Ethological Explanation

Question 1

Ethology

Answer 1

Studying animals in their natural habitat. Aggression is adaptive as it increases chance of survival of a species

Question 2

Ritualistic aggression

Answer 2

A series of signals (eg. Snarling, displaying claws), allowing a dominance hierarchy to be established

Question 3

Appeasement

Answer 3

Indication of acceptance of defeat following intra-species aggressive confrontation, inhibiting further aggression and preventing actual injury. The looser tends to seek new territory, spreading individuals out and reducing competition

Question 4

IRM

Answer 4

Hard-wired brain networks that respond to a specific stimulus, triggering a FAP

Question 5

FAP

Answer 5

A set sequence of behaviours triggered. These are stereotyped, universal within species, ballistic and specific

Question 6

Strengths of the ethological explanation

Answer 6

• Research supporting dominance hierarchies (eg. Pettit observed young children use aggressive interactions to assert authority)
• Research supporting IRMs (eg. Tinbergen found male sticklebacks attack models with red underbelly regardless of shape)

Question 7

Limitations of the ethological explanation

Answer 7

• Not just ritualistic (eg. Goodall observed aggressive slaughtering of other group despite signals of appeasement in chimp 4 year war)
• Ignores environment (eg. Hunt suggests FAPs are greatly influenced by environmental factors and learning with duration varying between individuals)