ETHOLOGICAL EXP OF AGGRESSION Flashcards
what 3 things must we remember for the ethological exp of aggression?
adaptive func
ritualistic agg
IRM’s and FAP’s
what is ethology?
the study of animal behaviour in natural settings
what are the two key elements of ethological approach?
aggression is an instinct and innate
ethologists extrapolating animal research to humans
what are adaptive functions of aggressions?
adaptive - beneficial to survive
to establish dominance hierarchies
how is the main function of aggression adaption in order to survive?
instead of killing each other, the loser will forfeit and establish territory elsewhere
how does species establishing territory elsewhere give a survival advantage?
discover resources, reducing competition pressure and possibility of starvation
what is research to show how species establish dominance hierarchies using aggression?
pettit et al
what did pettit et al research for adaptive functions of aggression?
play groups of children and how aggression played a key role in the development of children’s dominance
what type of benefits does dominance achieve?
power to get your own way and access to resources
define ritualistic aggression
set of behaviours carried out in a set order
what did lorenz find about ritualistic aggression?
little physical damage done in animals of same species
ritual appeasement displays in intra-species aggression
what is an example of a ritual appeasement display?
the loser will expose it’s neck to the victor, making it seem submissive and vulnerable to being bitten
how is ritual appeasement display’s adaptive?
if everyone aggressive encounter ended w/ the death of the species, it could threaten the existence of the species
what is an innate releasing mechanism?
built-in physiological process or structure e.g. network of neurons in the brain that’s activated by an environmental stimulus leading to a fixed action plan
what is a fixed action plan?
a sequence of stereotyped pre-programmed behaviours triggered by an innate releasing mechanism
