Aggression Flashcards
Have scientists found an aggressive gene
No, research has been more focused on how the brain functions and what areas of the brain are involved in aggression.
What is one theory of aggression
A person can be aggressive because of their biological make up.
What two parts of the brain are linked to aggression, can you label them
Limbic system - upper section
Amygdala - lower section
What is the Limbic system
The emotional area of the brain, it is responsible for the emotions needed for survival, like fear and aggression.
What did people with emotional disorders sometimes have in common
Damage to the Limbic system.
What is the amygdala
A brain structure thought to be involved in aggression. It recognises emotional responses and produces aggression.
In animal studies what did removing their amygdala do?
Make the animals very calm whereas damage to the amygdala may cause increase levels of aggression
What did we learn from Charles Whitman who shot 13 people
He was convinced there was something wrong with his brain that made him more aggressive and left behind a suicide note to say he wanted them to do a brain autopsy on him. It showed that there was a tumour pressing against his amygdala. Suggesting that the amygdala might cause aggression.
Why is difficult to be able to tell if there is a direct link between the amygdala and the Limbic system and aggression.
We cannot damage human brains to see if it results in aggression because that would be unethical.
What are two strengths of the biological theory of aggression
Animal studies that have involved damage or removal of the amygdala offer evidence for its link with aggression.
Case study of David Whitman is evidence for the link with aggression.
What are two weaknesses of the biological theory
Studying the brain can be difficult and risky so there is no way of making sure areas of the brain are linked to aggression.
Animals and humans are different in many ways, so animal research suggesting a link between the brain and aggression may not be applicable to humans.
What are hormones
Chemicals produced by the human body that send signals to organs around the body via the blood stream.
What is the biological proof that makes are more aggressive than females
Boys produce more testosterone which Is a male sex organ. It is secreted by the adrenal glands and tested, it develops the male reproductive system and helps to produce make features.
Do mean and women both have testosterone
Yes but males produce 10x more
What proof is there that testosterone is linked to aggression
Animal research has shown that injecting testosterone increases levels of aggression whilst removing the testes decrease levels of aggression
Why can we not test testosterone levels in the same way as animals for humans
It is unethical
How can psychologists test humans testosterone
They can take blood from humans to see what level of testosterone they have and compare it to how aggressive they feel or act.
What have correlation studies found about the relationship between testosterone levels and questionnaire results
Between high testosterone levels and greater reported aggression on questionnaires
What is the issue with the link between aggression and testosterone
Not certain a whether testosterone causes increased aggression or if aggression causes increased testosterone.
What are 2 strengths of the theory of testosterone and aggression
In animals, there is a clear cause and effect relationship between testosterone and aggression.
Human studies show a relationship between aggression and testosterone in correlation studies.
What are 2 weaknesses of the theory of testosterone and aggression
If testosterone is the cause of aggressive behaviour, why are some women more violent than men and why aren’t all men aggressive?
This explanation of aggression completely ignores the huge impact of upbringing and social circumstances on our behaviour.
What is observational learning
The process of learning from watching others.
What is modelling
Observing, identifying with an copying the behaviour of a role model.
What is identification
A feeling of similarity with a role model that leads to the imitation of their behaviour - we believe we can be like them.
What is vicarious reinforcement
Learning through the positive consequences of other people’s actions rather than first hand - we are more likely to copy if they are rewarded.
What is another explanation for aggression
SLT
How do children learn according to SLT
Through watching other people either directly or through watching other people directly or through watching people in the media - these are role models.
How are role models chosen
Through the process of identification, people they look up to, or who are similar to themselves : same gender or older age
According to SLT when are we more likely to copy someone’s behaviour
When we observe someone being rewarded for their behaviour we are more likely to copy them, whereas if we observe somebody being punished for their behaviour we are less likely to copy it. This is vicarious reinforcement.
What was Bandura’s study and what did it show
Study of the bobo doll showed that when children observed an adult playing aggressively with the bobo doll, they copied that behaviour
What were the results of the bobo doll study
Found that if the adult was rewarded they were more likely to copy. If the adult was punished they were less likely to copy. Found that boys were more likely to copy male adults than female adults.
What are two strengths of SLT
Study is supported with evidence from Bandura’s bobo doll studies because he showed that children’s copy behaviour.
There are many real life aggressive incidents that have been linked to to and video games.
What are two weaknesses of SLT
Not all children who observe aggressive behaviour copy it. But Bandura’s study was a lab experiment this means it’s not valid.
It may be that aggressive children watch aggressive TV rather than the other way round.
Compare SLT and the biological theory of aggression about their explanation on why we are aggressive
B- sees aggression as something that comes from our body, something we are born with.
SLT- believes that we learn aggression from the people around us.
Compare the SLT and the biological theory of aggression for the explanation of why we can be motivated to be aggressive
SLT says we are motivated to be aggressive through vicarious learning from observing other people whereas in the biological theory it says we are driven to be aggressive through the levels of testosterone in our body or damage to the amygdala.
How are SLT and the biological theory similar
They are both difficult to study. We cannot opens people’s brains to study the amygdalas, and we cannot easily test the effects of observational learning over a long period of time.
They are both difficult to test due to ethical reasons of testing on people.
They have both be criticised as it may be that the reverse of each theory might be true.
What was the aim of resmierez’s study
Wanted to investigate whether aggression varied between cultures. They were also interested in the different aggression levels between males and females.
What was the procedure for Ramirez’s study
400 psychology students who volunteered to participate. Half were at university in Japan and the half in Spain. All students were asked to complete a questionnaire that measured different types of aggression: verbal, physical, anger and hostility. Questionnaires included likert questions, where participants had to say to what extent they agreed with the question.
What were the findings of Ramirez’s study
Found that Japanese students showed more physical aggression than Spanish students. Spanish students showed more verbal aggression and anger than Japanese. Males showed more physical and verbal aggression and hostility than females in both cultures. Males and females in both cultures shows the same level of anger.
What was the conclusion of Ramirez’s study
concluded that despite the stereotype of Japanese culture being shy and not showing emotion, they were more physically aggressive than Spanish. The findings that Spanish students are more verbally aggressive is consistent with the stereotype of spaniards being expressive. Study supports previous theories that makes are more aggressive than females.
What are two strengths of Ramirez’s study
The questions produced quanta tube data so cannot be interpreted differently by researchers.
All students had volunteered and were fully aware that the results would be published. It was an ethical study.
