Skip to main content

Sage Social Science Thesaurus

Search from vocabulary

Content language

Concept information

... > social science subjects > psychology > behavior mechanisms > behavior (psychology) > antisocial behavior > catharsis of aggression
social science subjects > criminology and criminal justice > crimes and offenses > antisocial behavior > catharsis of aggression
... > social science subjects > psychology > behavior mechanisms > human development > mental health, mental disorders, and special groups > antisocial behavior > catharsis of aggression
social science subjects > psychology > social psychology > antisocial behavior > catharsis of aggression

Preferred term

catharsis of aggression  

Definition

  • Definition According to catharsis theory, acting aggressively or even viewing aggression is an effective way to reduce angry feelings and aggressive impulses. The word catharsis comes from the Greek word katharsis, which, literally translated, means “a cleansing or purging.” The first recorded mention of catharsis occurred in Aristotle's Poetics. [Source: Encyclopedia of Social Psychology; Catharsis of Aggression]

Broader concept

Belongs to group

URI

https://concepts.sagepub.com/social-science/concept/catharsis_of_aggression

Download this concept:

RDF/XML TURTLE JSON-LD