The ethological explanation of aggression? Flashcards
Born to be aggressive eval
Ethologists argue that aggression is an innate instinct. It occurs in all members of a species without the need for learning. It is innate and mostly genetically determined. An important implication of this view is that humans will inevitably be aggressive and fight each other (e.g. in wars). In fact Lorenz defined aggression as ‘…the fighting instinct in beast and man which is directed against members of the same species’. Lorenz argued that this inevitability is demonstrated by FAPs. A FAP is an unchanging sequence of aggressive behaviours in every individual of a species. Once it is triggered it follows an inevitable course and cannot be altered before completion.
However, other approaches in psychology (e.g. the cognitive approach) suggest that aggression is not inevitable because it is more under rational control than instinctive. This is because humans have the capability to think about their behaviour and assess its consequences. It is also less innate and more affected by learning experiences than ethologists accept. Cultural and social norms (e.g. less tendency towards a ‘culture of honour’ in the US north) can override innate predispositions and make aggression far from inevitable. Even FAPs are modifiable by experience and more flexible than Lorenz thought.
Therefore aggression may have instinctive elements but in humans it is more strongly influenced by cognitive and social factors.
Eval research support
One strength is support from research related to genetics and evolution. Research showed that one gene the MAOA gene is closely accosted with aggressive behaviour in humans. Twins dn adoption studios also showed that there is a significant genetic component to aggression in humans. These lines of research point towards ab innate biases to aggressive bahveiour. This suggest the ethological approach is correct in cliaming that aggression is genetically determined hertiable and adaptive.
FAPS are not fixed eval
Another limitation is that Lorenz original view of FAPS is outdated. He daw FAPS as innate and unchanging but the psychologist Morton Hunt has pointed out that FAPS are actually greatly influenced by environmental factors and learning experiences. For instance an aggressive FAP is typically made up of serval behaviours in a series. The duration pf each baherviour varies from one individual to another and even in the same individuall one enctourter to another. Because they are modifiable by experience many ethologist now prefer the term tidal behaviour pattern to reflect this.
Therefore patterns of aggressive behaviour are much more flexible than Lorenx througt especially in humans
