Hormonal Mechanisms in Agg

Question 1

what does hormonal mechs relate to?

Answer 1

endocrine system

Question 2

what hormone links to agg behaviour?

Answer 2

Testosterone
(male sex hormone)

Question 3

what did Daly + Wilson suggest?
-implication?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Giammanco et al findings?

Answer 4

-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

Question 5

dolan et al findings?

Answer 5

-pos correlation between tes levesl + agg behaviours in a sample of 60 male offenders
-these men had personality disorders + impulsive behaviour

Question 6

Progesterone

Answer 6

-female ovarian hormone - plays role in agg in women
-levels of prog vary during ovulation cycle + r lowest during +after menstruation

Question 7

Zionkewcz findings?

Answer 7

-neg correlation between prog levels = self-reported agg
-suggest lower levels r linked to agg in women

Question 8

Strength of hormonal mechs

Answer 8

-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

Question 9

Lim of hormonal mechs

Answer 9

-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