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

Question 18

What hormone affects aggression in males
What is this hormone responsible for

Answer 18

Testosterone - the male androgen (male sex hormone)

Responsible for two things:
1. Development of male features
2. Regulating social behaviour
Males are generally more aggressive than females and more aggressive towards other men at 20 years old when testosterone levels are highest

Question 19

Giammanco et al

Answer 19

Giammanco et al
castration study of rats show that removing testes of rats reduces aggression
Gave injections of testosterone to female rats and they had increased aggressive behaviour

during mating season, monkeys showed an increase in both testosterone level and aggressive behaviour
This study shows a clear link between testosterone and aggression

Question 20

Dolan et al

Answer 20

found a positive correlation between testosterone levels and aggressive behaviours ina sample of 60 male offenders in maximum security hospitals
A lot of them suffered from personality disorders, shows that its not jsut hormonal factors might be psychological

Question 21

Mehta and Josephs

Answer 21

Measured the T levels in males before and after losing a competitive game
You could either re challlenge the game or do something else which was non aggressive

73% of participants whose T rose after loss re challenged
22% whose T decreased did a non aggressive tsk
Shows correlation between t levels and aggressive behaviour

Question 22

What is a key hormone for aggression in females
What is its function

Answer 22

(Female hormone)
Plays an important part in aggression in women.
Levels of progesterone vary in the menstruation cycle and are lowest just after menstruation.

Anna Ziomkiewicz et al : negative correlation between progesterone and self reported aggression. This suggests that low levels of progesterone and linked to higher levels in women

Question 23

Anna Ziomkiewicz et al

Answer 23

Anna Ziomkiewicz et al : negative correlation between progesterone and self reported aggression. This suggests that low levels of progesterone and linked to higher levels in women

Question 24

Strengths of the hormonal explanation

Answer 24

Anna ziomkiewicz - more of a holistic view on genders, rather than an androcentric view, it is positive as it applies to women.
Also it considers gender differences rather than gender bias which is a strength of the hormonal theory

Question 25

Four weaknesses of the hormonal explanations

Answer 25

1. Biologically deterministic: suggests that aggression isn’t influenced by free will/ choices. It would allow people with these hromones an alibi for acting certain ways, rather than taking responsibility.
2. Animal research (Giammanco = valid?)
3. Nature? SLT- Bandura BOBO doll study
4. most studies are correlational not causational