aggression paper 3 Flashcards
what are the two main features of the limbic system
amygdala and hippocampus
what is the role of the amygdala
the amygdala assesses the response to environmental threats
what is the role of the hippocampus in the limbic system
it controls the memory of aggressive behaviour
what levels of serotonin leads to aggressive behaviour
low levels
what does serotonin do in terms of aggression
slows down neural activity
what hormone causes aggression
testosterone
what is cortisol
a stress hormone
what levels of cortisol leads to aggressive behaviour
high levels of cortisol
what was dolan’s research
he found a positive correlation between testosterone levels and aggressive behaviour of UK males in security hospitals
evaluation of neural explanation of aggression
- LIMITATION: each psychologist has a different definition of aggression so therefore we cannot test for aggression properly
- STRENGTH: gospic et al - “golden balls game” unfair response leads to aggressive behaviour
evaluation of hormonal explanation of aggression
- STRENGTH: Mehta et al measured testosterone before and after a loss in a game. After a loss, those with higher testosterone levels wanted a re-match in the game (73%)
- LIMITATION: socially sensitive research - telling men it’s not okay to be aggressive or unaggressive is sensitive
what is the name of the gene that causes aggression
MAOA gene
who does the MAOA gene effect
males
why does the MAOA gene not affect females
affects X chromosome, females have XX and so they cancel each other out
what neurotransmitter does MAOA affect
serotonin and dopamine
what hormone does the MAOA gene affect
testosterone
what level of the MAOA gene affects aggression levels
low levels
how does the MAOA gene work
the enzyme mops up the neurotransmitters
what is the warrior gene
when the MAOA gene has low levels of activity
evaluation of the genetic factors of aggression
- STRENGTH: brunner family - males aggressive in the family, females not - all males had MAOA gene
- (counter) LIMITATION: idiogrpahic research - cannot generalise the results of the Brunner family
- LIMITATION: deterministic view - legal system believes in free will so MAOA cannot be accepted as a mitigating factor
- LIMITATION: socially sensitive research - MAOA gene is passed from parents and so to blame them for aggression levels can result in families no longer wanting to take part in experiments
what does ethological mean
the study of animal aggression
what is innate aggression
we are only aggressive for a purpose
what is dominance and status
having more resources and and less competition
what is ritualistic aggression
where animals signal to one another to loom aggressive but avoids being physically aggressive