Neural mechanisms- biochemistry

Question 1

How do neural mechanisms explain agression

Answer 1

• neurotransmitters
• high levels of dopamine
• low levels of serotionin
• but also abnormally high levels of serotonin also linked

Question 2

What is serotonin, and what is it’s role

Answer 2

• it is a neurotransmitter that has a widepsread inhbitory effect on the brain- slows down and dampons neuronal activity
• normal levels of serotonin in the OFC are linked with reduced firing of neurons- this is associated with a greater degree of behavioural self control
• decreased serotonin- reduing self control and leading to an increase in impulsive behaviour including agression (Denson et al, 2012)

Question 3

Evidence for serotonin linking to agression- Bond (2005)

Answer 3

-lower levels of serotonin are found in children and adults prone to violence

Question 4

Evidence for serotonin linking to agression- Mann (1990)

Answer 4

-when levels of serotonin were artificially reduced by a drug pps response to a hostility and agression questionnaire were increased

Question 5

Evidence that high levels of serotonin don’t influence agression- Cherek et al (1996)

Answer 5

-when men are given serotonin boosts it causes a calming effect and a lowering of aggressive responses

Question 6

Berman et al (2009)

Answer 6

• gave pps either a placebo or paroxetine (increases serotonin activity)
• pps then took part in lab based game where electric shocks were given/recieved in response to provocation
• group that took paroxetine consistently gave fewer and less intense electric shocks compared to placebo. This was only true of pps who had no history of aggressive behaviour
• this study is evidence of a link between serotonin function and agression that goes beyond correlational findings

Question 7

Serotonin in animals- Ferrari et al (2003)

Answer 7

• conducted an experiement that forced rats to fight at exactly the same time every day for 10 days
• on 11th day, the rats were not allowed to fight and levels of serotonin and dopamine was measured in their brain
• found that the rats serotonin levels had decreased and their dopamine levels increased
• demonstrates that consistent aggressive behaviour can alter brain chemistry

Question 8

What is dopamine and what is it’s role

Answer 8

• the chemical that mediates pleasure in the brain
• it is released during pleasurable situations and stimulates one to seek out the pleasurable activity or occupation e.g. sex
• drugs are stimulants of dopamine release in the brain, particularly nucleas accumbans and prefrontal cortex

Question 9

Dopamine- Lavine (1997)

Answer 9

-increase of dopamine activity via use of amphet amines has been associated with increases in agressive behaviour

Question 10

Dopamine- Buitlaar (2013)

Answer 10

• antipsychotics have been shown to reduce dopamine activity in the brain
• these have been shown to reduce aggressivw bahviour in violent delinquents

Question 11

Evaluation of dopamine and serotonin- use of animals

Answer 11

• no right to consent

- can’t be applied to humans because not the same brain

Question 12

Evaluation of dopmaine and determinstic- deterministic

Answer 12

• using biochemistry is biologically deterministic
• it focuses on nature over nuture
• human behaviour is controlled by genes- influence of genes rather than environment