Brain Explanation Of Aggression Flashcards
What is physical aggression?
Actions which cause physical harm (eg: fighting).
What is social aggression?
Actions to damage relationships (eg: bullying).
What is the limbic system?
-Complex set of structures in the brain.
-Has a role of self-preservation (fight or flight).
-Responds to threat.
What is the role of the midbrain and how does it impact aggression?
- links all parts of the limbic system together and co-ordinates the fight response.
-The fight response is the most aggressive response.
What is the role of the prefrontal cortex and how does it effect aggression?
-Regulates behaviour and governs social behaviour.
-If damaged or underdeveloped a person will become more impulsive and aggressive.
What is the role of the amygdala and how does it effect aggression?
-Responsible for emotional control and respond to the environment.
-if damages you have less emotional control and therefore more aggressive.
-If fully removed in animals a person can become more passive and less aggressive.
What is the role of the hypothalamus and how does it effect aggression?
-Responsible for homeostasis and production of testosterone.
-High levels of testosterone link to higher levels of aggression.
What was the results of Raine’s study and how does it support the theory?
-NGRI murders has higher activity in the right amygdala and lower activity in pre-frontal cortex than non-murderers.
-Less able to control behaviours so become more impulsive and aggressive.
What was the Phineas Cage case study and how does it support the theory?
-A steek rod went through his pre-frontal lobe and became more short tempered and impulsive.
-Less control of behaviour so more aggressive.
What is the Charles Whitman case study and how doe sit effect aggression?
-Stabbed his mother and wife to death, killed 14 people and injured 31 and then was killed in a police shooting. Left note saying to look at his brain and found a tumour on the amygdala.
-Was less able to control emotions so more aggressive.
Why might the theory be reductionist?
-Split into 4 parts, not looked at as a whole.
-doesn’t look at how brain parts interact.
-Oversimplified as ignores individual factors.
Why might the theory be deterministic?
-Suggests if you have a certain structure you are more aggressive.
-But will not be true for everyone as it ignores individual differences.
-Can justify bad behaviour.
How is the explanation scientific?
-Can be proved by brain scans which is empirical evidence.
-Can observe activity and structure so is a valid explanation of aggression.
