ethological explanation✅

Question 1

• what is ethology?

- what did Lorenz say?

Answer 1

• the study of animal behaviour in natural settings

- defined aggression as the fighting instinct directed against members of the same species

Question 2

adaptive functions of aggression:

• why is agg. adaptive?
• what animals use this function?
• what did Pettit et all study?

Answer 2

• for survival and it establishes dominance
• male chimpanzees use aggression. too climb top the social hierarchy and gain status (same w humans)
• observed how agg. played a role in the development of some children’s dominance over others

Question 3

ritualistic aggression:
- what is a ritual?

• what did Lorenz study and find?
• what did these fights consists of?

Answer 3

• a series of behaviour carried out in a set order
• fights between same slices animals and found there was little physical damage
• ritualistic signals eg showing teeth rather the physical damage

Question 4

ritualistic aggression:
- what did Lorenz find about intra- species?

• why is this adaptive?

Answer 4

• most confrontations ended with appeasement displays eg showing neck to victim so they have a chance to fight back
• this is adaptive because if every fight needed in death then many species will become extinct

Question 5

innate releasing mechanisms (IRMs)

• what are IRMs?
• what triggers it and what does it release?
• what is this sequence of behaviour known as?

Answer 5

• inbuilt physiological process
• environmental stimulus can trigger it to release specific sequences of behaviour
• a fixed action pattern

Question 6

fixed action patterns (FAPs)

• who stated the 6 main functions off FAPs?
• what are the 6 functions?

Answer 6

• Lea

1- unchanged behav.
2- same behav. in all species
3- unaffected by learning
4- behav. only occurs in specific situations
5- “ballistic” - once behav. is triggered its inevitable
6- response to a specific stimulus - communication between species

Question 7

Tinbergen’s research into IRMs + FAPs:

• what animal did he use to study and what?
• what happened if there was a red spot on the stickleback?

what does this suggest?

Answer 7

• sticklebacks and wooden models of different shapes
• male sticklebacks will automatically attack sticks with red pained bottoms sine there a similar to real life ones. they wouldn’t attack realistic ones if they weren’t painted red
• innate realising mechanisms are on cue

Question 8

AO3
✅strength?

❌weaknesses?

Answer 8

✅supporting research released to genetics and evolution

❌ both lorenz and Tinbergen made generalisations about aggressive behave in humans

❌ hunt says FAPs are greatly influenced but environmental factors and learning experiences.