neural explanations Flashcards
what is aggression?
spoken or physical behaviour that is threatening or involves harm to someone or something
what is direct aggression?
physical harm
what is indirect aggression?
non physical harm e.g shouting at someone
what is the finger length ratio?
the bigger the difference between the index and ring finger the more aggressive - due to higher levels of testosterone
what are neural influences on aggression?
nerves and the nervous system
what are the 2 key areas of the limbic system?
- amygdala
- hippocampus
what does the amygdala do?
it’s responsible for quickly evaluating the emotional importance of sensory info and prompting an appropriate response
what happens when the amygdala is electrically stimulated in animals?
aggressive responses are performed e.g snarling
what happens if the amygdala is removed?
animal becomes passive which can result in a lack of dominance within group
what does the hippocampus do?
allows animals to compare conditions of current threat with similar past experiences and produce a response e.g if previously attacked, next time the animal can act aggressively to prevent attack
what does an impaired hippocampus do?
prevents NS from putting things in context so may cause amgydala to respond inappropriately to stimuli (aggressively)
what did boccardi et al find?
repeated violent offenders have abnormalities in their hippocampus
what does the prefrontal cortex do?
moderates aggression - can mask impacts from amygdala & hippocampus so reduces aggression
