Aggression: Ethological explanations Flashcards
Ethology
the study of animal behaviour
aims to study adaptive (survival) value of certain actions
Theories can be used to explain human behaviours
FAP
Fixed action pattern
Fixed action pattern
An innate response to a specific stimulus
Similar to a reflex, but more complicated
Occur in same way every time (stereotyped)
Tinbergen (1951)
suggested animals have FAP’s
Male sticklebacks
Have red underbelly - acts as sign stimulus
When another male enters territory, produced fixed series of aggressive actions bc of sight of red underbelly on rival
Stickleback’s red underbelly is a….
sign stimulus
Sign stimulus
the specific thing that sparks off the FAP
IRM
Innate releasing mechanisms
Innate releasing mechanisms
neural network that, when stimulated by presence of sign stimulus, activates FAP associated with that sign stimulus,
Hydraulic model
certain amount of ‘action specific energy’ which allows you to carry out FAP
Repeating action too much = become tired, FAP stops occurring
What happens if action is over-repeated?
Become tired and FAP stops occurring
Characteristics of FAP’s
Stereotyped universal independent of individual experience Ballistic Specific triggers
Stereotyped
behaviour always happens in the same way
Universal
behaviour same for all members of same species
Independent of individual experience
no learning involved, behaviour always same
Ballistic
Once FAP starts, FPA cant be stopped
Specific triggers
each FAP has a specific sign stimulus trigger
Research into FAP’s
Tinbergen (1951)
order which leads to a FAP
Sign stimulus - IRM - FAP
A03: Ritualistic aggression has benefits
aggression that follows certain patterns in the form of threat displays
aggressors try to scare component
an adaptive advantage, prevents conflicts from escalating to potential dangerous physical aggression
Threat display example
Silverback gorillas use threat displays such as hooting and chest pounding to intimidate opponents in an attempt to make them back down
Chagnon et al
studied Yanomamo people of South America who used chest pounding and club fighting as substitutes for more extreme violence
Threat displays
intended to make an opponent back down.
how strong they are in comparison to competition.
last step before engaging in physical fighting or submits and leaves.
Wolves and doves
general term for diff types of animals
Lorenz
Wolves
natural weapons e..g claws, talons
Doves
no natural weapons e.g. doves, frogs, humans
conspecifics
all members of the same species
Difference between wolves and doves
Wolves: programmed to not kill each other during a fight
If conspecifics fight each other, they will kill each other.
Doves: don’t have risk of killing each other
Wolves must therefore have
adapted by being programmed to not kill each other during a fight.
wolf exposes neck to opponent to surrender
Instinctive inhibition prevents dominant animal form continuing the fight
Doves therefore
have no powerful natural weapons
no need to develop instinctive inhibitions about killing other people
Dovers - humans
science and technology taken over ethology
natural weapons turned into literal weapons
more destructive weapons and nothing instinctive to say don’t use them against conspecifics
