Final answer:
The statement that aggression involves hostile or offensive behavior in the form of verbal or physical attack is true. It includes both hostile and instrumental aggression and can manifest in various social contexts including bullying and workplace violence, and has been theorized to have evolutionary origins or arise from frustration.
Step-by-step explanation:
Aggression involves hostile or offensive behavior, often in the form of a verbal or even physical attack. This statement is true. Aggression is behavior that is intended to cause harm or pain and can manifest as physical violence, such as two male gorillas fighting with their teeth and potentially causing serious injury. In humans, aggression can manifest as hostile aggression, which is driven by anger and the intent to cause pain, like in a bar fight, or instrumental aggression, which is goal-oriented and does not necessarily involve the intent to inflict pain, such as a contract killer carrying out their duty.
Within the context of social interactions, bullying is a recognized form of aggression where harm is inflicted repeatedly and can be either physical, psychological, emotional, or social. In the workplace, aggression can encompass a range of behaviors from verbal abuse to physical violence, according to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration. The subject of aggression also extends to its potential evolutionary origins, where aggressive behavior might serve a function of dominance, protection of mates, and perpetuation of genes, particularly in males, though females also engage in more indirect forms of aggression. Furthermore, theories like the frustration aggression theory posit that aggression arises when an individual's goal is thwarted, leading to frustration and aggressive responses.