aggression Flashcards
What are self efficacy expectancies (in relation to aggression)?
Our confidence in our ability to, for example, be aggressive
How do self efficacy expectancies affect aggression?
Children who have not been very good at aggressive behaviour in the past will develop low self efficacy expectancy- so will try to resolve conflict in other ways
SLT of aggression attention?
Children learn aggressive behaviour through identification with role models. Children observe the behaviour and the outcome of that behaviour and retain this expectancy of that behaviour’s outcome
SLT of aggression retention?
After noticing behaviour, child stores mental representations of observed aggressive behaviour for later use (as well as expectancies of future outcomes)
SLT of aggression reproduction and motivation?
Child may imitate aggressive behaviour depending on self efficacy expectancy and consequences observed. If high SE and/or behaviour is vicariously rewarded more likely to reproduce behaviour
AO3 SLT: methodological issues?
Studies e.g. Bandura’s study used an unrealistic task, demand characteristics. The study findings tell little about real aggression- espescially towards real people
AO3 SLT: Real world support for SLT predictions?
Huesman: longitudinal study of large group of children. Found correlation between viewing violent TV and later adult aggression. More identification with same-sex violent model, higher the likelihood of later aggression.
Suggests long-term impact of SLT on aggressive behaviour in real life.
AO3 SLT: explanation of cultural differences in aggression?
e.g. aggression is rare in !Kung San tribe (Kalahari desert) children. Parents don’t use physical punishment and aggression is avoided and devalued by the society. So showing that role models can decrease/affect violent behaviour.
AO3 SLT: real life applications?
If aggression is learnt it can be modified. ACT against violence (USA) educates parents about dangers of providing aggressive role models. Weymouth and Howe found parents decreased physical punishment after programme. So, SLT principles can be applied to campaigns to reduce aggression
Overall evaluation of SLT in aggression?
SLT focuses on nurture, but for a full understanding we need to consider how nature and nurture interact. SLT is still only a partial explanation of aggression.
What is deindividuation?
the loss of one’s sense of personal identity- we use it to refer to a form of aggression that occurs in a group
What is the difference between individuated and deindividuated behaviour?
Individuated behaviour (rational conforms to social norms) De-individuated behaviour (which does not)
What factors contribute to deindividuation?
anonymity and altered consciousness
What is deindividuation theory?
Zimbardo- when people lose their personal identity and inhibitions about violence when they join crowds or large groups
Why does being in a large group affect aggression?
Provides a ‘cloak of anonymity’ makes the individual feel less accountable for their actions- (can explain football hooliganism, genocide and mob violence)
What psychological consequences does being anonymous and unidentifiable in a crowd have for aggression?
Reduces inner restraints, increases behaviours that are usually inhibited i.e. aggression because they go against social norms
Reduces fear of being judged negatively by others
Leads to less guilt
What was Zimbardo’s research illustrating de-individuation?
Migram like experiment. Teacher’s either: individuated- name tags and normal clothing OR de-individuated no name, big lab coats and hoods. The latter gave more shocks
Concluded that anonymity increases aggression
What are the neural mechanisms involved in aggression?
Limbic system and serotonin
What is the hormonal mechanism involved in aggression?
Testosterone
What does the limbic system consist of?
Hyothalamus, hippocampus and amygdala
What structures in the limbic system are associated with aggression?
The sub-cortical structures are associated with emotional behaviour including aggression
How is the amygdala linked to aggression?
Over-reactivity of amygdala linked to agg. as it is vital in interpreting/responding to environmental threats.
If certain parts of amygdala are stimulated an animal responds with snarling- and is same areas are removed aggression response is eliminated
What is the interaction between nature and nurture in controlling aggression? nurture affecting nature
As we develop we learn to control aggression, as children are taught to share + not be violent the neural connection between Prefrontal cortex (control of behaviour) & limbic system is strengthened
What did Flynn find in relation to the hypothalamus and aggression?
That stimulating the hypothlamus in cats increases ‘viscous attack’ behaviour.
Other animal trials also show role of amydala +hypothalamus
human case studies of brain damage etc also show their role
What is the hippocampus involved in and how is this evolutionary affective?
involved in formation of LTM-
e.g. when an animal comes across an animal that has previously attacked them - it will hold this memory + respond appropriately
How can the hypothalamus become a hindrance in aggression control?
When it’s impaired it can cause inappropriate aggression response as they cannot put the stimuli they come across into the correct context.
e.g. many habitual offenders have been found to have an impaired hippocampus
How can serotonin affect aggression?
Serotonin has a calming, inhibitory effect on neural mechanisms. When serotonin levels are low aggression is more likely.
What is one piece of evidence for the role of serotonin in humans?
Mann: gave 35 healthy pps a serotonin reducing drug and assessed hostility levels using a questionnaire.
Results showed that the drug increased aggression scores in males but not females.
What is the role of testosterone in aggression?
Testosterone: male sex hormone. Levels peak in young males, then decline.
Influences brain areas involved in aggression
High levels = difficulty controlling aggression
Increased testosterone in several species leads to greater aggression; castration results in lower aggression.
May explain why males more aggressive
What animal evidence is there to support role of aggression?
Wagenaar et al: found if male mouse is castrated aggression reduces. If then given testosterone, aggression increases again.
What human evidence is there to support role of testosterone in aggression?
Dabbs: measured testosterone in saliva of violent & non-violent criminals.
Highest levels of testosterone found in violent criminals & lowest levels in non-violent criminals
What are the strengths of the role of neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggression? (AO3)
Amygdala’s role backed by research, role of hippocampus supported by MRIs of hippocampal asymmetry, some support for serotonin deficiency hypothesis, understanding role of serotonin has led to treatment, role of testosterone supported by many studies
What are the limitations of the role of neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggression? (AO3)
Role of testosterone challenged by some studies failing to show rship between it and aggr. in humans
Issue of cause and effect- most supporting data is correlational
What support is there for the amygdala’s role in aggression? (AO3)
Pardini: longitudinal study, 56 male pps, varying history of violence. MRI scans showed those with lower amygdala volume showed higher levels of aggression + violence.
Suggests amygdala plays key role in evaluating emotional importance of sensory info
What support is there for the role of the hippocampus in aggression? (AO3)
Raine: compared hippocampus of violent criminals using MRI scans. Some caught + convicted as they had acted impulsively. Others not as they had acted more cold/calculatingly.
Found hippocampus in the right + left hemispheres different size in convicted violent criminals but not in unconvicted violent criminals.
How could hippocampal asymmetry lead to violence?
Imbalance (or asymmetry) may have impaired the ability of hippocampus and amygdala to work together, resulting in incorrect processing of emotional info. This could lead to inappropriate responses
What support is there for the serotonin deficiency hypothesis as an explanation for aggression? (AO3)
Reduced serotonin levels in monkeys & dogs associated with increased aggr. (Raleig / Rosada)
Further supported by human studies. Mann: gave 35 healthy pps serotonin reducing drug. Found drug increased aggression in men but not women
How has understanding of the role of serotonin been useful in developing treatment? (AO3)
Antidepressant medication (which raises serotonin levels) does decrease irritability & impulsive aggression.
How is the role of testosterone in aggression supported by many studies? (AO3)
Wagner: found aggr. (biting attacks) reduced when male mice castrated. Then increased again if mice injected with testosterone.
Whilst animal study findings may not generalise to humans, similar results found.
Dabbs: measured testosterone in saliva in violent and non-violent criminals. Highest levels testosterone found violent criminals & lowest non-violent criminals
How has the role of testosterone been challenged by by studies failing to find relation between it and human aggression? (AO3)
Some research shown no correlation between testosterone + actual violence in male prison inmates.
Mazur: suggests testosterone may promote status-seeking behaviour: aggression is just one type. E.g. others may use wealth to achieve a high status.
How is cause and effect an issue for the neural and hormonal explanation of aggression? (AO3)
Most evidence correlational.
Can experimentally manipulate variables in animals (e.g. castrate mice or remove areas of the amygdala) but not ethical in humans.
Correlations only demonstrate relationship between two variables. A third factor could cause relationship.
What did he “finnish study” research inrelation to genetic factors of aggression?
bred mice for aggr., took aggr. mice (measured by biting behaviour) and non-aggr. + bred them.
By 19th generation measured biting again.
Aggr. showed biting behaviour 52% time and non-aggr. just 5%. Suggesting aggr. can be inherited.
What did Coccaro’s study show about genetic influence of aggression?
Examined concordance rate for criminal behaviour (aggr.) in twins: MZ: 50% DZ: 19%
However… MZs look the same so may be more likely to be treated as ‘one’ - higher concordance could be due to nurture
What did Hutchings and Mednick’s study into genetic influence on aggression show?
Studied 14, 000 adoptions in Denmark. Found significant numbers of adopted boys with criminal convictions had bio parent (usually father) also with criminal convictions.
What did Miles and Crey find in their research into the genetic influence on aggression?
Meta-analysis: 24 twin + adoption studies. Studies either used observation or parent/pp self-reports to measure aggr. behaviour. Found strong genetic component: MZ - 32% average, DZ- 14%
What gene is sometimes associated with aggression?
MAOA gene
What is the function of the MAOA gene?
Produces enzyme- monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) associated with aggr. MAOA regulates metabolism of serotinin in the brain. Low levels of serotonin= aggressive
What is Brunner’s evidence for MAOA gene influence on aggression?
Studied Dutch family in which males very violent. Found males had abnormally low MAOA and a defect on their X chromosome of this gene
What is MAOA-L?
Some ppl inherit MAOA-L - low activity version of the gene, disrupts serotonin metabolism in the brain and associated with aggression
What did Caspi’s study on the MAOA gene find?
Studied 500 male children, found MAOA variant linked to aggr. Those with MAOA-L more likely to show antisocial behaviour. MAOA-H (high)- the opposite.
But antisocial behaviour only occired in MAOA-L males maltreated as children. Nurture-nature interaction
How is the involvement of MAOA gene in serious violent behaviour supported by research? (AO3)
Tuhoren: Found prisoners with MAOA-L gene in conjunction with another gene were most violent, whereas no-violent prisoners didn’t have that gene combination. Implicates MAOA-L gene influence in aggr. behaviour
How may the MAOA gene explain gender differences in aggression? (AO3)
MAOA mutation linked to X chromosome. As women have 2 X chromosomes, they are less likely to be affected by X chromosome mutations as second X chromosome may be dominant
What is an issue with the study of MAOA gene linked to violent criminals? (AO3)
Most studies into MAOA focused on this group. Represents a very small sample of population- so sample may be biased and is certainly limited. Care needs to be taken drawing conclusions about role of genetic factors as sample may not be representative of total violent population.
