AGGRESSION - genetic factors in aggressive behaviour

Question 1

what is trying to determine genetic factors in aggression essentially a q in?

Answer 1

nature v nurture

Question 2

what is the nature part?

Answer 2

genetic inheritance

Question 3

what is the nurture part?

Answer 3

environmental influence

Question 4

what have the researchers employed?

Answer 4

variety of methodological techniques

Question 5

what are the type of methodological techniques?

Answer 5

twin studies, adoption studies, studies of individual genes and studies of violent populations

Question 6

what is included in twin studies?

Answer 6

mz and dz twins

Question 7

what are monozygotic and dizygotic twins? and how much do they share?

Answer 7

mz= identical share same genes and dz= non identical which share only 50 %

Question 8

what do researchers compare with twins?

Answer 8

compare degree of similarity for a particular trait e.g aggression btw sets of mz to similarity btw sets of dz twin

Question 9

what happens if mz twins more alike in terms of their aggressive behaviour?

Answer 9

should be due to genes than evironment both types of twins share same environment but mz more genetically alike

Question 10

what have most twin studies focused on?

Answer 10

criminal behaviour using adult twins

Question 11

what did studies find when assessing adult twins?

Answer 11

found that nearly 50% of the variance in direct aggressive behaviour could be attributed to genetic factors

Question 12

what was the study called that assessed adult studies?

Answer 12

coccaro et al

Question 13

what are adoption studies and what can they help with?

Answer 13

help untangle relative contributions to environment and heredity in aggression

Question 14

what happens if positive correlation found btw aggresive b in adopted children and aggressive b in biological parents?

Answer 14

genetic effect implied

Question 15

when will environmental be implied for adoptive children?

Answer 15

if positive correlation btw children and adoptive family

Question 16

what study did over 14,000 adoptions?

Answer 16

denmark

Question 17

what was found in denmark study?

Answer 17

significant number of adopted boys with criminal convictions had biological parents (particularly fathers)with criminal convictions e.g genetic effect

Question 18

who investigated denmark study?

Answer 18

hutchings and mednick

Question 19

what are the two types of gene for aggression?

Answer 19

the role of MAOA

gene environment- interaction

Question 20

what is the role of MAOA?

Answer 20

gene possible for producing a protein called maoa has been associated with aggressive b

Question 21

what does maoa regulate?

Answer 21

regulates metabolism of serotonin in brain and low levels of serotonin associated with impulsive aggresive b

Question 22

what happened in 1980s (maoa)

Answer 22

study of dutch family found that many of male members behaved in a violent and aggressive manner and large proportion had been involved in serious crimes of violence e.g rape and arson- found to have abnormally low levels of maoa and defect in gene later identified

Question 23

who thought of 1980s study?

Answer 23

brunner et al

Question 24

what was the study for gene environment interaction?

Answer 24

caspi et al

Question 25

what was done in caspi et al?

Answer 25

linking aggressive with maoa-500 male children. researchers discovered variant gene associated with high levels of maoa and variant associated with low levels

Question 26

what happened to those with low levels with maoa?

Answer 26

more likely to grow up with antisocial b but only if maltreated as children . those with high and maltreated did not display antisocial

Question 27

what does caspi et al study show?

Answer 27

it is interaction btw genes and environment that determines behaviour such as aggression

Question 28

what about genetics and violent crime?

Answer 28

researchers d not suggest that there is gene for violence and that it is down to inherited temperamental or personality characteristics place some individ more at risk of committing crime

Question 29

what did adoption studies show with genetics and violence?

Answer 29

highest rates of criminal violence in adopted children occur when both biological and adoptive parents have history of violent crime

Question 30

what was found in brennan?

Answer 30

adopted male compared with criminal history of both biological and adopted fathers found that genetic influences were significant in cases of property and crime but not in cases of violent crime

Question 31

what are the bullet point problems of genetic factors for aggression?

Answer 31

1. more than one gene usually contributes to given b
2. as well as genetic factors could be non factors
3. these influences may interact with eachother e.g caspi et al

Question 32

what are the aids of this?

Answer 32

reductionist
determinstics
methodological probs
ethical concerns

Question 33

why is it reductionist?

Answer 33

theories which propse genes alone as repsonsible for aggression r as they do not take account of cog/ cultural factors etc and only genetic which people have little control over

Question 34

why is it deterministic?

Answer 34

assuming genes control ppl and they have little ability of free will yet people to have that ability of free will and making own decisions and those which aggresive genes not always found to be aggressive

Question 35

why is it methodological problems?

Answer 35

much research into genes and aggression based on correlation data -cannot see cause and effect as many unknown variables may exist

Question 36

why is it ethical concerns?

Answer 36

raise ethical concerns as if such genes are identified this may lead to stigmatision of ppl or even chemical castration of individiuals o even push people towards genetic engineering