3.1.6 role of hormones to explain aggression

Question 1

What are hormones

Answer 1

hormones are chemicals that also transmit messages around the body, affecting behaviour and physical development. The carried in the blood and have a long lasting action

Question 2

which hormones develop male characteristic

Answer 2

testosterone develops male Characteristics, it causes physical change during development and also increases aggressive tendencies and spatial ability

Question 3

give evidence that explains hormones cause aggression and give supporting and conflicting studies

Answer 3

testosterone levels are higher in boys and girls and boys tend to be more aggressive. Supporting: D’andrade = boys have higher exposure to testosterone then girls and show more aggressive behaviour + MAZUR = testosterone levels increase during early teens at the same time boys show more aggression and inter male fighting. conflicting = mazur and booth: levels of testosterone vary in the lifetime of an individual and are affected by the environment e.g. married men have lower levels of testosterone then divorced males

castration will reduce aggression as reduces the amount of testosterone. Supporting studies: HAWKE = castration of male sex offenders lead to decrease in aggression. MOTELICA- HEINO = compared behaviour of normal male rats with rats that had been castrated, they found that castrated rodents showed no aggressive behaviour but if injected with testosterone they showed same level of aggression as normal rats

females become more aggressive when given testosterone. supporting = edwards 1968 injected female rat with testosterone whilst in the womb acted more aggressively as an adult compared to normal female rats

High levels of testosterone leads to higher levels of aggressive behaviour. support- james dabbs et al 1995 measured testosterone levels in 692 male prisoners and recorded their crimes. Male prisoners who had committed violent crimes have been found to have high testosterone levels than other prisoners