Explanations Of Aggression Flashcards
How many different explanations of aggression are there?
4
What are the different explanations of aggression
Brain structure
Evolution
Freud (psychodynamic)
Hormones
What are the different brain structures identified in this explanation
Pre-frontal cortex
Limbic system:
Hippocampus
Amygdala
Hypothalamus
What is localisation
The idea that different parts of the brain are responsible for different functions
What is neuroplasticity
The idea that when part of the brain is damaged, another part of the brain is able to perform the role that that original part is no longer able to do
What is one of the role of the pre frontal cortex and why could dysfunction here result in aggression
One of the pre frontal cortex roles is to choose the correct social behaviour to show in a certain situation
If dysfunction it could result in the wrong social behaviour being displayed and that incorrect behaviour could be aggression
What is the role of the hippocampus and why may damage here result in aggression
Involved in memory
If damaged could result in someone feeling trapped in the present and so individuals may be unable to see the long term outcome of their actions
What is the role of the amygdala and how can damage here result in aggression
The centre for emotions such as fear,
It’s role is to combine external stimuli with internal knowledge to create an instinctive response sometimes termed “fight or flight”
Dysfunction here could result in this instinctive response becoming overactive, leading to aggression
What is the role of the hypothalamus and how can damage here lead to aggression
The role of the hypothalamus is to maintain homeostasis, one way it does this is via the regulation of hormones. One of these is testosterone which is directly linked to aggression
If dysfunction here could result in abnormal amount of testosterone produced
What is Phineas Gage evidence for
Pre frontal cortex is implicated in aggression
He had a construction accident and family said he was abnormally aggressive after and couldn’t control his inhibitions
What is Raine evidence for
Pre frontal cortex is linked to aggression
What does Flynn provide evidence for
Amygdala part of aggression
Why is this useful to know?
Understanding of regions associated with abnormal function could lead to brain scans to predict someone who has potential to be aggressive
Brain scans
What is evolution
The process by which different kinds of living organisms are believed to have developed from earlier forms during the history of the earth
What does evolution show about aggression
That is must have been a desirable trait and that it must be an evolved response
What is natural selection
Where the species that is most adapted to their environment survives
What is sexual selection
More about survival of off spring rather than themselves
Select a mate who is going to provide good genes and protect and provide for their offspring best
What is the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptation (EEA)
Where humans will have adapted so that more desirable traits such as aggression in the hunter gatherer era
How does evolution explain behaviours other than aggression
Over time we have adapted to learn lots of different behaviours in order to aid our survival and our offspring survival
What did Gomez find that Supports aggression in natural selection
Studied infra specific violence in 1024 mammals and 600 human populations and found a death rate of 0.3% in non - humans and 2% in humans
Suggesting humans are more violently aggressive
Potentially due to greater selection pressures
What did Harvey find that supports sexual selection
Sexual jealousy is often cited as a major cause of aggression as males may be biologically driven to protect reproductive resources from male competition, suggesting one cause of aggression could be sexual selection as you don’t know if that is your child as a male sort of thing
Does the evolutionary explanation have good applications?
They are limited as you cannot change evolution and so if doesn’t give us a strategy to recuse aggression
Post hoc argument so can’t go back to EEA and do research
So good at furthering our understanding but not good at giving strategies to reduce aggression
What is a hormone
A regulatory substance produced in an organism and transported in blood to stimulate specific cells or tissues
Where are hormones produced
Glands in the endocrine system
What is a hormone that has been directly linked to aggression
Testosterone
What is the direct effect of testosterone on the brain and aggression
It has an organising effect and sensitises specific neural circuits, e.g. Stimulates cell growth in the hypothalamus,
Therefore abnormal amount could result in dysfunction
What is the indirect effect of testosterone on the brain and aggression
Testosterone also had an impact on neurotransmission, of NTs such as serotonin
Serotonin helps regulate mood, too much or too little can’t control mood which could result in aggression
What does Dabbs illustrate
That men who committed violent crimes had higher testosterone than those who had committed non-violent crimes, supporting the idea that higher testosterone = higher aggression
Is the hormonal explanation testable?
Yes as we can use brain scans to measure serotonin and blood analysis to measure testosterone
Which improves validity as we can assess whether we are measuring what we think we are measuring
However, we are to measure these during an aggressive act
Does this explanation have useful applications
We could accurately measure someone’s level of testosterone at rest and assess how likely they are to be aggressive in order to prevent them from being aggressive in the future
What are the two innate drives
Eros - life
Thanatos - death
Freud proposed the mind consists of 3 parts
Conscious
Preconscious
Unconscious
What are the three parts of personality
ID
EGO
SUPEREGO
Describe the ID
Pleasure principle
First part of personality to develop
Driven by Eros and Thanatos
Explaining why someone may behave aggressively in order to satisfy basic urges
Describe the EGO
Develops around age 2
Works on the reality principle
Individual does not truly understand right from wrong
There is some appreciation of societies rules and when it is appropriate/not to show aggression
Describe the SUPEREGO
Develops between 3-6
Operates on morality principle
Full understanding of right from wrong
Meaning urges of the ID are delayed until an appropriate time
Af this point aggressive impulses should be well controlled
What could an underdeveloped superego or overactive ID lead to
Aggression
What is the defence mechanism known as where we suppress the IDs urges
Sublimation
Sublimation involves catharsis
Releasing negative energy from the mind without actually resorting to violent behaviour
For example watching others be violent such as boxing
Is Freud’s theory testable
No, can’t measure unconscious not easy way of measuring aspects
Application of Freud
Good - led to development of cognitive treatments such as CBT
Is Freud reductionist
Yes,
Reducing behaviour down to unconscious conflicts
Is Freud deterministic
Yes,
States you are a slave to your own psyche
What is a defence mechanism
In order to deal with large anxiety between the ID and SUPEREGO, the EGO develops a number of coping strategies such as sublimation
