Aggression

Question 1

what did coccaro et al find out in regards to twin studies

Answer 1

in adult twin pairs nearly 50% of the variance in direct aggressive behaviour could be attributed to genetic factors

Question 2

what did miles and carey find in regards to genetic factors

Answer 2

meta analysis of 24 self report twin and adoption studies based on aggressive tendencies
there was a strong genetic influence that could account for as much as 50% of variance in aggression

strongest genetic influence found among older individuals

Question 3

what is MAOA

Answer 3

a gene that produces protein that regulates the metabolism of serotonin

low levels of MAOA link to more violent and aggressive crimes

Question 4

what do low levels of serotonin cause

Answer 4

impulsive and aggressive behaviour

Question 5

what is the evidence for a genetic effect of aggression

Answer 5

14,000 studies of adoption in denmark found that a significant amount of adopted boys with criminal convictions had biological parents (mainly fathers) with criminal convictions

Question 6

what did rhee and waldman find in regards to genetic influence on aggression

Answer 6

meta analysis of 51 twin and adoption studies concluded aggression and anti social behaviour is largely a product of genetics

Question 7

what did caspi et al find in regards to the MAOA gene (AO3)

Answer 7

500 male children
children with low levels of MAOA were significantly more likely to grow up and exhibit anti social behaviour but only if they had been mal treated

maltreated children with high levels of MAOA didn’t display such behaviour
(diathesis stress model)

Question 8

where are low levels of MAOA more likely to be found

Answer 8

in populations with a history of warfare eg tribes

Question 9

what is desensitisation

Answer 9

media violence can lead to aggressive behaviour by removing the anxiety around violence
(the more televised violence a child watches the more acceptable aggressive behaviour becomes to them)

Question 10

what is an indication of desensitisation

Answer 10

reduction is psychological arousal (heart rate and skin conductance) when individuals are exposed to real violence after being repeatedly exposed to media violence

Question 11

what are characteristics of desensitised individuals

Answer 11

less likely to notice violence irl

feel less sympathy for victims of violence

less negative attitudes towards violence

Question 12

what is disinhibition

Answer 12

exposure to violent media legitimises the use of violence irl because it undermines the punishments that usually cause inhibition of such behaviour

Question 13

what are the immediate effects of observing violence on tv or a computer game

Answer 13

psychological arousal which leads to greater probability of behaving aggressively
inhibitions are suppressed by the drive to act

Question 14

what are the effects of observing media violence in the long term

Answer 14

gives the message that violence is a part of everyday life as it is justified or left unpunished on tv

viewers guilt/ concern about consequences is also reduced so child feels less inhibited about being aggressive

Question 15

how can gender differences influence aggression (AO3)

Answer 15

most studies are carried out on men (gender bias) beta

MAOA gene is most likely linked to X chromosome when men inherit 1 X from their mother they are more likely to be affected whereas women are generally unaffected and therefore prevents expression (alpha bias)

Question 16

why is it difficult to establish a genetic link with aggression (AO3)

Answer 16

• more than one gene usually contributes to a given behaviour
• there are also non genetic influences that cause aggression
• may be a gene- environment interaction

Question 17

what are methodological issues with genetic factors in aggression (AO3)

Answer 17

studies have relied on self report or parental reports of aggressive behaviour (can be unethical to directly test it)
observations can show less genetic contributions
difficult to do it reliable

Question 18

evidence for testosterone causing aggression

Answer 18

men are more aggressive than women and have much higher testosterone concentrations than women

testosterone conc is at its highest age 21-35 and this is when male on male aggression is highest

dabbs et al measured salivary testosterone and those with highest levels had done primarily violent crimes

Question 19

how can social environment influence aggression (carre and olmstead)

Answer 19

testosterone concentrations fluctuate in the context of changes to social environment
changes in testosterone levels increase amygdala reactivity during the processing of social threat eg angry facial expressions

Question 20

what is the role of serotonin in aggression

Answer 20

inhibits the firing of the amygdala which controls fear and anger
low levels of serotonin cause impulsive behaviour, aggression and violent suicide

Question 21

outline Dabbs et al research into testosterone’s levels

Answer 21

measured testosterone levels in the saliva of 89 male inmates. those with higher testosterone concentration were more likely to be convicted of violent crimes

Question 22

what is the limbic system

Answer 22

network of subcortical structures in the brain (hypoyhalamus and amygdala) thought to be linked to regulating emotional behaviour such as aggression

Question 23

7 parts of the limbic system

Answer 23

cingulate gyrus
fornix
hypothalamus
hippocampus
amygdala
parts of thalamus
septal area

Question 24

what is the amygdala

Answer 24

determines how humans and animals behave in response to environmental threats and challenges (the reactivity of the amygdala is an important predictor of aggression)

Question 25

outline the procedure of gospic et al’s ultimatum game

Answer 25

proposer offers to split money in a certain way with the responder whilst being connected to an fMRI scanning machine
if they accept the offer they get a share of the money each and if they reject the offer they both get nothignn

Question 26

what were the results of gospic et al’s ultimatum game

Answer 26

when responders rejected unfair offers there was a heightened response from the amygdala.
if benzodiazepine was taken beforehand it decreases activity of the amygdala and halved the number of rejections (reduced aggression)

Question 27

what is the role of the orbitofrontal cortex

Answer 27

amygdala operates in tandem with the OFC (not part of the limbic system)
involved in self control, impulse regulation and inhibition of aggressive behaviour

Question 28

what brain structures does the regulation of aggression involve

Answer 28

amygdala
orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)
connection between the 2

Question 29

outline Van Goozen et al’s study into aggression in transsexual participants

Answer 29

35 female to male and 15 male to female transsexuals completed questionnaires to assess proneness to aggression. completed the questionnaire before and after receiving hormone treatment (androgens or anti androgens)

female to male- increase in aggression
male to female- decrease

p’s may have been conforming to stereotypes of new gender role but controlling levels experimentally means cause and effect can be established

Question 30

what is ethology

Answer 30

the study of naturally occurring animal behaviour (can include human behaviour)
Ethologists usually look at a particular behaviour across species

Question 31

what was lorenz’s theory of aggression

Answer 31

based on animal behaviour but applied to humans too. he defined it as a fighting instinct directed at members of your own species
an innate tendency triggered by environmental stimuli

Question 32

how had the idea of the ethological explanation of aggression been observed in red bellies sticklebacks

Answer 32

male sticklebacks develop bright red bellies during breeding season. this stimulates an innate releasing mechanism in other males which triggers specific fighting behaviour

Question 33

what is the purpose of ritual behaviours

Answer 33

stop confrontations from being fatal eg wolves end a fight by the loser exposing his jugular vein so the winner could kill the rival but the winner doesn’t take any further action.
sport is an example of harmless ritualised aggression release in humans and is important for reducing aggression in society

Question 34

what is an innate releasing mechanism

Answer 34

proposed innate pathway in the brain that triggers specific fighting behaviour (the fixed action pattern)

Question 35

what is a fixed action pattern

Answer 35

an instinctive behaviour which is identical across a species

Question 36

describe the steps of aggression after being triggered by environmental stimuli as described by the ethological explanation

Answer 36

1) urge to engage in aggressive behaviour builds up over time and the internal pressure to be aggressive builds up
2) stimulus triggers aggression
3) if the internal pressure is very high then the strength of the stimulus doesn’t need to be as high
4) stimulus triggers an innate releasing mechanism which sets off a fixed action pattern

Question 37

what are adaptive functions which aggression may have served in the past

Answer 37

1) gain status or dominance in a group
2) gain resources from others
3) defence
4) defer infidelity in long term mates

Question 38

why are there differences in aggression between men and women from an evolutionary perspective

Answer 38

in the past young men faced the most competition for mates and the main limit was access to fertile mates
women were mainly limited by access to resources so these different pressure have led to different psychological responses

Question 39

Outline Buss et al’s study into sex differences in jealousy

Answer 39

(cross cultural questionnaire) P’s were presented with the hypothetical scenario that someone they were in a relationship with became interested in someone else. Asked if they would be more distressed by their partner forming an emotional attachment or having sex

Men reported sexual infidelity to be more upsetting (51% men vs 22% women)

Men’s jealousy is triggered by the threat of uncertainty over the paternity of children produced but women are more threatened by emotional involvement as it could mean being left for another woman (less resources)

Question 40

evaluate Buss et al’s study into sex differences in jealousy

Answer 40

evidence was consistent across different cultures so suggests the responses are innate rather than learned
hypothetical situation and multiple choice means the validity is questionable