Neural Explanations Of Aggression

Question 1

Where is the amygdala located in the brain?

Answer 1

Temporal lobe

Question 2

Lesioning monkey’s amygdala led to what?

Answer 2

Reduction in the fear response and an increase in aggression

Question 3

What are the effects of an amygdalectomy in humans?

Answer 3

Reduced aggression and implications for emotional responses

Question 4

How does the amygdala regulating emotion link to aggression?

Answer 4

Aggression may be motivated by abnormal emotional patterns

Question 5

What does the prefrontal cortex influence?

Answer 5

Impulsivity

Question 6

Individuals with damage to their prefrontal cortex show…

Answer 6

Impulsive behaviour, immaturity, altered emotion, short tempers and easily provoked which can lead to aggression

Question 7

Which neurotransmitters are associated with aggression?

Answer 7

Serotonin and dopamine

Question 8

How is serotonin thought to have a calming effect?

Answer 8

It calms down firing of the neurons and therefore brain activity

Question 9

How is serotonin linked to aggression?

Answer 9

Low levels (particularly in PFC) cause impulsive and aggressive behaviour

Question 10

What is dopamine produced in response too?

Answer 10

Rewarding behaviours eg eating and sex

Question 11

How is dopamine linked to aggression?

Answer 11

Seek out aggressive behaviours because of the rewarding sensations caused by a release of dopamine

Question 12

Who performed research into neural explanations of aggression?

Answer 12

Raine et al, tateno et al, zagrodzka et al

Question 13

What kind of brain scan did raine use on his participants?

Answer 13

PET scans

Question 14

What are the 2 brain structure associated with aggression?

Answer 14

Amygdala and prefrontal cortex

Question 15

What was the ratio of males to females in Raine et al’s research?

Answer 15

39 males, 2 females

Question 16

What did all of the participants in Raine et al’s research have in common?

Answer 16

All pleading not guilty for reasons of insanity (NGRI) and all had low activity in their prefrontal cortex and amygdala

Question 17

How many participants did tateno use with traumatic brain injury?

Answer 17

89 males

Question 18

How did tateno measure aggression?

Answer 18

Family interviews, police records and accounts of friends

Question 19

What % of the brain damaged group were classified ad aggressive

Answer 19

34%

Question 20

What did brain scans of the participants in tateno’s research find?

Answer 20

Those classified as aggressive were more likely to have frontal lobe damage

Question 21

What did zagrodzka do?

Answer 21

Damaged the central nucleus of the amygdala of cats

Question 22

What did zagrodzka find?

Answer 22

Damage to the amygdala was a contributing factor to predator like attacks

Question 23

What are the evaluation points of the neural explanations of aggression?

Answer 23

Too simplistic, supporting research for role of PFC, deterministic, animal research and practical applications

Question 24

What are the practical applications of the neural explanations?

Answer 24

Treat chronically violent schizophrenic patients

Question 25

Which research did research into the practical applications of neural explanation?

Answer 25

Vartiainen et al

Question 26

What did vartiainen et al do?

Answer 26

Did a double blind trial using citalopram (SSRI) to treat chronically violent schizophrenic

Question 27

What did vartiainen et al find?

Answer 27

Found citalopram (SSRI) reduced the frequency of aggressive incidents in chronically violent schizophrenics

Question 28

What an opposing point against the practical applications of neural explanation?

Answer 28

Serotonin drugs are very complex as an increase in serotonin can effect appetite, digestion, sleep and memory