Hormonal Mechanisms in Agg Flashcards
what does hormonal mechs relate to?
endocrine system
what hormone links to agg behaviour?
Testosterone
(male sex hormone)
what did Daly + Wilson suggest?
-implication?
men became more agg towards other men at a time in development when tes levels r highest
tes regulates social behaviour via influence on certain areas in brain
Giammanco et al findings?
-castration studies of animals show that removing testes (source of tes) reduced agg in males of many species
-injections of tes to same animals also increase agg
dolan et al findings?
-pos correlation between tes levesl + agg behaviours in a sample of 60 male offenders
-these men had personality disorders + impulsive behaviour
Progesterone
-female ovarian hormone - plays role in agg in women
-levels of prog vary during ovulation cycle + r lowest during +after menstruation
Zionkewcz findings?
-neg correlation between prog levels = self-reported agg
-suggest lower levels r linked to agg in women
Strength of hormonal mechs
-support from animal research
-giammanco et al reviewed studies confirmed role of testosterone
-male monkeys = increase in both test levels = agg behaviour during mating season
-rats = castration of males reduces test.
-injecting female rats with testosterone increases mouse killing
-show role of test in range of animal species
Lim of hormonal mechs
-mixed evidence of test + agg link in humans
-carre + mehta developed a dual-hormone hyp to explain
-clain that high levels of test leads to agg behaviour but only when levels of cortisol r low
-high cortisol plays a center role in body’s response to chronic stress
-therefore combined activity of test = cortisol may be a better predictor of agg then either hormone alone