role of hormones in human behaviour Flashcards
what are hormones?
chemical substances that circulate in the bloodstream and only affect target organs. they are produced by glands in large quantities but disappear quickly. their effects are very powerful and widespread in the body
what manufactures hormones?
the endocrine gands manufacture a variety of hormones and secrete them directly into the bloodstream.
- they are transported around the body and affect any cells that have reeptors for particular hormones, including target organs
what do adrenal glands do?
they secrete the hormones ADRENALINE and NORADRENALINE, which affect cells in organs throughout the body. they have a crucial role in the fight or flight response to perceived stressors
what is the role of testosterone?
psychologists have focused on the male sex hormone testosterone because of the common observation that males are generally more aggressive than females.
- this also has a role in regulating social behaviour through its influence on areas of the brain implicated in aggression
what is evidence for the role of testosterone?
animal studies (gianmarco 2005) have demonstrated that experimental increases in testosterone are related to more aggressive behaviour in males of different species and reductions in testosterone = less aggression
studies of prison populations = (dolan 2001) found a positive correlation between testosterone levels and aggression in a sample of 60 males
what is the dual hormone hypothesis?
hormonal causes of aggression is more than just one single hormone.
- one theory suggests the importance of cortisol to help the body deal with the effects of stress which suggests there is an interaction between the systems responsible for regulating aggression and stress response
what is evidence for the dual hormone hypothesis?
carre and mehta (2011) calim that high levels of testosterone lead to aggressive behaviour only when levels of cortisol are low.
- when cortisol is high, testosterones influence on aggression is blocked
- Popma (2007) found that in adolescent males this association with direct physical aggression.
how does testosterone affect female aggression?
although testosterone levels in females are lower than males, female aggression may be enhanced by testosterone.
- however, Eisenegger (2011) found that women given a dose of testosterone behaved more generously and sociably in a lab based negotiating game
what is a strength of this theory?
there is evidence of testosterone in females
Dabbs and Hargrove (1997) measured testosterone in the saliva of 87 female inmates of a maximum security prison
- they found that the degree of criminal violence used by these women was positively correlated with the extent of the women’s aggressive dominance
what is the competing argument from the strength?
many studies of hormonal influences on himan aggression are correlational.
- this is a sensible methodology for ethical and practical reasons, however we cannot establish a causal relationship
- elevated testosterone may be the outcome of aggression
what is a weakness of this explanation?
it is difficult to detemine testosterone levels.
- this is partly because the concept of testosterone level is more complex than it might at first appear.
psychologists distinguish between baseline and fluctuating testosterone
- baseline is a persons usual level of testosterone and is stable across days and weeks
but testosterone also fluctuates from one social encounter to another
Carre (2011) argues taht baseline testosterone plays a less important role in human aggression than it does in animals
what is the application of this explanation?
this could lead to real practical benefits
- if aggression is chemically controlled it should be possible to manufacture a drug that influences the hormonal mechanism and reduces aggressive behaviour, preferably without widespread effects on the body.
Maletzky (2006) found that a testosterone lowering drug called DEPO-PROVERA reduced levels of sexually aggressive behaviour in some offenders
