Genetic Factors in Aggression: Gene-Environment Interactions

Question 1

what influences aggressive behaviour?

Answer 1

• genes but they do not function in isolation

Question 2

what does the gene-environment interaction suggest?

Answer 2

MAOA-L gene activity is only related to adult aggression when combined with early traumatic life experiences

Question 3

who is the researcher involved with gene-environment interactions?

Answer 3

Frazzetto et al

Question 4

what did Frazzetto et al find?

Answer 4

• found an association between higher levels of antisocial aggression and the MAOA-L gene variant in men
• this was only the case in those who had experienced significant trauma (sexual or physical abuse) during the first 15 years of their lives
• those who had not experienced such childhood trauma did not have particularly high levels of aggression as adults, even if they possessed the MAOA-L variant

Question 5

what can the gene-environment interactions also be known as?

Answer 5

diathesis-stress model