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Year 2 a level psychology > Aggression- A01 > Flashcards

Aggression- A01 Flashcards

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1
Q

neural & hormonal

Neural mechanisms

A
  • Limbic system

- Serotonin

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2
Q

neural & hormonal

Hormonal systems

A

Testosterone

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3
Q

neural & hormonal

What is the limbic system

A
  • Includes the hypothalamus, the hippocampus and the amygdala
  • These subcortical structures are associated with emotional behaviour ie. aggression
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4
Q

neural & hormonal

How is the amygalda linked to aggression?

A
  • Over-reactivity of the amygalda is linked to aggression because it plays a key role in how we interpret & respond to environmental threats
  • If certain areas of the amygalda are stimulated electrically an animal responds with aggression eg. snarling
  • If these same areas are removed the aggressive response is eliminated
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5
Q

neural & hormonal

How is the hypothalamus linked to aggression?

A
  • Flynn found that stimulation of the hypothalamus in cats increases ‘vicious attack behaviour’
  • As a toddler is taught to share (nurture) the neural pathway between the prefrontal cortex (controlling our behaviour) & the limbic system is strengthened
  • In effect we are born aggressive but we learn to control it (nature affects nurture)
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6
Q

neural & hormonal

How is the hippocampus linked to aggression?

A

-Involved in forming long term memories
This is good when
-an animal comes across another animal that has attacked it in the past (it holds a memory for this and can respond appropriately e.g with aggression)
-not good when the hippocampus isn’t functioning properly (impaired) because it causes a person to respond inappropriately with aggression because they are not able to put the stimuli into context
-Habitual violent offenders often have an impaired hippocampus

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7
Q

neural & hormonal

How is serotonin linked to aggression?

A
  • Serotonin = neurotransmitter (neural mechanism)
  • Serotonin has a calming, inhibitory effect on neural firing in the amygalda (stops neural firing/ activation)
  • When serotonin levels are low aggression is more likely
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8
Q

neural & hormonal

Give evidence for the role of Serotonin

A
  • Mann gave 35 healthy ups a serotonin reducing drug and assessed hostility levels using a questionnaire
  • Results showed that drugs increased aggression of serotonin in males but not females
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9
Q

neural & hormonal

What is the role of testosterone in aggression?

A
  • Testosterone=male sex hormone. Levels peak in young males then decline
  • It influences areas of the brain involved in aggression
  • A relationship has been found between high levels of testosterone & aggression (high levels = difficulty in controlling aggression)
  • Increasing testosterone in several species leads to greater aggression, castration results in lower aggression
  • This may explain why males are more aggressive
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10
Q

neural & hormonal

Describe the study: ‘testosterone effects on aggression in male mice’

A

Wagner et al- 1987

  • Found that if a male mouse is castrated aggression reduces. If then given testosterone (150 micrograms a day) aggression increases again
  • Aggression measured in biting attacks
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11
Q

neural & hormonal

Give evidence for the role of testosterone in humans

A

Dabbs-1987

  • Measured testosterone in Saliva of violent and non violent criminals
  • Highest levels of testosterone were found in violent criminals & lower levels in non-violent criminals
  • Similar findings in non-prison population
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12
Q

biological

Biological explanations of aggression: overview

A
  • animals can be bred to be aggressive through selective breeding
  • aggression can be inherited
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13
Q

biological

Describe the Finnish study where mice were bred for aggression

A

Finnish study

  • Bred mice for agression
  • Had 2 groups (aggressive & non-aggressive mice, as measured by their biting behaviour)
  • By the 19th generation they measured their aggression
  • Aggressive mice showed biting behaviour 52% of the time
  • Non-aggressive mice showed biting behaviour only 5% of the time
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14
Q

biological

What is concordance rate?

A

The extent to which a behaviour (e.g aggression) is shared

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15
Q

biological

Why do we compare concordance rates of MZ to DZ twins?

A

MZ=100%
DZ=50% (act as a control group)
-We assume that both pairs of twins have had the same environment (as a pair). Therefore any difference in concordance rates between MZ’s and DZ’s must be caused by genetic factors

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16
Q

biological
MZ & DZ twins
-What is the problem with the ‘shared environment’ assumption?

A

Because MZ twins look the same they may be treated as ‘one’ and therefore more similarly than DZ twins
-This of course is an environmental factor, which means conclusions you draw about genetic factors may be influenced by nurture

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17
Q

biological

Describe a study on concordance rates for criminal behaviour in twins

A

Coccaro
-Examined concordance rates for criminal behaviour (aggression) in twins
MZ= 50%
DZ=19%

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18
Q

biological

What can adoption studies tell us about aggression & why are they good?

A
  • They separate nature and nurture

- If an adoptees aggressive behaviour correlates more with it’s biological parents then a genetic influence is applied

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19
Q

biological

Studies indicating that genetic influences play a role in aggression: Hutchings & Mednick

A

Looked at 14,000 adoptions in Denmark & Finland and found:

  • a significant number of adopted boys who had criminal convictions had a biological parent (usually father) who also had criminal convictions
  • this suggests genetic factors play a role as they are not in the same environment
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20
Q

biological

Studies indicating that genetic influences play a role in aggression: Miles & Carey

A

-Carried out a meta-analysis
-24 twin & adoption studies
-Studies used either observations or parent/ pps self reports to measure aggressive behaviour
Result = strong genetic component found
-MZ av. concordance rate = 32%
-DZ av. concordance rate=14%

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21
Q

biological

What is the MAOA gene and how is linked to aggression?

A
  • a gene responsible for producing an enzyme called MAOA associated with aggression
  • MAOA regulates the metabolism of serotonin in the brain. Low levels of serotonin= aggression
22
Q

biological

Evidence for the MAOA gene

A

Brunner

  • studied a Dutch family in which males were very violent
  • he found the males had abnormally low MAOA levels & a defect on their X chromosome of this gene
23
Q

biological

What is the MAOA-L gene and how is linked to aggression?

A
  • Some people inherit the low activity version (MAOA-L) also known as the ‘warrior gene’
  • MAOA-L disrupts the metabolism of serotonin in the brain & is associated with aggression (refer to Brunner)
24
Q

biological

Evidence for the MAOA-L gene

A

Caspi
-studied 500 male children
-found MAOA variant was linked to aggression
-those with the MAOA-L variant = more likely to show anti-social behaviour
-those with the MAOA-H variant (high levels) = less likely
HOWEVER the anti social behaviour only occurred if those MAOA-L males had been maltreated as children
-suggests nurture interacts with nature (diathesis stress model)
-therefore we need to be careful when drawing casual conclusions about the role of genetics in aggression

25
Q

ethological

What do ethologists believe?

A
  • Aggression is adaptive & promotes survival
  • The potential for aggression is innate but actual aggressive behaviour is triggered by environmental stimuli known as releasers
  • Aggression has a survival value to animals to help distribute individuals within a group. This ensures efficient use of available resources e.g food, mates
26
Q

ethological

What are the two ethological explanations of aggression?

A
  1. ) Ritualistic agression (RA)

2. )Fixed action patterns (FAP)

27
Q

ethological

Compare ritualistic aggression and fixed action patterns

A
  • Both are innate & occur in response to an environmental threat (stimulus)
  • RA does not follow a FAP but is affected by how the opponent responds
  • FAP= a very specific stimuli that triggers an automatic response which goes on to completion even if the stimuli is removed
28
Q

ethological

Describe ritualistic agression

A
  • Some aggressive behaviour is ritualised in the form of threat displays. A show of strength involving a lot of signalling
  • This makes actual aggression less likely (less costly) e.g gorillas pound their chest to intimidate arrival & make their opponent back down.
  • This behaviour has been found in human tribal welfare too
29
Q

ethological

Fixed action parents

A

Tinbergen argues: all members of the same species have innate behaviours that occur in certain conditions known as FAP

  • Aggression occurs when a very specific stimulus (a sign stimulus) triggers an innate releasing mechanism (IRM)- a neural circuit
  • Sensory recognition circuits notice the sign stimulus
  • Alerts the IRM
  • It communicates with motor control circuits to release the FAP associated with that sign stimulus
30
Q

ethological

Instinctive inhibition

A

Lorenz argued that predators have instinctive inhibitions preventing them from using natural weapons e.g strong teeth against their own species
Instead he loser uses appeasement signals
-stops further aggression
-indicated acceptance of defeat e.g wolves expose their neck to the victor, deliberately making themselves vulnerable to a single bite in their jugular vein
-this is adaptive (prevents threat to survival of own species

31
Q

ethological

What are the 5 characteristics of FAP?

A

BUSSI

  1. ) Ballistic
  2. )Universal
  3. )Stereotyped
  4. )Specific triggers
  5. )Innate
32
Q

ethological

Define Ballistic

A

Once triggered cannot be stopped

33
Q

ethological

Define Universal

A

The same in all members of that species

34
Q

ethological

Define Stereotyped

A

Behaviour always occurs in the same way

35
Q

ethological

Define Specific triggers

A

Each FAP has a specific trigger (sign stimulus)

36
Q

ethological

Define Innate

A

No learning involved

37
Q

ethological

Key study into FAP & IRM: procedure

A

Tinbergen

  • Male sticklebacks are highly territorial during mating season, when they also develop a red spot on their underbelly
  • If another male enters their territory a sequence of highly stereotyped aggressive behaviour is initiated (a FAP)
  • The sign stimulus that triggers the innate releasing mechanism is the sign of the red spot
  • Tinbergen presented sticklebacks with a series of wooden models of different shapes
38
Q

ethological

Key study into FAP & IRM: findings

A

Tinbergen

  • Regardless of shape, if the model had a red spot the stickleback would attack. But if there was no red spot, there was no aggression even with a realistic model of a stickleback
  • these aggressive FAP’s were always the same (stereotyped). Once triggered the FAP always ran it’s course to completion (ballistic)
39
Q

evolutionary

Overview

A

Behaviours & characteristics that are useful & ensure survival are ‘adaptive’ & will persist to ensure reproduction. Aggression seems to have evolved to help us survive and reproduce as aggression offered a number of adaptive problem for early humans

40
Q

evolutionary

What adaptive problems did aggression cause to early humans?

A
  1. )Securing resources
  2. )Establishing status
  3. )Deterring Attack
  4. )Sexual competition
41
Q

evolutionary

Securing resources

A
  • Resource scarcity: humans forced to compete for survival
  • David Buss: ‘aggressive behaviour helps humans to protect their resources & take new resources from others e.g a forest full of game such as deer & elk
  • There is fewer deer & elk that each person can eat when there are more humans hunting in the forest. Consequently stronger groups may attack weaker groups to chase them off the land, ensuring food for themselves
42
Q

evolutionary

Establishing status

A
  • aggression= power & status over weaker members, deters attack & inc. sexual reproduction options
  • Anthropologists at the uni of Utah: aggression displays strength and secures a higher spot in the pecking order
  • Buss & Shackleford- studies of tribes in Peru: males who have won many fights gain respect & deference from the rest of the tribe
  • Modern societies (American society glorifies professional football players for their strength & power)
43
Q

evolutionary

Deterring attack

A
  • aggression deters aggression from other people e.g parents who teach children that the best way to stop a bully is to stand up to them, it may deter them from behaving aggressively in the future
  • modern societies e.g in the US where military power is used against hostile nations
44
Q

evolutionary

Sexual competition

A
  • aggression may secure reproductive opportunities
  • Shackleford & Buss: ‘early humans may have used aggression to prevent sexual infidelity in their mates
  • studies of battered women indicate that extreme jealousy is a major cause of domestic violence even today
  • Sexual competition may also explain violence against children: Shackleford & Buss note male lions often kill unrelated cubs, giving themselves more reproductive opportunities
45
Q

evolutionary

Sexual jealousy

A
  • is greater in males because it is an evolved psychological mechanism to prevent cuckoldry
  • this ensures the mate does not waste his resources raising another mans child
  • extreme sexual jealousy is linked to aggression
46
Q

evolutionary

What are the 2 mate retention strategies linked to aggression?

A
  • Direct guarding

- Negative inducement

47
Q

evolutionary

Direct guarding

A

Designed to restrict a women’s independence

e.g never leaving her side at parties

48
Q

evolutionary

Negative inducement

A

Designed to make women fearful of straying

49
Q

evolutionary

Shackleford study

A
  • Asked men to report on their use of mate retention strategies & violence & asked women to report on their partners
  • He found a positive correlation between the use of two types of mate retention strategies (direct guarding/ negative inducement) & violent scores
50
Q

evolutionary

Warfare

A

Although warfare is costly it has clear adaptive advantages:

  • the winning side gains status over another group, giving them access to their land, resources & women
  • this benefits the individual & their offspring
51
Q

evolutionary

Warfare study

A

Chagnon’s study of the Yanomami tribe in the Amazon rainforest

  • successful male warriors in traditional tribal societies tend to have more sexual partners & more children (high status)
  • this suggests they are more attractive to women
  • this aggressive & brave behaviour may also be a signal of good genes to females

Year 2 a level psychology (3 decks)

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