Aggression

Question 1

What are the biological explanations?

Answer 1

Neural mechanisms
Hormonal mechanisms
Genetic factors

Question 2

B1. Neural mechanisms- the limbic system- A01

Answer 2

helps to co-ordinate behaviours that satisfy motivational and emotional urges

Question 3

B1. Neural mechanisms- the limbic system- evaluation- A03

Answer 3

+ Summer= 14yr old had a tumour in his limbic system, when treated with drugs, his aggression decreased, shows the system is linked with aggression
- not clear cut= is made up of many components, not clear which parts may be implicated

Question 4

B1. Neural mechanisms- the amygdala- A01

Answer 4

evaluates the importance of sensory information and prompts an appropriate response

Question 5

B1. Neural mechanisms- the amygdala- evaluation- A03

Answer 5

+ Pardini= longitudinal study, took MRIs of males, found that lower amygdala volumes are associated with higher levels of aggression and violence
- exact role is unclear= Muller= found psychopaths had increased activity in the amygdala compared to non psychopaths when shown pos and neg pictures

Question 6

B1. Neural mechanisms- the hippocampus- A01

Answer 6

involved in the formation of long-term memories
can compare conditions of the current threat with similar past experiences so they can show an appropriate response

Question 7

B1. Neural mechanisms- the hippocampus- evaluation- A03

Answer 7

+ Raine= two groups of violent criminals- impulsively / ‘cold calculated criminals’- criminals who acted impulsively had different sizes of each side of the hippocampus= asymmetry impacts ability of the amygdala and hip to work together

Question 8

B2. Hormonal mechanisms- Serotonin- A01

Answer 8

• a neurotransmitter
  -lower levels of serotonin leads to a lack of control of impulsive and aggressive responses
  -normal levels exerts a calming effect on neural firing in the brain

Question 9

B2. Hormonal mechanisms- Serotonin- evaluation- A03

Answer 9

+ Raleigh= monkeys fed on experimental diets high in serotonin showed decreased levels of aggression, individuals with diets with low serotonin showed increased levels of aggression
+ prac apps= increasing serotonin in juvenile delinquents and in institutionalised patients reduces their aggressive tendencies
- deterministic= link of aggressive behaviour to reduction of serotonin in criminals doesn’t allow for free will, suggests criminals are not to blame for their actions

Question 10

B2. Hormonal mechanisms- Testosterone and cortisol- A01

Answer 10

testo= male sex hormone involved with aggression
cort= produced by adrenal medulla and reacts to stress
they have a negative correlation

Question 11

B2. Hormonal mechanisms- Testosterone and cortisol- evaluation- A03

Answer 11

+ Wagner= if male mouse is castrated, overall levels of aggression decreased, if its received testosterone injections, aggression levels increased
-HOWEVER= can’t generalised, unethical
+ Dabbs= measured salivary testosterone in violent and non violent criminals, those with higher levels had a history with more violent crimes

Question 12

B3. Genetic factors- twin and adoption studies- A01

Answer 12

-twin studies= compare degree of similarity for a particular trait
-adoption studies= show the influences of genes and genes in aggression

Question 13

B3. Genetic factors- twin and adoption studies- evaluation- A03

Answer 13

+ Miles and Carey= meta-analysis of 24 twin and adoption studies that demonstrated the genetic basis of aggression, results suggest genetic influence could account for up to 50% of the variance in aggression
- many studies have relied on either parental or self- reports of their behaviour
- difficult to separate genetic and environmental factors, behaviour may only be expressed if the environmental conditions are favourable

Question 14

B3. Genetic factors- MAOA gene- A01

Answer 14

-monoamine oxidase A is an enzyme
-breaks down neurotransmitters into chemicals to be excreted
-dysfunction in operation of this gene may lead to abnormal activity of the MAOA enzyme, affects the levels of serotonin in the brain
-one variant leads to low MAOA activity and is associated with with forms of aggressive behaviour

Question 15

B3. Genetic factors- MAOA gene- evaluation- A03

Answer 15

+Capsi= using 500 male children discovered those with the low variant of MAOA were more likely to be anti-social than those with the high variant
-importance of genes and environment= Capsi= those more likely to be anti-social is true only if they had been maltreated as children

Question 16

The ethological explanation of aggression- A01

Answer 16

-suggests main function of aggression is adaptive
-seeks to understanding the innate behaviour of animals by studying their natural environment
-innate releasing mechanism= built-in physiological process like a network of neurones in the brain- releases a specific sequence of behaviours- fixed action pattern:
-stereotyped
-universal
-unaffected by learning
-balistic
-single purpose
-response to stimulus
-ritualistic aggression= not aggressive but shown in the form of threat displays- used to assess strengths of competition

Question 17

The ethological explanation of aggression- evaluation- A03

Answer 17

+Tinbergen’s research= male stickleback fish produce FAP in the form of aggression when another male enters its territory
+ benefits of ritualised aggression= can stop conflicts escalating into dangerous violence, can be see in native tribes and animals- chest pounding and club fighting contests
- cultural differences= Nisbett= North-South divide in the US for homicides- killings are more common in white-males in Southern states, shows impulsive aggression was learned as a social norm

Question 18

Evolutionary explanation of aggression- A01

Answer 18

-focuses on the adaptive nature of behaviour
-modern behaviours have evolved because they have survived and solve challenges in the past
-sexual competition= way of eliminating competition is through aggression- more successful amongst competitors, more chance of mating and passing genes down
-sexual jealousy= consequence of parental uncertainty (unsure if they will pass on their genes)- leads to cuckoldry behaviour (reproductive cost influenced on a man) experienced through aggression
-aggression in warfare= displays of aggression and bravery attract females, can lead to a reproductive benefit

Question 19

Evolutionary explanation of aggression-evaluation- A03

Answer 19

research supporting:
sexual competition
+Putts= male traits implied that comp between males did happen= 75% more muscle mass, more aggressive, thicker jaw bones
sexual jealousy
+Buss= mate retention strategies= direct guarding, neg inducements- men use these to keep their mate
+Daly and Wilson= 80 murderers where victim and murderer were living together, 29% deemed to have risen as a result of sexual jealousy

Question 20

What are the social psychological explanations of aggression?

Answer 20

The frustration-aggression hypothesis
Social learning theory
Deindividuation

Question 21

SP1. The frustration-aggression hypothesis- A01

Answer 21

Dollard
-feeling of being annoyed as a result of being unable to change/ achieve something
-all aggression is the result of frustration, leads to cathartic behaviour- verbal or physical outburst
-aggression can be displaced if it can’t be expressed directly against the source- called a scapegoat
-the presence of environmental cues makes aggression more likely to occur- Berkowitz

Question 22

SP1. The frustration-aggression hypothesis- evaluation- A03

Answer 22

+ Berkowitz= 2 guns present= 6.07 av shocks, no guns present= 4.67 av shocks- presence of aggressive emotional cues stimulates the aggression
+ real life applications= discussed in the gun control debate in the US, ‘open carry’- can act as a cue making aggression more likely
+ Pricks= Sweadish football team
+ Bushman= people who vented anger onto punching bag became more angry

Question 23

SP2. The social learning theory- A01

Answer 23

-suggests behaviour is learnt via imitation of a role model
-role model is more likely to be- parent, authority figure, someone child identifies with/ similar to, celebrity
-children observe aggressive behaviour and consequences of behaviour, determines if behaviour is carried out by child- vicarious reinforcement
-Bandura came up with four cognitive factors needed for observational learning- attention, retention, motivation, motor reproduction
-child created mental representation (schema) of when to display this aggression

Question 24

SP2. The social learning theory- evaluation- A03

Answer 24

+ Bandura= children ages 3-5yrs, half exposed to models being aggressive towards a Bobo doll, half exposed to models that were non-aggressive- children witnessing aggressive models more likely to also be aggressive
+FURTHER research= models suffered consequence for their aggressiveness- children who saw model punished carried out less aggressive acts
-lack of realism= a doll is not a living person and doesn’t retaliate when hit, doesn’t tell us much about imitation of aggression towards humans
+used to explain cultural differences= different cultures treat aggression in children e.g. in Africa they physically separate the children when they argue

Question 25

SP3. Deindividuation- A01

Answer 25

-explains the behaviour of individuals in crowds
-we lose our sense of both individual self-identity and responsibility for our behaviour, we have greater disregard for norms, we experience less personal guilt
-we are anonymous, feel less likely to be judged negatively
-reduced self-awareness= consequences of anonymity that influences aggression:
>private self-awareness= when in a crowd, individual may not be capable of making rational decisions, care what people think and join in with others
>public self-awareness= individual has decreased concerns about evaluation by others, increase in aggressive behaviour, will join in with crowds as they’re less identifiable

Question 26

SP3. Deindividuation- evaluation- A03

Answer 26

+prac apps= try to reduce large crowds by getting police to use techniques like dispersion (spread large crowd out, reduction on inhibitions) and containment (can arrest offenders as a threat)
+Zimbardo= female undergrads, wore loose fitting lab coast and hoods over faces and never refered to by name, or wearing normal clothes with name tag= deindividuated ppts delivered twice amaount of electric shocks
-does not always lead to agg, can be pro-social= Mullen= when someone is violently attacked, individuals who helped would often do so if their identity was masked

Question 27

What are the institutional explanations of aggression in the context of prisons?

Answer 27

The dispositional explanation: the importation model
The situational explanation: the deprivation model

Question 28

Institutional aggression 1. The dispositional explanation: the importation model- A01

Answer 28

Irwin and Cressy
-inmates bring their violent pasts into prison environments, a place where toughness and physical exploitation are important survival skills
-inmates support this aggressive behaviour to settle disputes
-certain dispositional factors have been found to relate to aggressive behaviour in prisons- anger, anti-social, impulsive= strong predictors of institutional aggression

Question 29

Institutional aggression 1. The dispositional explanation: the importation model- evaluation- A03

Answer 29

+ prac apps= isolating known gang members can help reduce aggression in institutions, reduces opportunities for them= Fischer= can reduce serious results by 50%
+ DeLisi= low self-control, easy loss of temper was a predictor of agg behaviours before and after being in prison
- HOWEVER= DeLisi= inmates with prior street gang involvement, no more likely to engage in prison violence

Question 30

Institutional aggression 2. Situational explanation: the deprivation model- A01

Answer 30

Clemmer
-places the cause of institutional aggression on the prison
-harsh prison conditions are stressful for inmates and they cope by resorting to aggressive behaviour
-conditions include= deprived of freedom, independence and safety
-increase competition amongst inmates

Question 31

Institutional aggression 2. Situational explanation: the deprivation model- evaluation- A03

Answer 31

+ prac apps= prisons can change policies to reduce the harshness of conditions, might reduce aggressive behaviour

Question 32

What are the media influences on aggression?

Answer 32

Effects of computer games
Roles of desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming

Question 33

Media influences on aggression 1. Effects of computer games- A01

Answer 33

interactive violence on computer games has the potential to exert more influence than TV violence as the player has a more active role- aggression is rewarded, portrayed as appropriate and effective
-3 methodologies used: lab-based studies, correlational studies, longitudinal studies

Question 34

Media influences on aggression 1. Effects of computer games- evaluation- A03

Answer 34

+experimental studies allow us to establish a causal link between media aggression and aggressive behaviour
-HOWEVER= situations are often unrealistic and artificial, also media shows no fear of retaliation, doesn’t happen in the real world
-fails to consider other causes= studies show the effect of violent content disappears when other influences- family aggression and mental health- are taken into consideration

Question 35

Media influences on aggression 2. Role of desensitisation- A01

Answer 35

assumes that under normal conditions, anxiety about violence stops its use, but when people repeatedly view aggression, it may lead to aggressive behaviour by removing the anxiety
-more tv violence= more acceptable it becomes, takes time

Question 36

Media influences on aggression 2. Role of desensitisation- evaluation- A03

Answer 36

-some studies found no correlation between watching hours of violence and a change in aggressive behaviour, suggests desensitisation may not occur at all
+can be adaptive for humans= troops desensitisation to combat make them more effective in their role, same with therapists and doctors

Question 37

Media influences on aggression 2. Role of disinhibition- A01

Answer 37

the idea that the view that aggression is antisocial and harmful is loosened after exposure to violent media, aggressive behaviour can appear normal and is often rewarded in video games, consequences are minimised and ignored, new norms

Question 38

Media influences on aggression 2. Role of disinhibition- evaluation- A03

Answer 38

+Berkowitz= ppts who saw a film depicting aggression gave more electric shocks of a longer duration to a confed, suggests media violence may disinhibit aggressive behaviour when it is presented as justified
-depends on other factors= age, younger children more likely to be affected as they are more drawn in to high-action violence media without considering consequences or motives/ children growing up in households where violence is not tolerated are unlikely to experience disinhibition

Question 39

Media influences on aggression 2. Role of cognitive priming- A01

Answer 39

Berkowitz
-when people are constantly exposed to media violence, this actives thoughts about violence which activate other aggressive thought through their association in memory pathways
-the more accessible the thought, the more likely it is to be used to interpret social information

Question 40

Media influences on aggression 2. Role of cognitive priming- evaluation- A03

Answer 40

+ prac apps= violent media could trigger aggressive behaviour through the priming of cognitive scripts, effective interventions could reduce aggressive behaviour by challenging cognitive biases and encouraging alternatives to aggression
- individual differences= might only have an effect on someone if they have a predisposition to behaviour due to their personality