Aggression

Question 1

Genetic factors in aggression - Twin studies

Answer 1

Monozygotic twins share all their genes, dizygotic twins share 50% of their genes, researchers compare this for a particular trait(aggression), Coccaro, 1997, found 50% of direct aggressive behaviour is down to nature-unhelpful

Question 2

Genetic factors in aggression - adoption studies

Answer 2

Adoption studies can help us understand whether something is down to nature or nurture. A study of over 14,000 adoptions in Denmark found a significant number of adopted boys with criminal convictions had biological parents with convictions(hutchings and Mednick, 1975)

Question 3

Genetic factors in aggression - Genetic factor research

Answer 3

Miles and Carey (1977) carried out a a study 24 twin and adoption studies that demonstrate the genetic basis of aggression, genetic differences can account for 50% of aggression. Family environment is also important(nature)

Question 4

Genetic factors in aggression - MAOA

Answer 4

Although no individual gene for aggression has been identified, an enzyme for monoamine oxidase A(MAOA)(sometimes known as warrior gene) has been associated in aggression, it regulates the metabolism of serotonin

Question 5

Key Study - Caspi(2002)

Answer 5

Linked MAOA to aggressive behaviour in 500 male children, MAOA-L if they were mistreated led to aggression, no other pairs led to aggression

Question 6

MAOA - history

Answer 6

MAOA-L was much more prominent in populations with recent history of warfare as the gene will have been passed down and people without the gene will have died

Question 7

Genetic factors in aggression - evaluation

Answer 7

How do you assess aggression? - self reports unhelpful, evidence for influence of MAOA genes - Caspi although lacks ethical, lacks validity as only prisoners, difficulty in knowing how much nurture is involved

Question 8

Neural factors of aggression - Limbic systems

Answer 8

Limbic system is an area of the brain what helps to coordinate behaviours that satisfy motivational and emotional urges, such as aggression. There are two key features the amygdala and hippocampus

Question 9

Neural factors of aggression - Amygdala

Answer 9

Part of the limbic system, responsible for evaluating the emotional importance of sensory information and acting on it. Kluver and Bucy(1937) showed how if the amygdala is removed then monkeys lost their aggression and their place within the group

Question 10

Neural factors of aggression - Hippocampus

Answer 10

Part of the limbic system, Involved with the formation of long term memory, allows to compare current threat with past experience, impaired hippocampus leads to lack of rational decisions, Boccardi(2010) showed that violent offenders exhibited abnormalities

Question 11

Neural factors of aggression - Serotonin

Answer 11

A normal level of serotonin is an inhibitory effect on the firing in the brain, inhibiting firing of the amygdala, low levels of serotonin mean it will take less to cause an aggressive reaction.

Question 12

Hormonal factors of aggression - Testosterone

Answer 12

Testosterone produces male characteristics like aggression, peaks at young males then decline, Sapolksy(1998) showed research evidence that removing source of testosterone results in lower levels of aggression, returning testosterone led to increase again