Question

A young boy is housed in an residential treatment center for children struggling with aggression. the psychiatric nurse recommends that this boy punch a pillow whenever he is feeling frustrated or angry at one of the other kids or staff. the psychologist disagrees with this treatment plan because question 5answer

a. cathartic exercises can escalate out of hand (e.g. punching the pillow can easily scale up to throwing the pillow).
b. cathartic exercises can only be administered by a trained freudian psychoanalyst.
c. activities that are designed to vent anger are more likely to boost aggression and only offer temporary relief.
d. the psychologist doesn't know what he's talking about. punching a pillow is an effective strategy for reducing this child's aggression.
e. activities that are designed to vent anger decrease aggression but only as long as they're practiced consistently.

Answer 1

The psychologist is likely to disagree with the recommendation of punching a pillow because research suggests such cathartic activities tend to increase rather than decrease aggression over time, potentially reinforcing aggressive behavior patterns. The correct answer is option: c. activities that are designed to vent anger are more likely to boost aggression and only offer temporary relief.

Step-by-step explanation:

The psychologist disagrees with the recommendation that the young boy punch a pillow to deal with his aggression because activities designed to vent anger are more likely to increase aggression and only provide temporary relief.

This concept aligns with findings in psychology research that suggest cathartic exercises, such as physical venting of anger, do not reduce aggressive tendencies in the long run and may actually serve to reinforce aggressive behaviors. Instead, there is support for the view that punishment, particularly physical, can lead to increased aggression and the modeling of violent solutions to problems.

For example, research has shown that children subjected to spanking are more likely to exhibit aggression later on. Moreover, repeated exposure to violent behaviors, such as in video games or media violence, can lead to an increased acceptance and cognition of violent behavior as a solution, reinforcing aggressive acts rather than mitigating them.