Booklet 1: Neural and Hormonal Mechanisms

Question 1

What is the limbic system?

Answer 1

A central part of the brain involved in processing emotional responses

Question 2

Which system is the Amygdala a part of?

Answer 2

The limbic system

Question 3

What happens when the amygdala is stimulated

Answer 3

It causes an aggressive response

Question 4

What happens if there is an abnormality with the amygdala (tumour, damage, atypical development)

Answer 4

Levels of testosterone can be raised making aggressive behaviour more likely

Question 5

What is the prefrontal cortex’s job?

Answer 5

To mediate the limbic system

Question 6

What happens if the prefrontal cortex is damaged, or communication between the limbic system and PFC is damaged

Answer 6

the PFC can’t inhibit (restrain) the limbic system, leading to an increase in aggression

Question 7

What is the explanation of case study: Summer (2007)

Answer 7

A 14 year old girl had sever anger management issues, so she had an MRI scan where they found a tumour in the limbic system. When the tumour was treated through drugs the patient returned to normal levels of aggression.

Question 8

What is the conclusion of case study: Summer 2007

Answer 8

That the limbic system plays a key part in the maintenance of aggression levels and without it, aggression levels would be abnormally high

Question 9

What was the explanation of case study: Kluver and Bucy

Answer 9

A link between the amygdala and aggression was established in 1930, they removed parts of the temporal lobes of rhesus monkeys, destroying the amygdala. Their behaviour changed to what is known as “Kluver and Bucy syndrome”, a loss of fear and lower levels of aggression.

Question 10

What does the Kulver and Bucy case study conclude?

Answer 10

Damage or abnormalities to the limbic system don’t always result in increased levels of aggression, rather without it we would act less aggressive.

Question 11

What is serotonin?

Answer 11

A neurotransmitter that has an inhibitory effect on the brain

Question 12

What does research suggest about low levels of serotonin? What have other researchers found to oppose this

Answer 12

That it causes higher levels of aggression, however researchers also found the opposite and suggest that higher levels of serotonin cause aggression

Question 13

What part does serotonin play in the limbic system?

Answer 13

It is the main form of communication between the PFC and the amygdala, so if serotonin levels are lower then the PFC struggles to inhibit the amygdala

Question 14

What was found in case study: Cherek (1996)

Answer 14

When men take drugs that increase serotonin levels they display low levels of aggression

Question 15

What does case study: Cherek (1996) suggest?

Answer 15

Neural Mechanisms do play a part in aggression as if higher levels of serotonin release aggression then lower levels must increase aggression

Question 16

What was found in case study: Delgado?

Answer 16

That when the hypothalamus of monkeys was stimulated with electric currents, monkeys became more aggressive and attacked other monkeys

Question 17

What does case study Delgato show?

Answer 17

There is evidence to support the role of the neural mechanisms in aggression

Question 18

What does case study Lenard (2008) show

Answer 18

That there is further evidence to support the role of the neural mechanisms in aggression

Question 19

What happened in case study: Lenard (2008)

Answer 19

Research was done on monkeys to find a link between serotonin and aggression. 49 monkeys living on an island were tested and those with the lowest levels of serotonin were more likely to be injured or die young. In contrast, monkeys with higher levels of serotonin were more affectionate and groomed more monkeys.

Question 20

What could be a problem with using animal studies to investigate human aggression?

Answer 20

There’s issues with generalising because animals are different to humans as humans live in much more modern developed societies than primal monkeys

Question 21

Explain why research into neural explanations could be accused of being deterministic

Answer 21

It ignores the concept of free will by assuming that monkeys act aggressive regardless of personality but only due to serotonin levels

Question 22

Why could it being deterministic be considered a strength?

Answer 22

Because it can be used to establish cause and effect relationships so that theory can be more scientific and develop practical applications to explain aggression.

Question 23

Why could determinism be an issue in this area of study?

Answer 23

It could be seen as socially sensitive as it may end up with criminals being absolved of their crimes if they are seen as less responsibly as their actions are not due to their free will or choice. Potentially offending victims of crimes.

Question 24

What is reductionism and why could it be a strength in this area of study

Answer 24

Reductionism is the process of trying to reduce something complex to their most simple possible explanations, this could be a strength because it can be used to establish a clear cause and effect relationship between a simple concept such as neural changes and aggressive behaviour.

Question 25

Why could reductionism be seen as a weakness in this area of study?

Answer 25

It may be best to look at aggression from a holistic point of view and take into account more psychological and broader factors such as social and cultural explanations.

Question 26

What is testosterone?

Answer 26

The male sex hormone and is thought to influence aggression from young adulthood onwards due to its action on brain areas involved in aggression

Question 27

What does testosterone do to serotonin?

Answer 27

Testosterone acts on serotonin synapses to reduce serotonin transmission, linking the neural and hormonal explanations together

Question 28

What did Case study: Dolan (2001) find?

Answer 28

A positive correlation between testosterone levels and aggressive behaviours in a sample of 60 male offenders in UK security hospitals

Question 29

What happened in case study: Dabbs (1995)

Answer 29

The testosterone levels from the saliva of 692 adult male prisoners was measured and was found that there was much higher levels of testosterone in violent offenders and rapist than in non-violent offenders such as thieves.

Question 30

What does Beeman (1947) prove?

Answer 30

There is further evidence from animal studies to support the role of the hormonal mechanisms in aggression

Question 31

What was found in case study: Beeman (1947)

Answer 31

That castrated male mice had reduced aggression and when injected with testosterone later they re-established their aggression