Generalisation from Animal Studies to Humans - Evaluation

Question 1

What did Sluyter et al. say about generalising findings about mice to humans?

Answer 1

Although mice & humans share > 90% of their genes, there are sufficient differences between them to suggest that findings about aggression can’t be generalised to humans.

Question 2

What did Trainor (2009) explain?

Answer 2

Mice are in artifical situations when the link between aggression & hormones is studied, and also their social behaviour isn’t the same as human social behaviour.

For e.g. male mice are rarely aggressive to female mice, but male humans can be aggressive to female humans.

Question 3

What evidence did Trainor (2009) give that studies using animals can be generalised to humans?

Answer 3

The hypothalamus & limbic systems in humans and rodents are similar enough for generalisations to be made.

E.g. the attack centre is found in the hypothalamus, and aggression links to that area and the limbic system in humans too.

Question 4

As there are similar systems that link to aggression in mammals & non-mammals, it seems that..

Answer 4

… there might be a genetic cause underlying such aggression.

Question 5

As there are shared genes, what can be done?

Answer 5

Conclusions from studies with rats can be used to discuss aggression in humans.