Neural mechanisms- limbic system

Question 1

What is aggression

Answer 1

-a distubring form of anti social behaviour

Question 2

How does biology explain agression

Answer 2

-it is due to the structure and/or function of our body, genes, brain anatomy, hormonal or neuronal activity

Question 3

What is the limbic system

Answer 3

• a network of structures deep in the brain

- structures include the hyppocampus and amygdala

Question 4

Research for limbic systemp Papez and Maclean

Answer 4

• identified the limbic system as comprising of the hypothalamus, amygdala, parts of the hippocampus and thalamus
• most important is amygdala

Question 5

What is the role of the amygdala

Answer 5

-to assess and respond to environmental threats and challenges

Question 6

Reserach for amygdala- Gospic et al (2011)

Answer 6

• found that amygdala activity increased in response to an agressive game where pps had to decide to split money with a confederate
• more activity was seen in the amygdala when the confederate made an unfair offer, the pp rejected
• taking drugs lowered this activity and lowered aggression- the pp was less likely to reject the offer

Question 7

Challenges that not just amygdala is involved in brain and agression- Bushman (2017)

Answer 7

-rat kesion studies suggest that different types of agression may be controlled by different subsets of brain structures

Question 8

Support that violent people’s brains are different to normal people- Raine et al (1997)

Answer 8

• used PET scans to look at 41 murders brains and 41 controls
• found abnormalities in the functioning of the limbic system implicated in agression
• suggests that neuromechanisms are linked to aggressive behaviour
• does not mean brain anomoly causes aggresive behaviour but could be a factor involved in explanations

Question 9

Charles Whitman (1996) case study- support

Answer 9

• murdered his family then shot strangers, took his own life
• his autopsy revealed that there was a temporal lobe tumour pressing on his amygdala, supports amygdala being linked to agression

Question 10

Evaluation of limbic system- OFC

Answer 10

• orbital frontal cortex thought to be implicated in agression and this is not part of the limbic system
• the role of the OFC is in self control, impulse regulation and inhibition of agressive behaviour
• Coccaro et al (2007) found that in patients with psychiatric disorders where agression is a prominent behaviour, activity in OFC reduced, disrupting its control function and leading to agression

Question 11

Evaluation of limbic system- not clear cut

Answer 11

• the role of the limbic system is not clear cut- the system is made up of many components and the extent to which the different ctructures are involved is not fully understood
• equally, it could be an interaction of the various components

Question 12

Evaluation of limbic system- correlation

Answer 12

• the research that supports the link between brain abnormalities and agressive behaviour is correlation
• not all people who have limbic system abnormalities display agressive behaviour- we cannot ascertain cause and effect