A2 - Aggression Flashcards
What are the two types of aggression? (Depending on motives)
Hostile - driven by anger or the desire to get even
Instrumental - Pre-meditated or emotionally detached
What is the Limbic System?
The area of the brain that helps co-ordinate behaviours that satisfy motivational and emotional urges, such as aggression or fear
What are the key structures in the Limbic System?
The amygdala and the Hippocampus
What is the amygdala shaped like?
An almond
What is the amygdala responsible for?
quickly evaluating the emotional importance of sensory information, and prompting an appropriate response.
If the amygdala is removed from an animal, what happens to their behaviour?
The animal no longer responds to stimuli that would have previously led to rage.
What did Kluver and Bucy (1937) find about the behaviour of monkeys with their amygdala removed?
If the dominant monkey in the group has the amygdala removed, it will lose its position in the group.
What is the Hippocampus involved in?
The formation of long term memories, comparing current situations to those experienced before
Which aggression reactions are co-ordinated by the hippocampus?
Learned reactions to stimuli, for example rage at someone who has previously hit you
What sort of stimulus might lead to an aggressive reaction, from the amygdala
A lion chasing you, or a predator. An innate reaction
What type of neurotransmitter is Serotonin?
An Inhibitory neurotransmitter
What effect does serotonin have on the amygdala?
It inhibits the activity of the amygdala, which leads to reduction in aggressive behaviour
What effect does serotonin have on the responses to emotional stimuli?
It inhibits our ability to respond to them
What effect on behaviour might a lack of serotonin have?
The inability to regulate their behaviour could lead to Higher levels of aggression
