aggression Flashcards

1
Q

how is aggression a primary role in natural environments?

A

 Adequate supply of scarce resources
 Obtain food
 Access to mate
 Social hierarchy

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2
Q

true or false: aggression is a unitary phenomenon

A

false

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3
Q

when can aggression be desirable

A

 Social or Dominance related

 Fighting to establish dominance hierarchy to minimize serious combat

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4
Q

what do you see in an established hierarchy

A

subtle threats vs physical violence

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5
Q

what happens when you pen together novel animals?

A

intense aggressive encounters

several days to establish pecking order

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6
Q

true or false: Alpha animal rarely challenged by subordinates

A

true

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7
Q

who is the only one challenged by alpha?

A

beta

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8
Q

what happens when the pecking order is established?

A

stare or threat

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9
Q

what is ritualized aggression?

A

Assertion of dominance in absence of physical combat

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10
Q

Social dominance expressed over:

A

 Food
 Mate
 Resting place
 Action by one animal perceived as threat by another

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11
Q

what is the purpose for territorial aggression

A

Keeps others out of particular area

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12
Q

what does pain-induced aggression develop directly out of?

A

pain or fear of pain

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13
Q

what is the function of pain-induced aggression?

A

Reduce pain by eliminating the source

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14
Q

what happens in terms of pain-induced aggression with a cat with a broken leg?

A

Won’t discriminate between pain from break & pain induced by vet

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15
Q

what does stoic mean

A

less likely to react

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16
Q

if pain is severe, what will more stoic breeds/species do?

A

bite or kick

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17
Q

define pain and examples

A

animal faces more sensory receptors per unit surface area

ears, rectum, bone fracture, surgery

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18
Q

what are some irritating fluids that induces pain

A

ketamine

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19
Q

true/false: fear induced aggression can be related to pain

A

true

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20
Q

define neophobia

A

fear of unknown

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21
Q

what is fear induced aggression usually accompanied by?

A

physiological and visceral signs

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22
Q

what is the purpose of maternal aggression?

A

protection of young

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23
Q

true/false: maternal aggression cannot equal ferocity of male attack

A

false

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24
Q

what is predatory aggression?

A

directed towards another species to obtain food

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25
Q

what happens with fully satiated cats and predatory aggression

A

will often hunt and not eat the catch, not entirely governed by hunger

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26
Q

what are genetic factors of aggression and especially in what animals?

A

 Dominance influenced by heredity
 Dogs, horses, cattle
 Dogs have short generation interval

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27
Q

which dog breeds have short generation interval

A

Truculent breeds

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28
Q

what are two factors that can lead to aggression

A

crowded and hunger

29
Q

what are environmental controls of aggression

A

 Hunger & crowding
 Decreasing enclosure size ◼ Feeding time
 Unpredictability of feeding time

30
Q

define SSRI

A

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

should have a calming effect on animal and reduce aggression

more serotonin hanging around in neurochemical junction so effect will be longer lasting

31
Q

how is serotonin a neurochemical control?

A

may inhibit aggression in cats

32
Q

how is prozac a neurochemical control

A

serotonin enhancing

33
Q

how is tryptophan a neurochemical control

A

precursor to serotonin

34
Q

true/false: serotonin levels are lower in CSF (cerebral spinal fluid) in nonaggressive dogs

A

false, in aggressive dogs

35
Q

describe rationale of low protein diets

A

Allow more tryptophan to cross BBB & thereby increase brain serotonin levels

36
Q

why are males more aggressive than females

A

testosterone

37
Q

name and describe the 2 roles in aggression

A
  1. Very early development
     Establishes heightened potential for aggression
  2. Activational effects of androgens
     Exposure of androgens in adulthood increases probability that male will show aggression
38
Q

what is delayed & reduced aggression?

A

Long-lasting social tolerance & preference for particular individuals

39
Q

what is an example of delayed & reduced aggression

A

 Twin calves maintain close bond

 Calves reared together
◼ Form strong preference for one another
◼ 12 months
- Strong affiliative acts, 1⁄2 agonistic acts

40
Q

describe aggression in animals that are raised together

A

exhibit much less aggressive behavior

toward one another when feeding

41
Q

list the things that happen when group living animals mature

A

 Social tolerance ↓
 Agonistic behavior begins
 Social hierarchies form

42
Q

when do calves that are raised together from birth establish a pecking order?

A

9 months

43
Q

list what happens with aggression during early and continuous association

A

 Greater social tolerance
 Delayed onset of aggressive behavior
 Relatively slow formation of social hierarchies

44
Q

what is testosterone

A

physiologic agent responsible for masculinization & ↑tendency for aggression

45
Q

what are some characteristics of secondary sexual dimorphism in terms of male sex hormones

A

 Larger, more powerful males
 Presence of functional testes
 Testosterone

46
Q

what is a peck right

A

one individual of a pair constantly avoids or behaves submissively when threatened or attacked by the other

47
Q

40 cockerels were subdivided into 4 groups
 3 groups castrated at 9 days
 Injection of androgen into 2 groups
 Observed groups for mean age when peck-rights established

what was the result with the untreated capons?

A

 Pecks of low frequency & intensity
 Peck right formation 4 weeks later than intact males
 Capons injected w/ testosterone developed peck rights earlier than intact males

48
Q

what can the genetically produced differences in levels of aggression on male sexual activity be caused by?

A

differences in physiological responsiveness to androgen stimulation

49
Q

what was the result from the research from ortman and craig that selected for high and low social dominance ability? 5 generations were selected that differed in strains of aggression dominance and subdivided, androgen injection at different levels, and pair contests between males of high and low social dominance

A
  1. Androgen injection ↑ agonistic activity in males deprived of endogenous hormone
  2. Males of aggressive strains more likely to win pair contests when matched with low aggression strains (receiving same amount of androgen)
50
Q

what is the take away from the research from ortman and craig injecting androgen at different levels and pair contests?

A

changes produced by genetic selection primarily caused by changes in physiological responsiveness vs. androgen secreted by testes

51
Q

what is an example of aversive stimuli?

A

pain

52
Q

animals show _______ aggression from pain

A

reflexive

53
Q

why would animals be more likely to attack another animal if face to face and receiving shock to feet

A

they perceive pain as being caused by other animal

54
Q

castrated male rats decreased fight over time, what does this suggest about testosterone?

A

plays part in reflexive aggression

55
Q

what happens if you were to remove the outer cerebral cortex of cats?

A

 Excessive defensive reactions
 “sham” rage
 Resembling fear & anger
 Minor stimulation by touching the cat

56
Q

what is the function of the cerebral cortex in terms of aggression?

A

Inhibitory effect on such aggressive behavior

57
Q

what happens if you remove the amygdala or damage to parts of hypothalamus of a cat

A

 Cats were sleepy or docile

 Difficult to arouse to aggressive behavior

58
Q

what is the amygdala

A

 Part of limbic system
 Complex of nuclei beneath cortex
 Abundant bilateral connections with hypothalamus

59
Q

what part of the brain is associated with olfaction in lower animals

A

amygdala

60
Q

list what happens when the amygdala is stimulated

A
 Changes in arterial pressure 
 Changes in HR
 Defecation/micturition
 Piloerection
 Involuntary movements
 Licking, chewing
 Rage
 Excessive sexual activity
61
Q

what disorder is caused by the removal or destroying of the amygdala?

A

kluver-bucy syndrome

- “bilateral temporal lobe disorder”

62
Q

what are the characteristics of Kluver-Bucy syndrome

A
 Excessive tendency to examine objects orally
 Loss of fear
 Decreased aggressiveness
 Tameness
 Changes in dietary habits
◼Herbivores become carnivores
 Excessive sex drive
◼ Animal not afraid of anything
◼ Extreme curiosity about everything
◼ Forgets very rapidly
◼ Tendency to put everything in its mouth
◼ May try to eat solid objects
63
Q

what may the animal try to copulate if it has kluver-bucy syndrome?

A

 immature animals
 animals of wrong sex
 animals of different species

64
Q

what is the overall function of the amygdala?

A

◼ Behavioral awareness area that operates at a semi- conscious level
◼ Seems to project one’s present status in relation to both surroundings and thoughts
◼ Help pattern animal’s behavioral response s that it is appropriate for each occasion

65
Q

what is used to experimentally stimulate the brain

A

electrodes

66
Q

what parts of the brain are stimulated when stimulated via threat, attack, escape?

A

amygdala and hypothalamus

67
Q

when do dominant animals tend to be very aggressive?

A

when hungry & competing for food or frustrated in feeding attempts

68
Q

What causes aggression when animals frustrated?

A

 Excitement & moving around
 Individuals encounter each other at higher
frequency than usual

69
Q

when will the personal space of dominant animals may be invaded by subordinates?

A

animals attracted to the same scarce resource