ethological explanations of aggression

Question 1

what are the aims of ethology

Answer 1

to understand the innate behaviour of animals including humans by studying them in their natural environment
accounting for behaviour in terms of its adaptive value to the specific species.

Question 2

what was lorenz theory on aggression

Answer 2

aggression in animals is often ritualistic which he argued is more adaptive than direct aggression as symbollic aggression ensures the animal is protected without harm. an example of ritualistic aggression is teeth bearing.

Question 3

what is the innate releasing mechanism

Answer 3

an inbuilt biological neural structure which when exposed to a stimulus will stimulate release of an automatic behavioural response

Question 4

fixed action patterns

Answer 4

the consequential aggressive behavioural sequence
eg when a cat runs the dogs instinctual need to chase them

Question 5

evaluation strengths

Answer 5

research support Tinbergen fish experiment
-male fish with red underbelly
-theorised that the red spot acted as a innate releasing mechanism
-when another male fish with red underbelly spot added the fish initiated aggressive behaviour (fixed action pattern)
-without the spot the fish didnt attack

Question 6

evaluation weakness

Answer 6

• not all fixed action patterns are fixed and would in fact be better named modal action patterns because they vary
  eg the dogs instinctual ability to chase may not be expressed in all dogs due to environmental adaptations like training

Question 7

tinbergen research

Answer 7

-male stickelbacks are highly territorial during mating season and develop a red spot on their underbelly
if another male enters thier territory they initated a fxied action pattern
the innate releasing mechanism is the red spot
tinbergen used models of sticklebacks
-round with spot
-normal with spot
-no spot
red spot= aggressive response
no spot= no response
FAPs were unchanging from one model to another