aggression: neurotransmitters

Question 1

what is serotonin thought to do

Answer 1

• regulate mood and cognition
• ihibit our response ot emotional stimuli
• in normal levels, it inhibits aggression by preventing the stimulation of the amygdala

Question 2

what will low serotonin levels lead to?

Answer 2

• increased aggression due to the reduced inhibition of the amygdala.
• therefore more reactive when stimulated by external events, causing aggression.

Question 3

supporting research for serotonin

Answer 3

• Mann (1990)
• he gave a drug to ppts (dexfenfluramine) which reduces levels of serotonin
• gave ppts a questionnaire to test their level of hostility before and after taking it
• Found that the aggression levels were raised in males but not females.
• supports the theory that serotonin inhibits the stimulation of the amygdala and so reduced serotonin leads to uninhibited emotional responses.

Question 4

supporting evidence for serotonin
P

Answer 4

• Popova found that among dogs that are selectively bred to be docile, they have high levels of serotonin. this shows there is a link between levels of serotonin and aggression.

Question 5

what is dopamine thought to do

Answer 5

• linked to producing pleasure when the reward pathway is activated
• makes individual feel pleasure and euphoric

Question 6

what is dopamines link to aggression

Answer 6

increased dopamine = increased aggression

Question 7

what is one explanation for the link between dopamine and aggression?

Answer 7

• dopamine reward pathway
• levels of serotonin decrease when the reward pathway is activated.
• this is why the person becomes excited
• could also explain why the likelihood of aggression is increased.

Question 8

supporting evidence for dopamine affecting levels of aggression

Answer 8

• Lavine 1997
• Used amphetamines to increase dopamine and found that aggression levels also rose too.
• this suggests that higher levels of dopamine correlate with higher levels of aggression.

Question 9

evaluate supporting research for serotonin (PEECA)
M

Answer 9

a strength of this is that manns research has high reliability. mann followed a standardised procedure- eg the same questions on the questionnaire which they were given. therefore, the study can easily to test for consistency, increasing the reliability of results. however, the study took place in the artificial conditions of measuring hostility with a questionnaire, and so the environment would no reflect that of real life and their answers could have elements of social desirability for men to appear more masculine.

Question 10

applications for this theory

Answer 10

• positive applications for society
• suggests that abnormal functioning of neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin caused increased levels of aggression
• therefore drug treatments such as chlorpromazine which works by blcoking the receptors which absorb dopamine in the synapses.
• this will inhibit dopamine to reduce risk of offending and so reduce risk to society.

Question 11

criticism of the theory

Answer 11

• the theory is deterministic
• it states that abnormal levels of neurotransmitters causes our behvaiour without any influence from the environment
• humn behaviour such as aggression is much more complex than that with both environmental and biological factors combining