Aggression - Ethological Explanations Flashcards
Briefly explain the ethological explanation
The ethological explanation stresses the adaptive value of aggression. This explanation states that all members of the same species have a set of stereotypical behaviours (aggressive behaviours) which occur in specific conditions and which do not require learning, they are innate.
Define innate releasing mechanisms.
It’s a built in physiological process or structure, ie a network of neurons’ in the brain that is triggered by a specific stimulus called a sign stimulus.
Define fixed action patterns
It’s a pattern of stereotypical behaviour by a species in response to the innate releasing mechanism which we know was caused by the sign stimulus.
What are the 5 characteristics of a fixed action pattern
- Stereotypical
- Universal
- Independent of individual experiences
- Ballistic
- Specific triggers
Key Study by Tinbergen
Sticklebacks innate releasing mechanism is the red spot of there chest. Tinbergen presented sticklebacks with a series of wooden models of different shapes. They found that regardless of shape, if the model had a red spot the stickleback would aggressively display and even attack it. But if there was no red spot there was no aggression, even if the model looked realistically like a stickleback.
What is ritualistic aggression?
That is when sometimes a species doesn’t actually want to kill the member of the same species they just want to kill them, they have this aggression to stop them from killing each other, e.g. the Yanomamo people.
Evaluation - Research support for MAOA gene (ritualistic aggression)
Brunner et al found that low activity variant of the MAOA gene is closely associated with aggressive behaviour in humans, suggesting an innate basis for aggression. Activity in the limbic system has been shown to trigger aggressive behaviour in humans and other animals, as the ethological explanation argues that aggression is genetically determined and heritable, it’s validity is supported by evidence that demonstrates the genetic and physiological basis for aggression.
Evaluation - Benefits of ritualised aggression.
Chagnon (1992) lived with the Yanomamo people of South America where chest pounding and club fighting contests can settle a conflict short of more extreme violence.
Evaluation - Fixed action patterns aren’t that fixed.
Hunt (1973) points out that the sequence of behaviours that appear to be fixed and unchanging are in fact greatly influenced by environmental factors and learning experiences. So fixed action patterns are more flexible. Many ethologists now prefer the term model action pattern.
