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Psychology - PSYA3 > Aggression - Biological Explanations > Flashcards

Aggression - Biological Explanations Flashcards

0
Q

Neural and hormonal explanations of aggression?

A

Brain structure - amygdala and pre frontal cortex
Neurotransmitters - dopamine and serotonin
Hormonal mechanisms - testosterone and cortisol

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1
Q

Biological explanations of aggression?

A

Neural and hormonal mechanisms

Genetic factors

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2
Q

Neurotransmitters in aggression?

A

Dopamine and serotonin

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3
Q

Hormonal mechanisms in aggression?

A

Testosterone and cortisol

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4
Q

How does damage to brain structure influence aggression?

A

Destroyed pre-frontal cortex = unregulated amygdala = aggression

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5
Q

Research on amygdala?

A

Narabyashi et al

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6
Q

Narabyashi et al?

A

43/51 patients with a destroyed amygdala showed reduced aggression

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7
Q

Case study on brain structure?

A

Phineas gage

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8
Q

Research on pre frontal cortex?

A

Anderson et al

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9
Q

Anderson et al?

A

Damage to the pre frontal cortex in infancy = aggression

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10
Q

Role of serotonin in aggression?

A

Low = aggression

Inhibits responses to emotional stimuli, so low levels are associated with impulsivity, aggression etc.

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11
Q

Research on serotonin?

A

Mann et al

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12
Q

Mann et al?

A

Gave 35 subjects dexflenfluaramine (lowers serotonin) and saw increased hostility and aggression scores in males

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13
Q

Role of dopamine in aggression?

A

High = aggression

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14
Q

Research on dopamine?

A

Lavine

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15
Q

Lavine?

A

Amphetamines (increase dopamine) increased aggressive behaviour

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16
Q

Strengths of neurotransmitters?

A

Supporting research

Effective treatments

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17
Q

Supportive research for neurotransmitters?

A

Scerbo and Raine

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18
Q

Weaknesses of neurotransmitters?

A

Is dopamine a cause or effect?

Animal studies

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19
Q

Scerbo and Raine? (Serotonin)

A

Meta-analysis of 29 studies found low serotonin levels in individuals described as aggressive

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20
Q

Research on cause/effect with dopamine?

A

Scerbo and Raine

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21
Q

Scerbo and Raine? (Dopamine)

A

Found no significant rise or fall in dopamine in individuals described as aggressive

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22
Q

Couppis and Kennedy?

A

Reward pathway in mice that uses dopamine as a positive reinforcer in aggressive events

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23
Q

Example of animal studies on neurotransmitters?

A

Raleigh et al

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24
Raleigh et al?
Put vervet monkeys on a diet of tryptophan (raises serotonin) and found decreased aggression
25
Effective treatments due to neurotransmitters?
Bond
26
Bond?
Antidepressant drugs elevate serotonin levels to reduce irritability and impulsive aggression
27
Role of testosterone in aggression?
High testosterone = aggression
28
What is testosterone?
Male sex hormone which acts on brain areas associated with aggression from young adulthood onwards
29
Research on testosterone?
Dabbs et al
30
Dabbs et al?
Saliva of 692 male prisoners, high levels of testosterone in violent offenders
31
Research on testosterone in animals?
Beeman
32
Beeman?
Castrated male mice and found reduced aggression
33
Role of cortisol in aggression?
Low cortisol = aggression
34
What does cortisol do?
Mediates other hormones such as testosterone and increases anxiety and social withdrawal
35
Research on the challenge hypothesis?
Wingfield et al
36
Wingfield et al?
Testosterone rises in response to challenges
37
Strengths of hormonal mechanisms?
Real life applications | Supporting evidence
38
Weaknesses of hormonal mechanisms?
Gender bias | Aggression or dominance?
39
Real life applications of hormonal mechanisms?
Klinesmith et al
40
Klinesmith et al?
Can explain why presence of guns = increased aggression - males interacting with a gun for 15 minutes showed sig greater salivary testosterone and aggression than with a toy
41
Gender bias in hormonal mechanisms?
Archer et al
42
Archer et al?
Association between testosterone and aggression is higher for female than male samples
43
Research on dominance v aggression?
Mazur
44
Mazur?
Individuals act aggressively when intending to inflict injury, but dominantly when they want to achieve money or status
45
Support for hormonal mechanisms?
Mcburnett et al
46
Mcburnett et al?
Boys with consistently low cortisol levels began antisocial acts younger and exhibited 3x number of aggressive symptoms
47
Genetic factors in aggression?
Twin and adoption studies Genetics and violent crime MAOA
48
Twin study on aggression?
Coccaro et al
49
Coccaro et al?
50% of variance in direct aggression due to genes
50
Adoption study on aggression?
Hutchins and mednick
51
Hutchings and mednick?
Looked at 14000 adoptions and found criminal convictions in those who had biological parents who'd had them
52
What is MAOA?
The 'warrior gene' that produces proteins involved in aggression and regulates the metabolism of serotonin
53
Influence of MAOA on aggression?
Low MAOA = low serotonin = aggression
54
Research on MAOA?
Brunner et al
55
Brunner et al?
Violent and aggressive Dutch family had abnormally low MAOA
56
View on influence of genetics on violent crime?
There's no gene, just inherited characteristics that place them at risk
57
Research on genetics and violent crime?
Brennan and mednick
58
Brennan and mednick?
Genetic influence is only significant in property crime, not violent
59
Strengths of genetic factors?
Research support
60
Weaknesses of genetic factors?
Individual differences Gene-environment interaction Inconclusive
61
Support for genetic influences?
Miles and Carey
62
Miles and Carey?
Meta-analysis of 24 twin and adoption studies found genetic influence could account for up to 50% of variance in aggressive anti social behaviour
63
Individual differences in genetic influences?
Rhee and Waldman
64
Rhee and waldman?
Meta-analysis of 51 twin and adoption studies found several variables moderated influence, eg the older you get the less influence rearing environment has and the more genes have
65
Gene environment interaction research?
Caspi et al
66
Caspi et al?
Those with low levels of MAOA were significantly more likely to exhibit anti social behaviour but only if they'd been maltreated as children
67
Research on genetic factors being inconclusive?
Walters
68
Walters?
Only found low to moderate correlation between heredity and crime, with better designed and more recent studies providing even less support

Psychology - PSYA3 (13 decks)

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