ABSTRACT
Just as aggressive behaviour varies between persons, it also varies between situations. In this chapter, situational factors will be examined which facilitate aggressive behaviour and can explain why individuals are more likely to act aggressively in some situations than in others. The discussion includes a large body of research examining the disinhibiting effects of alcohol, the experience of social exclusion as a precipitator of aggression, the role of aggressive cues that enhance the salience of aggression as a potential response, the availability of firearms, and the role of environmental stressors, such as heat and crowded living conditions. Throughout this chapter, it is shown that no matter how powerful situational factors are in eliciting aggressive behaviour, they do not affect individuals in a uniform way. Therefore, for a proper assessment of the causes of aggression, the impact of situational factors needs to be considered in interaction with individual difference variables.
