Key question - aggression being nature or nurture

Question 1

what is the key question

Answer 1

what are the implications for society if aggression is found to be caused by nature not nurture?

Question 2

aggression

Answer 2

an often harmful social interaction with the intention of inflicting damage or other harm upon another individual

Question 3

physical aggression

Answer 3

behaviour which threatens to or causes physical harm to others

Question 4

social aggression

Answer 4

antisocial behaviour in which social relationships or status are used to damage reputations and inflict emotional harm on others

Question 5

nurture

Answer 5

behaviour is generated by experiences/ stimuli from the environment

Question 6

what methods can be used to change behaviour if it is caused by nurture

Answer 6

manipulating reinforcement
observing others
environmental conditions

Question 7

nature

Answer 7

behaviour is caused by genetic determinism, inherited influences, neurochemical and hormonal influences and brain activity

Question 8

what methods can be used to change behaviour if it is caused by nature

Answer 8

selective breeding (eugenics)
drug therapy

Question 9

Charles Witman - case study to support nature

Answer 9

american mass murderer
shot 49 people with gunfire
asked in his suicide note if his brain could be examined by autopsy
complained of headaches, violent outbursts and intrusive thoughts leading up to his mass shooting and suicide
brain examined in police autopsy
tumor the size of a pecan was found to be pressing on his thalamus

Question 10

Alternative explanations for aggression that are not biological

Answer 10

Bandura - SLT
Skinner - operant conditioning
Freud - Superego

Question 11

what to write in the conclusion

Answer 11

make a decision whether the nature or nurture explanation is stronger

think about what therapies/ methods could be used to reduce aggression (for whichever chosen out of nature and nurture)

apply this to a situation in society

Question 12

how may people reduce aggression if it is caused by nurture?

Answer 12

if it is caused by the environment, someone can choose not to behave in that way

choose to avoid environments which may trigger aggression

Question 13

how may aggression be reduced if it is caused by nature?

Answer 13

drug therapies could be developed to alter neurotransmitter levels

predicting aggressive behaviour before it can occur - e.g. if someones family has a history of aggression

if aggression is learned, it should be able to be unlearned

Question 14

if aggression is caused by nature, what does this suggest it may be?

Answer 14

a form of illness or symptom of a disorder

Question 15

if aggression is caused by nature, why may punishments be unfair?

Answer 15

the behaviour is beyond the individuals control

imprisonment is unethical - moral issue whether a person should be punished for something that they cannot control

however, people have to learn to control these impulses

Question 16

Dual- hormone hypothesis - nature

Answer 16

high testosterone and low cortisol lead to aggression

Question 17

counter argument to dual-hormone hypothesis - nurture

Answer 17

cortisol is the stress hormone

it is triggered by environmental stressors

if aggression is triggered by the environment, the individual has some control

Question 18

natural selection - nature

Answer 18

males react aggressively to protect offspring or mate
- genes in someone with this aggressive tendency are more likely to survive and be passed on to the next generation
- someone should not be blamed for the genes they inherit

Question 19

Raine et al. (1997) Nature

Answer 19

PET scanning - revealed brain differences in murderers pleading NGRI and non-murderers

murder may come from brain differences

shows that society does not hold people responsible for aggression if it is ‘in their nature’

Question 20

Operant conditioning - Nurture _ alternative explanation

Answer 20

if someone has learned aggression because they have been rewarded for it (e.g. by getting their own way) punishment may work to stop the learned behaviour