Biological Individual Differences and Developmental Differences

Question 1

Individual Differences in aggression (Brain)

Answer 1

• The brain
• Different parts of the brain are responsible for different tasks
• People’s differences in aggression may be due to the differences in brain activation
• Raine found differences in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala between violent murders and non murders

Question 2

Phineas Gage

Answer 2

• While working on a railroad bed a tamping iron shot skyward and penetrated Gage’s left cheek and ripped into his brain and exited through his skull
• His behaviours were changed, one of his behavioural changes was that he was impatient and restrained advice
• Damasio measured Gage’s damage and the damaged involved both left and right prefrontal cortices which caused a defect in rational decision making and the processing of emotion

Question 3

Individual Differences in aggression (Freud’s idea)

Answer 3

• People’s motivation are driven by their drives of Eros and Thanatos which are then manifested in the unconscious id

Question 4

Individual Differences in aggression (ID, Ego, Superego)

Answer 4

• ID: Innate drives from Eros and Thanatos
• Ego: Develops through life experiences in controlling self
• Superego: Develops through socialisation with others

Question 5

Individual Differences in aggression (Freud’s ideas explanation)

Answer 5

• The way the Ego and Superego develop though childhood experiences affect how they process the id’s and aggressive drive
• An underdeveloped ego may be unable to control the id’s urges or redirect them through catharsis, leading to a person being driven more by their id and become more aggressive
• An overdeveloped superego can lead to an overly moralistic and judgemental personality or a personality that constantly sees themselves as a failure and unable to live up to their own standards, which can lead to justify aggressive towards other or themselves

Question 6

Developmental Differences in aggression: Hormones

Answer 6

• Exposure to testosterone seems to increase aggression
• So if someone is exposed to this during development they should be more aggressive
• This is seen from the castrated rats experiment

Question 7

Developmental Differences in aggression: Evolution

Answer 7

• Evolution theory suggests that shoe most suited for survival will survive, survival of the fittest and that these individuals are more likely to have reproductive success and therefore pass on these advantageous genes

Question 8

Developmental Differences in aggression: Evolution Explanation

Answer 8

• Those with the most desirable characteristics are more likely to survive and pass on their genes
• This is known as survival of the fittests
• Aggression is a useful trait in survival and would ensure the best resources, status and mates to pass on these genes to offspring
• Aggression can be see in today’s society in order to assert social dominance and prevent infidelity in couples