Brain Structure Explanation Of Aggression Flashcards
What is the difference between social and physical aggression?
Social- actions to damage relationships (bullying).
Physical- actions which cause physics harm (fighting)
What is the limbic system?
-Complex set of structures in the brain which if faced with confrontation may lead to an anger response to the perceived threat.
What is the role of the midbrain and how does it link to aggression?
-Co-ordinated the flight or flight response (usually fight) which is the aggressive response.
-Links all parts of limbic system together.
What is the role of the pre-frontal cortex and how does it link to aggression?
-Regulates behaviour.
-If damaged can make a person more impulsive so more aggressive.
What is the role of the amygdala and how does it link to aggression?
-Emotional centre of a brain for emotional control.
-Damaged means more aggressive.
-No amygdala means less aggressive.
What is the role of the hypothalamus and how does it link to aggression?
-Homeostasis including testosterone.
-Higher levels of testosterone mean more aggressive.
How does Rain support the theory?
-Showed NGRI murders had higher activity in right amygdala and lower in pre-frontal cortex.
-Less able to control behaviour and emotions so more aggresive.
How does Kluver-Bucy Syndrome support the theory?
-Taming effect found in monkeys by removing part of temporal lobe and destroying the amygdala.
-Shows need amygdala to be aggressive.
How does Phineas Gage support the theory?
-Streel rod went through pre-frontal lobe and he became more impulsive and short tempered.
-Shows damaged pre-frontal cortex cause impulsivity and therefore aggression.
How does Charles Whitman support the theroy?
-Stabbed mother and wife to death. Shot and killed 14 people and injured 31 and dies by police shooting. Left suicide note to look at brain. A tumour was pressing on his amygdala.
-So was less able to control emotions and so more aggressive.
How is the theory reductionist?
-Split into 4 parts which cause aggression.
-Doesn’t look at how parts of the brain interact.
How is the theory deterministic?
-Oversimplified as doesn’t look at other factors (parents, drugs).
-Suggests if you have a certain brain structure you are more likely to be aggressive.
Why is the theory empirical?
-Can be proved by brain scans.
-Can observe activity and structure so theory is more valid.
Why should animal experiments not be used to explain human brain structure and aggression?
-Do not have same brain structure so cannot be generalised to human behaviour as their parts of the brain are different.
