Attack and Escape Behaviours Flashcards
What makes males more aggressive and violent than women?
Higher levels of testosterone
What is serotonin turnover?
the balance between making and using up serotonin in your brain
What behaviour does low serotonin turnover result in?
increased aggressive behaviour in males
What happens if serotonin turnover is high or low? (2)
High - the brain is making and using serotonin a lot
Low - the brain isn’t making or using up serotonin as much
What is low serotonin activity observed in? (3)
Violent behaviour and crime
Violent suicides
Depression
What are the hormones involved in the Triple Imbalance Hypothesis?
Low cortisol levels
Low 5-HT (serotonin)
High testosterone
What does reduced serotonin and enhanced dopamine & norepinephrine result in? (3)
Cortical lesion (trauma or tumor)
Decreased cortical volume
Orbitofrontal cortex processing inefficiency
What does reduced GABA and enhanced glutamate & acetylcholine result in? (3)
Hyperactivity
Reduced amygdala volume
Emotional hypersensitivity
What is the amygdala’s role in aggressive behaviour?
when stimulated can trigger aggressive reactions
its dysfunction is associated with an increase in aggression
What are examples of humans’ psychological capacity for free will? (4)
Imagining a range of alternatives
Perceiving moral features of our actions
Making decisions that align with values
Controlling behaviour against competing impulses
What is free will?
Being authors of our actions and deserving credit/blame for them
Define fear
A response to one’s perception of immediate danger
Define anxiety (biological & psychological definitions) (2)
An increase in the startle reflex, followed by a sense of dread/apprehension/uneasiness
Excessive, exaggerated worry about everyday life events with no obvious reasons for worry
What are the clinical symptoms of anxiety? (4)
Excessive, ongoing worry
Unrealistic view of problems
Decreased self efficacy
Concentration and memory impairment
What is concentration and memory impairment caused by?
Prolonged effect of cortisol on the hippocampus
What are some physical symptoms of anxiety? (6)
Muscle tension
Sweating
Gastrointestinal problems
Fatigue or insomnia
Trembling
Nausea
What is preparedness?
A concept developed to explain why certain associations are learned more readily than others
Give an example to explain how the startle (moro) reflex works (4)
- Loud noise occurs
- Auditory information goes to the cochlear nucleus in the brain medulla
- The medulla stimulates the pons
- The pons commands tensing of muscles
How can the startle reflex be enhanced? (2)
If the person is already tense
In conditioned or learned fears
Which organ is responsible for enhancing the startle reflex? How?
Amygdala
Axons extend from the amygdala to the nucleus in the pons - relaying information from pain/vision/ hearing circuits
Explain the double pathway leading to the amygdala (6)
1st pathway:
Leads directly from a frightening sensory stimulus, to the amygdala
Quick
Activates the ANS
2nd pathway:
Travels to the higher cortex first, before reaching the amygdala
Slow
Can override 1st pathway and lead to conscious feelings of fear/no fear
Explain the pathways to the amygdala in ANIMALS
Different pathways, each responsible for different aspects of fear
What are some different aspects of fear in ANIMALS? (4)
Fear of pain
Fear of predators
Fear of aggression from others
Avoidance of unsafe places
Compare the animal model of fear to generalized anxiety in humans (6)
Animals: decreased salivation, stomach ulcers, increased startle, urination & defecation, grooming
Humans: dry mouth, upset stomach, jumpiness, frequent urination, diarrhoea, fidgeting
What are the short term and long term (3) effects of avoidance of anxiety?
Short term - provides relief
Long term - increases physical symptoms for anxiety, loss of confidence about coping, increased use of safety behaviours - hence contributing to anxiety
What are the 3 distinct phases of avoidance?
- Fear conditioning (pairing of neutral stimulus with aversive stimulus)
- Avoidance learning (avoiding the aversive stimulus by responding to conditioned cue)
- Extinction (learning the conditioned cue doesn’t predict aversive stimulus - hence fear response diminishes)
What does the dorsal striatum include? (2)
Caudate nucleus
Putamen
What does the ventral striatum include?
Nucleus accumbens
Olfactory tubercle
What are the roles of the dorsal and ventral striatum? (2)
Dorsal - habit formation
Ventral - reward center
How is the cycle of anxiety reversed? (4)
- Confronting feared situation without safety behaviours
- Short term increase in anxiety, followed by a decrease in physical symptoms
- Use of coping skills - reduces anxiety
- Greater belief in ability to control own responses
What are the effects of a damaged amygdala in humans? (4)
Impaired processing of emotional stimuli
Impaired ability to judge
Focus on irrelevant emotional stimuli
Impaired ability of recognizing emotions in faces/pictures
What is Urbach-Wiethe disease?
Amygdala wastes away so no fear response is produced and traumatic events don’t leave bad memories
What is Kluver-Bucy syndrome?
Loss of ability to recognize the emotional importance of events
What was the result of removing temporal lobes of monkeys? (4)
No fear
Appetite for improper foods (e.g., rocks)
Sought intercourse with unusual partners
Placid when approached
What are possible biological causes for anxiety? (3)
Enhanced amygdala response to fear
Impairment of ventromedial PFC - hence increase in release of CCK - excitatory neuromodulator
GABA deficiency - inhibitory neurotransmitter
What is the medical treatment for anxiety?
Benzodiazepines (benzos)
SSRI’s
What are the effects of benzodiazepines? (4)
Suppress influences that increase the startle reflex
Induce a state of relaxation
Drowsiness
Memory impairments
Give examples of benzodiazepines (5)
Valium (diazepam)
Xanax
Klonopin
Librium
Lorazepam
How do benzodiazepines work? (2)
Agnostic effect - benzos bind to GABA receptors and facilitate the binding of GABA to the receptors - especially in the amygdala
Allow more chloride ions to enter the postsynaptic neuron
How do SSRI’s work?
SSRI’s block reuptake channels on the presynaptic neurons - so more serotonin is available at the synapse to enter the postsynaptic neuron
Distinguish between an agnostic and antagonistic effect of drugs
Agnostic - bind to target receptor and produce a response (intrinsic efficacy)
Antagonistic - bind to target receptor but do not produce a response (no intrinsic efficacy)
Where are the dorsal striatum and ventral striatum located?
Basal ganglia
What are the 3 types of aggression?
Good aggression
Bad aggression
Ugly aggression
What is good aggression?
fighting to counter a threat - often morally justifiable
Distinguish between bad and ugly aggression? (4)
Bad: rob/hurt/kill to obtain status or material goods - instrumental aggression
Ugly: intrinsic enjoyment of violence - appetitive aggression
