Aggression - Ethological & Evolutionary

Question 1

Within Lorenz’s Ethological Explanation what are the three main factors?

Answer 1

• Aggression is an instinct
• Innate releasing mechanisms and fixed action patterns
• Ritualised Aggression

Question 2

Give the three main points under innate releasing mechanisms and fixed action patterns

Answer 2

• Aggression is an innate tendency that is triggered by an environmental stimulus
• These stimuli trigger an innate releasing mechanism or fixed action pattern
• A fixed action pattern is an instinctive behaviour which is identical across all species

Question 3

What are the two main points that come under ritualised aggression?

Answer 3

• Aggression is used to assert power and maintain status.
• It is suggested that social animals in flicks little pain on other members of their own species due to ritualised aggression

Question 4

What is the case today in regards to Lorenz’s Ethological Explanation and what did they do?

Answer 4

• Tinbergen
• Observed fixed action patterns in red bellied sticklebacks during breeding season when their stomachs turned bright red
• He found the colour red triggered a fixed action pattern due to the stimulus being an innate releasing mechanism

Question 5

Give three evaluative points regarding Lorenz’s Ethological Explanation

Answer 5

• Some suggest that fixed action patterns are the most common within animals with limited cognitive ability and high instinctive behaviour
• Is an incomplete explanation as it does not account for all causes
• Tinbergen suggests humans are the only animal that does not have ritualised aggression so cannot be generalised

Question 6

What are the two main factors that are involved in the Evolutionary Explanation?

Answer 6

• Adaptive and innate

- Jealousy and infidelity

Question 7

Explain some of the functions that adaptive and innate factors have?

Answer 7

• To gain status or dominance in a group
• Gain resources from others
• In defence

Question 8

What is the main study in regards to the evolutionary explanation and what happened?

Answer 8

• Shackelford et al (2007)
• Examined mail retention strategies in 19 married couples and men reported higher use of resources display while women reported greater use of the appearance enhancement

Question 9

Give three evaluative points in regards to the evolutionary explanation?

Answer 9

• Is reductionist as aggression is explained through the evolutionary adaptions
• Gender bias as it emphasises that male differences may be better explained culturally so is therefore androcentric
• Is over simplified as aggression is narrowed down from a complex behaviour to a simple theory