Aggression

Question 1

What’s aggression

Answer 1

Act carried out with intention to harm

Question 2

Proactive aggression

Answer 2

Cold blooded
Planned aggression to get what you want

Question 3

Reactive aggression

Answer 3

hot blooded’, angry, impulsive and physiological arousal

Question 4

What neural mechanisms are involved in aggression

Answer 4

Limbic System
Orbitofrontal cortex

Question 5

What’s the limbic system and what does it have in it

Answer 5

collection of sub cortical structures in the brain:
hypothalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, cingulate gyrus

Question 6

Function of the limbic system

Answer 6

Function: regulating how organisms respond to environmental threats including aggression as one type of response.

Question 7

Hypothalamus
What is it
What is its function

Answer 7

Part of the limbic system
regulated the autonomic nervous system, which regulates responses to emotional circumstances.

If there is damage, there might be aggressive responses to threats.

Question 8

Amygdala
What is it
What’s its function

Answer 8

most important structures in aggression, also in limbic system
Attaches emotional significance to sensory information. Abnormal activity leads to read/anger which can cause reactive aggression

Question 9

Two studies that support the role of neural mechanisms in aggression

Answer 9

GOSPIC ET AL
COCCARO

Question 10

Which of the two types of aggression is impulsive
Which is planned

Answer 10

1. Reactive
2. Proactive

Question 11

What’s a neurotransmitter

Answer 11

It communicated between neurons

Question 12

What is serotonin
What is its role with aggression

Answer 12

1. An inhibitory neurotransmitter, meaning it inhibits the communication between neurones, dampening your neuronal activity
2. Lower levels of serotonin in the ORBITOFRONTAL CORTEX are linked with lower levels of self control, hence an increased level of reactive (impulsive) aggression

Question 13

Two studies for the role of serotonin

Answer 13

Virkkunen
BERMAN

Question 14

Virkkunen et al

Answer 14

Found lower levels of the serotonin metabolite in aggressive imoulsive offenders in jail in comparison to violent non impulsive offenders.
Shows a correlation between low serotonin and impulsive aggression (reactive)

Question 15

BERMAN (2009) -

Answer 15

studied that drugs which increase serotonin levels have reduced aggressive behaviour
gave participants either a placebo or a drug which enhances serotonin levels
In a lab game played to trigger anger, there was shocks given and received
Those who were on the meds gave fewer and less intense shocks ( showing less aggression can be causally linked between serotonin)
However this was only med participants who had a PRIOR HISTORY OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR

Question 16

GOSPIC ET AL (2011):
AND
Variation of Gospic

Answer 16

Discovered that amygdala activity increased in response to an aggressive game.
2 players:
Confederate offers to split money in any way un/fair. Responder is being brain scanned (fmri)
Unfair offers led to aggressive reaction
When responders rejected unfair offer there was a quicker heightened response from the amygdala

VARIATION OF GOSPIC ET AL
participants were given anti anxiety drugs BZ’s, and there was a reduction in rejected offers and decrease of amygdala activity

Question 17

COCCARO ET AL

Answer 17

COCCARO ET AL
Studied patients with psychiatric disorders who had aggression
Found that REDUCED orbitofrontal cortex activity > less self control> INCREASED AGGRESSION

OFC involves impulsive regulation and inhibition of aggressive behaviour. Shows that there are lots of highly complex and different neural structures. Theory of just one area involving aggression is reductionist