Aggression

Question 1

What are the different topics in aggression?

Answer 1

1) . Neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggression.
2) . Genetic factors in aggression.
3) . Ethological explanation of aggression.
4) . Evolutionary explanations of human aggression.
5) . Social-psychological explanations:

• Frustration-aggression hypothesis.
• SLT.
• De-individuation.

6) . Institutional aggression in the context of prisons.
7) . Media influences on aggression:

• The effects of computer games.
• Disinhibition and cognitive priming.

Question 2

What is outlined in the neural mechanisms of aggression?

Answer 2

1) . Reactivity of limbic system predicts aggressive behaviour.
2) . The amygdala is strongly associated with aggression.
3) . Low levels of serotonin results in reduced self-control and increased aggression.

Question 3

Who identified the limbic system?

Answer 3

Papez and Mclean.

Question 4

What is the limbic system?

Answer 4

• Cingulate gyrus.
• Fornix.
• Amygdala.
• Parts of the hippocampus and the thalamus.

Question 5

What is the role of the amygdala in the limbic system?

Answer 5

The reactivity to stimuli is an important predictor in aggressive behaviour.

• amygdala plays a role in how we assess and respond to environmental stimuli.

Question 6

What did Gospic et al. (2011) find about the amygdala’s role in aggression?

Answer 6

• Brain scans on participants in a lab-based game designed to provoke aggression.
• Found aggression was associated with a fast and heightened response by the amygdala.

Question 7

What happened when Gospic et al. gave his participants benzodiazepines before the game?

Answer 7

• Halved the number of aggressive reactions.

- Decreased amygdala activity.

Question 8

How is low levels of serotonin associated with aggression?

Answer 8

Serotonin = good self-control.

• low levels = low self-control increasing impulse behaviours = aggression (Denson et al.).

Question 9

How does Virkkunen et al. (1994) support low levels of serotonin increases aggression?

Answer 9

Found lower levels of serotonin in violent impulsive offender’s cerebrospinal fluid.

Question 10

What are the hormonal mechanisms in aggression?

Answer 10

Testosterone (higher in men) =

• associated with aggression.

Question 11

What study supports the role of testosterone in aggression?

Answer 11

Dolan et al. (2001) =

• positive correlation of aggression and testosterone in male maximum security offenders (most had psychopathy).

Question 12

What animal studies supports the link of testosterone and aggression?

Answer 12

Giammanco et al. (2005) =

• experimental increases in testosterone related to aggression.
• testosterone decrease reduces aggression (castration studies).

Question 13

What are the evaluations of the neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggression?

Answer 13

:( Limbic system explanation excludes other possibilities.

:) Support for the role of serotonin.

:) Plausible mechanism to explain testosterone’s effects.

:( Evidence of testosterone in humans is mixed.

Question 14

How does the limbic system explanation exclude other possibilities?

Answer 14

• Amygdala functions with the OFC.
• Research shows reduced OFC activity in psychiatric patients who are aggressive.
• Shows the limbic system can’t be used alone to explain aggression.

Question 15

What evidence supports the role of serotonin?

Answer 15

Berman et al. (2009) =

• P. with serotonin-enhancing drugs gave fewer electric shocks to confederate.
• Shows increase serotonin = decreased aggression.

Question 16

How does Mehta and Joseph (2006) show a plausible explanation for testosterone’s effects in aggression?

Answer 16

In a lab-based competition =

• 73% of loser with high testosterone levels rechallenged opponent.
• 22% of low testosterone losers did.

Question 17

How is evidence for the role of testosterone mixed?

Answer 17

Other hormones may be significant =

Carre and Mehta (2011) –> dual-hormone hypothesis:

• aggression from testosterone occurs only when cortisol levels are low.
• high cortisol = blocks testosterone’s influence on aggression.

Question 18

What does the genetic explanation of aggression consist of?

Answer 18

1) . Twin studies.
2) . Adoption studies.
3) . MAOA linked to low serotonin.
4) . Variants of MAOA.
5) . Domestic abusers had low-activity MAOA.
6) . Low MAOA gene linked to aggression when combined with trauma.

Question 19

What twin study shows genetic factors in aggression?

Answer 19

Coccaro et al. (1997) =

For physical aggression =

• MZ = 50%.
• DZ = 19%.

For verbal aggression =

• MZ = 28%.
• DZ = 7%.

Question 20

What adoption study shows a genetic variation in aggression?

Answer 20

Rhee and Waldman (2002) =

• meta-analysis.
• genetic influences accounted for 41% of aggression (from biological parent in adopted child).

Question 21

What is the role of the MAOA gene?

Answer 21

An enzyme =

• breaks down the neurotransmitter (serotonin), so that it can be recycled.