The prevailing theory concerning the etiology of human aggressiveness has profound implications for therapeutic intervention, social policy, and planetary survival. This article reviews the historical and conceptual development of theories of aggression, with particular emphasis on their relative support for either the biological or environmental causation of aggressive behavior. It is argued that theories supporting biological causation are excessively reductionistic and inadequate to account for human aggressiveness. It is further asserted that the umbrella or social learning theory-which allows for biological predisposition, social factors, and personal agencyprovides the most comprehensive model for understanding and intervening in human aggression.
This article reviews the literature addressing the relevance of psychoanalytic theory to the psychology of women and offers a possible rapprochement between these divergent perspectives. This rapprochement is accomplished first by defining "psychoanalytic theory" and "the psychology of women" in line with current scholarship, then by comparing and contrasting these definitions in an item-by-item analysis. The basic tenets of modern psychoanalytic theory emerge as highly relevant to the understanding of the psychology of women, despite the fact that particular "brands" of psychoanalytic theory may not demonstrate this same compatibility.
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