Final answer:
Instrumental aggression is an aggressive act motivated by achieving a goal without the intent to cause pain, often linked to self-defense or protection of others, which must be proportionate and legally justified.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of aggressive act questioned by the student is referred to as instrumental aggression, which is aggression motivated by the desire to achieve a specific objective, not necessarily with the intent to cause pain. This differs from hostile aggression, where the primary aim is to inflict pain or harm, often out of anger or hostility. An example of instrumental aggression could be a situation where a person uses justifiable force to defend themselves or others without the primary intent to cause harm, aligning with defensive measures in alignment with legal or ethical standards.
In legal contexts, actions necessary to protect oneself or others can be aligned with the concept of defensive force, where the aggression is a reaction to a threat. This might appear in cases where an individual is in imminent danger and must act to defend themselves. Instrumental aggression for self-defense must, however, remain proportionate to the threat and be legally justified to avoid being considered a crime or unethical action.