aggres Flashcards
Neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggression, including the roles of the limbic system, serotonin and testosterone. Genetic factors in aggression, including the MAOA gene.
- limbic system= neural structures located centre brain. Amygdala & hypothalamus r key 2 aggressive responses. hypothalamus role in integrating & expressing emotional responses & can trigger aggres bhvr as part fight/flight response/
- areas limbic sys= communicate 2 external layer of brain orbitofrontal cortex which controls executive function (dm) making attempt 2 control aggress produced via limbic system
- Seratonin= inhibitory neurotrans that is imp in controlling/ calming impulses. controls aggressive impulses coming from areas in limbic system e.g amyg maintaining calm mood. seratonin deficieny hypoth= lower levels in orbitoforntal = less control over limbic systems agressive impulses.
- but role is complex invid w MAOA (ONSPEC) gene struggle 2 break down seratonin so high levels but r more aggressive so contradicts?
- testosterone= male sex hormone (andorgen) found high levels in male resposible for increased aggression. 8x higher male than fem. high test thiught= high aggression. Coz high lvsl in orbitof reduces acitity so less able 2 regulate impulses;ses coming froim limbic system. also increases acitivyt in amygdala= more aggressive impulses. high levels= reduce seratonin activity.
AO3=
+ thoguht some1 aggressive coz bio anat= biologically determinstic. real life IMPLICATIOSN e.g judges may use neural exp for mitigting rsz against crime. so maybe more fair
- but ppl w abnormalities may lose semsse pf agency feelinhg have no power 2 resist agg impulses
- biologicsllu reductionist. whilsy may lead 2 effective biological intervention e.g testosterone reduction. Unlikely 2 b full exp. biology may provide emotional trigger. may b other reasons e.g social psych factors e.g SLT
- socially sens implications. e.g negative on ppl studies. e.g if aggresive ctimonality found 2 link w limbic abnormalioties can cause predicitive vulnerablity 2 comiting crime. lead 2 suspision & discriminations against ppl w abnormaliyies even before any crime
AO3 limbic system
+ CASE STUDY 14 yr old girl w extreme aggres behv & fits. MRI revealed tumor pressing on amygdala. after removal tumor aggression levels= normal suggesting aggr= amyg CA..= idio
- research support limbic system
egger et al demons electric stimulating area of hypothalamus causinf cats 2 shpw agression 2 rats. & found stimulating certain parts amyg wld either + or - aggressive behaviour thus suggests hypoth has role in producng aggre & certain areas of amygdala has sep roles in regulating agg CA= cats non generalisable 2 human
AO3 seratonin
Tryptophan is a food needed by body 2 produce seratonin. study used technique = acute tryptophan depletion to reduce amount seratonin in brains exp group. rsrchr measured brains response 2 angry faces using FMRI. Showed reduced communication between amygdala x frontal cortex when deprived seratonin. also scored high on aggression questionnaire
. Suggest lack serat= reduces frontal cortex 2 control aggressive impulses in amygdala. study used randomised double blind placebo data anaylsed FMRI. so high scientific thus high validity.
but using questionnaire not true measurement anger
AO3 testosterone
wagener measured agg in mice for how often bit target. found males bit more freq than fem. after castration diff stopped. but when injected w testosterone after increased again. & increased female biting. thus sugg high levels test in body= directly connected 2 expression agg behav CA= not humans
ethological & evolutionary expl
AO1
- ethology= scientific study of anima bhv, studying reasons animals display aggres cld be used 2 understand aspects human aggres. Animal bhv thought 2 provide evolu advt. animal agg can keep it ontop social hierarchy by showing dominance protect it from threats & attract mates. animal agg usually ritualistic e.g mem of same species will repsond w same set bhv to threats/ stimuli. cld b growling showing teef puffing up 2 look threatening / show submission.\ .Lorenz argued agg energy builds up w/in animals but set INHERITED NEURAL CIRUCIITS called INNATE RELEASING MECHANISM stops aggression being expressed. innate releasing mech trigg by stimulus in env & animal performs predictable aggres behv called FIXED ACTION PATTERN FAP. FAP thoguht 2 be innate in all meme f same species & will perfrom these sets bhv w out learning from other species
- Evolutionary= suggests if genes give survival adv then indiv more likely 2 reproduce passing on these genes. Human agg bhv wldve been beneficial 2 reproductive success of ancestors. agg can help survive predatrs comepet 4 resources & mates may see agg mate as being able 2 protect offspring. GENES can mutate & some mutations may + agg bhv. increased repro success wld make these aggers genes more adv & passed down more via survival of the fittest. also male sexual jealosu can b explaiend by evolutionary theory males may not b sure ab paternity but mothers can b. high levels male viol agaisnt partners cld b attempt 2 ensure faithfulness & certainty tht they r investing 4 resources for THEIR child. also male retention strat e.g guarding 2 warn & prevent infidelity
AO3 ethology
tibergen stickleback study. male stickleback show highly ritualistic attack patterns 2 males of same species. male presented w realistic and uncrealsiytic models of male stickleback w missing under red belly/ w red belly. found males wld attack anytjing w red belly/ even anything got 2 do w red. suggests male stickleback do hage innate releasing mech for aggression triggered by red bellies of other male. resulting in FAP of aggression CA=== but stickleback have very low cog functions thus cant be genderlised 2 humans
study w mother goose and eggs. anuthing round mither goose wld use energy 2 roll under 2 incubate egg. study done w large ostrich egg & own egg & chose 2 roll bigger egg. shows innate bhv coz not learnt & evolutionary reasoning 2 coz bigger egg tht to b more healthy
ioslated inf monk from mum 2 avoid learning bhv, showed isoltaed baby monk pics of monks displaying threatening poses & found moneky displayed same threatening poses only 2 threatening pics. suggtesing monkey born w innate behaviour FIXED ACTION POTENTIAL thats trigg when shwon aggres
animal studies r able 2 sep biolo & socio cultural processes when studying agg bhv can give insight on biolo origin of agg. CAAA= but n. limitations when being able 2 generlise findings ONE BEING HUMAN AGG NOT ISNTICUTUAL BUT PREMEDITATED e.g warfare is highly organised
AO3 evolutionary expl
daly et al comp range murder rates in families for blood/non blood relatives. found across wide range cultures tht family mem r more likely 2 kill fam mem who r not genetically related 2 e..g partners/step children. one data set = infants US 100x more likely 2 b killed if living w 1/+ step parents. thus evolutionary theory sugg coz stwp parent r resistant 2 spending limited resour on child ythat r not own
limiation for aggression x evolution success……………sadalla= female ppt rated descrip high vs low dominant/ agg man. Rated highly dominant man as more sexually attractive. high aggressive men not rated as more attractive & rated as less likable stable. suggests aggres in men doesnt improve reproduc success BUT related behav characteristic, dominance. & domin achieved w out use aggress= high level attrac possibly coz of dangers for femal if aggressive partner
not CA.. theory= ethical implic suggests male agg innate & cld justify abuse 2 woman. men may claim they bunable 2 control aggress impulses
signif diff in lvls aggres shpwn by males across time & cultures w signig decrease in last 30 yrs. coz evolution takes place over decades cant explain data thus socialisation pressures = better explanation.
frustration agression hypo
Frustration- aggre model dollard &millar= suggested agression ALWAYS caused by frustration & frustration occurs whenevr our goal directed bhv is blocked. frustrati= unpleasant emotion builds up causinf mental tension & aggressive acts releieve frustr through psychodynamic process of catharsis= pleasant feeling after releasing strong emotion. agg can also b displaced another psychody process e.g we release onto weaker target/ unrelated obj. agg more likely if close 2 achieving goal & if being aggressive is actually likely 2 remove barrier 2 goal. if some1 finds beinf aggr helps helps achieve goals (reward) & doesnt lead 2 neg punishment then more likely 2 be aggressive in future.
AO3
harris inv proximity 2 goal aspect of FA. getting conf 2 either push in near front of a real cue (2 from front) or near back (at least 11 from front) aggressive respons e.g verbal/tone person from behind them coded. found subjects at front line showed signif more aggress than those at back. suggests frustration leads 2 aggresion coz frustration most intesne when closest to goal (e.g front of line) more valid thah green stidy coz field study w unaware ppts
Geen (THIS)
1 group ppt interefered w (frustrated) by non hostile confed so ppt couldnt complete jigsaw another group ppt had intelligence insulted (verbally attacked) by conned after completing jigsaw. both groups later shocked confed at much higher level than control group that wasnt frustr/attacked. however the attacked group shocked higher than insulted group suggesting= frustration is factor in aggression CAAA== HOWEVER LIKELY WEAKER FACTOR than other psych processes like anger felt after personal attack
Cant explain y some ppl resist getting angry when frustrated/ or aggress when not frustrated. e.g cold blooded serial killers or comtext of warfare where agg is calculated & controlled. Also coz aggressive ppl repeat aggress regularyly suggests being agg is not cathartic may jus lead 2 more aggression
slt explanations
- Deividuation= how being in crowd leads 2 reduction in self awareness / personal individuality of ppl in crowd. loss of indivduality results in loss off personal control w normally non ag individuals then going alone w aggresive bhvrs of group
- can also be increased by wearing masks/hdiding idnetity coz seems more anonymous reducing feelings of personal resposibility
- also makes u feel ur not personally respsoible making lose sense of morals
AO3
A strength of SLT is that there is supporting evidence for the role of modelling in aggression
In Bandura’s research, young children observed role models either physically hitting a bobo doll or playing with it non-aggressively. Children were then taken to a room where there was a bobo doll alongside other toys. Children who observed aggressive role models hitting the bobo doll started to recreate the behaviour, whereas the non-aggressive role model group almost never did
This shows that aggressive behaviour is learnt through observation and imitation of role models. Furthermore, since children were more likely to imitate same sex role models, this also proves the legitimacy of the meditational processes such as identification within the theory
This demonstrates why the SLT explanation of aggression is vali CA= LACKS ECO VALID COZ MEANT 2 BE HIT & BOYS MODELLED MORE COZ TESTSOSTERONE THUS EXTRANOEUOUS VARIABLES
Another strength of SLT is that it correctly predicts the risk factors required to develop aggression.
For example, Poulin and Boivin analysed aggression behaviour of boys aged 9-12 and found that most aggressive boys had lasting and stable friendships with other aggressive boys.
This that shows that through these relationships, the boys were exposed to role models who show aggression and the positive consequences of such aggressions. Those who befriended and observed aggressive role models are more likely to produce aggression themselves
Therefore supporting the validity of the SLT as an explanation of aggression
One criticism of SLT is that although modelling is undoubtedly one of the factors affecting aggression, there are alternate unaccounted explanations, which together provide a more cohesive explanation of aggression Biological explanations of aggression have stressed factors such as high levels of testosterone as a primary causal agent in aggressive behaviour. Dabbs et al. measured salivary testosterone in a sample of 692 criminals. It was found that those with the highest levels of testosterone had a history of violent crimes whereas those with the lowest levels were more likely to have committed non-violent crimes. This shows that imitation of role model itself cannot be the sole cause of aggression. It may be that those with high levels of testosterone are more prone to picking up and imitating aggressive behaviour in othersTherefore, the SLT explanation by itself provides an inconclusive picture of aggression
+ = zimbardo study female ppt groups 4 asked to shock learner (confed) they cld see being asked qs thr one way glass. in deindiduation condition ppt asked 2 put on large lab coats & hoods. meant cant b identified by other ppts. in identifiability condition greeted by name & given large na,e tags. FOUND deindividuation comdition shocked 2x longer (90s) than identifable suggesting anonymity can increase aggression CA= non realistic
AO3 for deindivudation SLT EXPLA
= zimbardo study female ppt groups 4 asked to shock learner (confed) they cld see being asked qs thr one way glass. in deindiduation condition ppt asked 2 put on large lab coats & hoods. meant cant b identified by other ppts. in identifiability condition greeted by name & given large na,e tags. FOUND deindividuation comdition shocked 2x longer (90s) than identifable suggesting anonymity can increase aggression CA= non realistic
AO3 DEINDIVID= face validity e.g riots London ppl joined in wearing masks.
wt r dispositional factors of aggress in prisons AO1
- nternal to prioner. individuak internal characteristics of agg prisoners r high levels of anger, impulsivity, exp of using violence 2 solve problems and deviant socialisation
- also termed importation model= theory suggesting aggression is imported in to prison environment from outside world as result of priosoners personality. prisons gather ppl who often hv been conviected of violent cirmes put them in one place & prisoners continue 2 perform agg bhvrs in prison
- gang membership also common in prisoners that bring prevois gang alliances feuds & street culture into prison environment which can lead to instrumental violence perhaps to settle scores w other gangs pr increase status within prson.
- also personal factors linked 2 agg e.g ppl w drug alc addictions presentiung w withdrwals
situational factors 4 aggres in prisons AO1
- suggests rzn prisoners r aggressive r due to external factors such as envionment of prisons e.g unpleasant environments. this is due 2 how theyre designed & organised by prison management. prison itself is CRIMINOGENIC mmeaning its the cause of prisoners aggr bhvr e.g poor layout excessive noise access to improvised weapons & CCTV blindpots lead 2 fear of attack. also lack of facilties e.g gyms workshops can cause boredom & frustration
- quality of personal charcteristics of staff can aslo b factor e.g untrained staff cant properly diffuse situations/ racial gender mismatch between staff & prisoners can also lead 2 tensions
- deprivation model= suggests depriving prisoners of their freedom but also sense of safety heterosexual rsp & autonomy leads 2 stress this & physical sit causes furstaryoon & fear tyhat builds up leading 2 aggression
AO3 institutional aggress GO OVER ALL
AO1=
mention dispositional & situational factos
AO3
support for importation model= strength of imp model= supportive evidence.. study 813 jveline delinquents who had several -tive dispositional features e.g childhood trauma, high levels anger & violent bhvr. these inmates more likely 2 engage in acts of physical violence comp 2 control group inmates w fewer -tive dispositional features . demonstrates tht when inmated go in2 insitutions take in negative traits & habits w them leading 2 increase aggression. demonstrates importation model of prison agg 2 be valid GO ONTO EXPLAINING HOW THIS REDUCTIONIST THEN —> sep point
weakness of importation model is doesnt take into account mediational effects of starT & runnings of prisons on instituional aggression. dilulio proposed ADMINSTRATIVE CONTROL MODEL (AMC) which states poorly management brings ab culture of informal rules, indecisive leadership & few educational opportunities for inmates. THESE FACTORS may exacerbate aggressive disposition which inmates bring in2 prisons & further contribute 2 aggression. if prisons adminstration effective can have dimishing effect on impact brought in traits & characteristics shows traits by themselves may not cause institutions agg but these interact w other factors causing agg
rsrch support for deprivation model= rsrch on situational factors in prison cunningham anakysed 35 homicides in texas prisons & found motivations behind linked 2 arguments ab personal possessions arguments & rsps. demonstrates depriv of goods facilitares use of agg 2 aquire them. THe more deprivation occurs, the futher inmates r driven 2 b aggressive leading 2 insitutuional aggression. SHOWS VALIDITY OF ROLE OF SITUATIONAL VARIABLES IN PRISONS CAUSING AGGRESSION ca= done on western
interactionist approach 2 agg rsrchrs argue that aspects of both deprivation & importation model r true in explaining instituional aggression. e.g jiang et al suggests the importation model is more useful in understanding innate agg agsint prison staff. this shows tht instead of focusing on 1 expl which partly explains agg we shld use an interactionust apprch to explain all aspects & not simplify it
wt is disihibition 4 media influences
ppl often hv strong desire not to b aggressive. aggr impulses r inhibited. & inhibition comes from socialisation e.g told unacceptable 4 violence. But repeated exposure 2 justified aggress in media & comiiting violence in games r thought 2 disinhibit avoidance of aggression irl.
wt is cognitive priming
we have mental scripts like schemas for how 2 respond in certain situations. we can learn schemas via TV &comp games. may often see hero acting aggressiveky when threatened e.g gun these becoming cues or priming stimulus. We are then cog primed when we r exposed 2 these cues irl in simialr context we act aggressively
Media influences on aggression, including the effects of computer games. The role of desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming.
AO1= - media has range forms e.g newspapers, film & TV. frequently seeing aggression in media is thought to lead 2 increased aggression in the viewer
- social learning suggests identification w an attractive but violent hero (symbolic model) increases likelihood aggres will b imitated. observer may also learn via vicarious learning tht aggress solves problems & gets rewarded
- viewers moral decisions making process cld b socialised by media aggression. the aggressive hero’s violence often showed 2 b justified causing viewer 2 think aggres response os correct when they feel theyve been wronged
- comp games= some aspects of comp games may provide more extreme infl on agg. in comp games players dnt jus watch but actively control an avatr in situations in which aggression is only way 2 progress in game.
- Comp gam^ also positively reinforce aggression by receriving praise/ rewards via operant conditioning CA= PERHAPS REDUCES LIKELIHOOD OF REAL AGGRESSION BY PROVIDING CATHARSIS FEELING OF RELEIF OF RELEASING NEGATIVE EMTIONS E.G STRESS/ANGER
- desensitisation= sense of disgust gone coz seen violent images sm e.g warfare (explain more) making aggression more likely coz normalised
- Disihibition= ppl often hv strong desire not to b aggressive. aggr impulses r inhibited. & inhibition comes from socialisation e.g told unacceptable 4 violence. But repeated exposure 2 justified aggress in media & comiiting violence in games r thought 2 disinhibit avoidance of aggression irl.
- cognitive priming= we have mental scripts like schemas for how 2 respond in certain situations. we can learn schemas via TV &comp games. may often see hero acting aggressiveky when threatened e.g gun these becoming cues or priming stimulus. We are then cog primed when we r exposed 2 these cues irl in simialr context we act aggressively
AO3=
+ lab study asked ppt 2 play either violent/ non violent comp game for 20 min before watching 10 min vid showing real world violence. results showed lower galvanic skin response & heartarate in ppt who had played aggressive games. suggests exposure 2 violent game has physiologically desensitived ppt 2 violent imagery. CA= ONLY SHOWS STM BUT HAS VALID COZ PPL CANT FAKE BIOLO REACTIONS CA=.. problem w study ls very dependant on correlational evidence. is rsrch cannot measure real life aggression. e.g no variables controlled
correlational study. 227 juvenile offenders all w serious history of aggressive behaviours e.g hittinf teacher/parent. used structured interviews & gathered data on several measures of aggression & violent comp game-playing. STRONG postive correlation between individuals level of aggression & amount of time spent playing video games & how much they enjoyed playing them. shows violent games can b linked 2 violent aggression irl
- problems w correlational studies . no variables controlled hard 2 establish whther playing vid game leads 2 aggression or aggressive ppl r more likely to choose playing violent vid games. if latter is true then may not be related & aggression based on other factors. e.g RESEARCH SUPPORTING SELECTION HYPOTHESIS which claims that ppl who alr aggressive suggest aggres media 2 suit their taste. so cannot establish causal link between aggresison & violent vid games which reduces validity of research.
real world examples agg such as assault has decreased signific in many western nations since 80s. this is as advances sch as comp graphics have made deceptions of violence aswell as comp games being more popular acitivty. means theory that vid games aggres causes more real world violence lacks face validity. however perhaps due 2 changes in how young males spend their time rather than spending signif time on streets getting into violence now spend time indoors w agres conflict being virtual.. so many vid games do provide catharsis
