Aggression

Question 1

What is the limbic System?

Answer 1

The limbic system is a collection of brain structures in which is the center of emotional control, includes anger, fear and sexual behavior

Question 2

Amygdala

Answer 2

The part of the limbic system in which processes and regulates emotions.
Linked via animal studies to aggression
Research by pardini, found that those with a smaller amygdala (less volume) were more aggressive

Question 3

Hippocampus

Answer 3

Known as a memory indexer, can store and also retrieve memories.
Research by Raine, found that unsuccessful criminals had an unsymmetrical hippocampus

Question 4

Serotonin

Answer 4

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, it relaxes and calms the nervous system. When serotonin is too low, the amygdala cannot regulate emotion.
Cherek and Lane, found that giving subjects a drug which increased serotonin reduced aggressive behaviour

Question 5

Testosterone

Answer 5

A hormone, widely associated with males, males are observably more aggressive than females. High levels of testosterone in the orbitofrontal lobe, reduces activity, less likely to regulate aggressive behavior, can decrease serotonin.
There is research which links aggression, testosterone and cortisol. When high its influence o aggression is blocked

Question 6

Dabbs

Answer 6

–Measured testosterone levels, in criminals, the ones who committed the more violent crimes had higher levels of testosterone