Aggression AO1+3 Flashcards
Neural and Hormonal mechanisms in aggro
The Limbic System:
Set of structures deep within the brain
Includes: Hypothalamus, amygdala
Amygdala is involved in how we assess threats and how we respond
- fMRI scans have shown, damage or under activity in pre-frontal cortex leads to a lack of control over limbic
Leads to sudden outbursts of aggro - Serotonin:
Has a calming effect on the brain
So, if there are low levels… there is poor self control
Low levels can explain why people flip out and lose control (impulsive) - Hormonal:
Males are more aggressive than females
Testosterone is responsible for development of masculine features and so is linked to aggression - fluctuating testosterone have been linked to aggression in humans and animals
AO3: - Neural
+ - role of amygdala
Gospic - lab based game that provoked aggression — aggressive reactions were associated with responses by the amygdala
+ - Serotonin
Ps were given a placebo or Parotoxetin (enhances serotonin activity), they found those given the drug gave more intense shocks than those who got a placebo (Berman)
AO3: - Hormonal
+ - Giammanco showed that experimental increases in testrone are related to aggression
Genetic factors in aggro (MAOA GENE)
1) Twin Studies - compared aggro levels in MZ and DZ , higher concordance has been shown in 50% MZ and 19% DZ with those charged with physical assault - (Caccaro)
2) Adoption Studies - Ritter et al compared aggressive behaviours to Bio Parents and Adoptive Parents.
Aggressive behaviour is more similar to the Bio Parent
3) MAOA gene
MAOA is an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters such as serotonin.
An under active MAOA gene (Warrior) means there are higher levels of neurotransmitters in the brain
- MAOA-L has been associated with aggro behaviour (shows inheritance)
AO3:
+ - Godar - KO MAOA activity in mice
They show higher levels of aggro
+ - Dutch Family, 28 members who had history of violent behaviour
All Men in Fam had the MAOA-L
HOWEVER
x - Frazzetto found an association between aggro and MAOA-L in those who had experienced significant Trauma
— this suggests genes alone can’t explain aggro
The Ethological explanation for aggro
1) adaptive functions of aggro
Aggression is an adaptive response which Is beneficial for survival
- it establishes social hierarchies within a group of animals
2) Ritualistic Aggression
Aggression can be shown in set orders:
E.G: signs of Aggression such as showing teeth, growling
(Wolves expose neck when defeated)
3) Innate Releasing Mechanisms and Fixed Action Patterns
- IRMs are built in physiological processes which are triggered by the environment .
Once triggered FAPs are carried out
- FAPs are sequences of behaviour which must be carried out — They are:
Ballistic - Inevitable
Response - to a threat
Universal - all species of this animal do it
Stereotypical - Unchanging
Hasn’t - been learnt, they just do it
AO3:
+ - Tinbergen - male sticklebacks would attack a model if they had a red spot - regardless of its shape
Shows process of IRMs and FAPs
x - “fixed” has been critiqued
Hunt argued Lorenzo underestimated the role of the environment
He suggests learning and experiences interacts with innate factors to produce variations of behaviour
x - can’t be generalised to humans
Evolutionary explanations of human aggression
Aggression is adaptive. Can be used for:
- defending resources
- eliminating make rivals for females
Sexual Competition:
Males compete with other males for females to pass on their genes — one way of eliminating this problem would be by aggression
Sexual Jealousy
Aggression can occur due to jealousy, which arises from Paternal Uncertainty.
Men can never be entirely certain that they are the fathers of their children (Cuckoldry)
Wilson identified several male retention strategies:
Direct Guarding - Watching over a partner to ensure they dong cheat
Negative Inducements - Threatening partner if they act in a way they don’t want them to
AO3:
+ - Shackelford investigated Intimate Partner Violence in 107 married couples
- Men completed Mate Retention Inventory (looked for DG and NI)
- Women completed “Spouse Influence Report” (rated violence in relationship)
Found a strong positive correlation between male retention and reports of aggressive behaviour 
+ - Crime data shows male sexual jealousy is the most common motivation for murder (accounting for 17% in UK)
Social Psychological explanation for human aggression
(Frustration-Aggression Hypotheses)
(Puzzle + Gun table)
1) Frustration-Aggression Hypotheses
Based on Psychodynamic beliefs, Dollard based aggression on the role of a Catharsis
Aggression occurs in an outburst when they feel their actions are being blocked
2) Indirect Expression
Often a person can’t express their true feelings of anger, due to a commitment
Therefore, Displacement occurs (anger is took out on someone or something else
3) Environmental Cues
Berkowitz - frustration doesn’t make us aggressive but environmental cues can prompt aggression.
A heightened emotional states means we are more likely to act on impulse
AO3:
+ - Green gave Ps a puzzle to solve that was either:
C1 - Impossible To Solve
C2 - Confederate kept interfering
C3 - Confederate kept insulting them
During the second phase of the experiment — Ps were given a chance to shock the confederate when they made a mistake on a task. What they found:
C1 - Least electric shocks
C3 - most electric shocks
+ - Berkowitz found a weapon present on a table influenced the amount of times Ps shocked a confederate when frustrated
Social Psychological explanation of human aggression
( Social Learning Theory + Deindividuation )
1) Direct and Indirect learning
Direct learning of aggression happens by Operant Conditioning
E.g: child grabs a toy from another child and receives no punishment
Therefore aggression is normalised
Indirect (Vicariously) - Observing unpunished aggression can give motivation to imitate.
2) Cognitive Control
Bandura argued Mediational Processes lead to aggression
Attention - they focus of aggro
Retention - they remember aggro beh
Reproduction - they reproduce what they had seen
Motivation - they see no punishment
3) Self-Efficacy - a person is confident their behaviour will lead to a particular goal
— if a child regularly uses aggression to get what they want
— each time they get what they want, their self efficacy grows meaning they believe aggression will solve all problems
AO3:
+ Bandura Bobo Doll study
+ PAs - lead to watershed
Deindividuation
1)Factors leading to Deindividuation
This is the idea that people lose a sense of personal responsibility
If a person feels anonymous, they feel less responsible and are more likely to go alone with group behaviour
2) Self-Awareness
Rogers explained the link between aggression and Deindividuation.
Private Self-Awareness: we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings when alone
- In a group, we are more aware of the crowd than yourself and so reduces this
Public Self-Awareness: how much we care about others opinions of our behav
- This is reduced in a group as we feel we are less identifiable.
AO3:
+ - Zimbardo Stanford Prison
(People lose sense of identity)
+ - PAs - McGarty looked at online chat rooms and found aggression is more likely to be shown when a person feels anonymous
Institutional Aggression in the context of prisons
(Dispositional and Situational)
Dispositional
The Importation Model — there are certain factors that criminals “import” into prisons
Higher aggression levels in those who have suffered addiction. These characteristics are the reason why they were sent to prison in the first place so they bring them with them to prison
AO3:
+ - DeLisi studied 813 Juvenile Offenders
Those who had negative Dispositional features (abuse, trauma) were the most likely to show aggression
Situational
The Deprivation Model - the number of deprivations in prison which correlate with aggression (Freedom, Independence, Material Goods, Safety and Intimacy)
Anomie is adopted when a person’s possession is taken away, this turns into aggression
AO3:
+ - PAs - Wilson set up two units in HMP Woodhill. They were less claustrophobic, had window views and controlled temperature
He found assaults eradicated on prison staff and Inmates due to this change 
Media influences on aggression
(Effect of computer games)
1) Experimental Studies
Students either played a violent game( mortal combat) or a passive game (PGA golf tour) for 10 mins
Then they carried out a task which measured aggression
Findings: those who played the violent game showed higher levels of aggression
2) Correlational Studies
DeLisi interviewed 227 juvenile offenders
The offenders behaviour significantly correlated to how often they played violent video games (A RISK FACTOR IN AGGRESSION)
3) Meta-Analysis
Mugge - meta-analysed 98 studies and found violent games was linked to an increase in aggression
Whereas prosocial games linked to an increase in prosocial behaviour
AO3:
+ - Uses Lab experiments which are highly controlled (High Internal Validity)
x - don’t show real life aggression
Only measured on scales devised by researcher
x - don’t establish cause and effect
The Role of Desensitisation, Disinhibition and Cognitive Priming
Desensitisation - The more often someone is exposed to aggression, the less sensitively the nervous system reacts to it
This can suggest that exposure to violent media can cause less emotional response to aggression in real life
AO3:
+ - Ps who regularly saw violent media, showed less arousal when shown violent clips — Lower arousal was correlated with unprovoked aggression (noise blast)
Disinhibition - if a child watches violent media resulting in rewards rather than punishment, they become desensitised
AO3:
+ - PAs, Heath found children who grew up in households against violence were unlikely to experience disinhibition
Whereas those subjected to violence had a stronger disinhibition effect
Suggests we can intervene with parenting style
Cognitive Priming - Those who develop violent schemas, based on high exposure to violent media, are more likely (PRIMED) to show aggression in a stressful situation
AO3:
+ - Bushman found that when Ps watched 15 mins segment of a violent film, they reacted faster to aggressive words than those who watched a non-violent film
x - ignores biology - MAOA-L gene
