The ethological explanation of aggression

Question 1

What is the ethological explanation?

Answer 1

An explanation that stresses the adaptive value of animal behaviour - they study the behaviour patterns of animals in their natural habitats

Question 2

What does FAP stand for?

Answer 2

Fixed action pattern

Question 3

What are FAPs?

Answer 3

A repertoire of stereotyped behaviours which occur in specific situations

Question 4

What are FAPs triggered by?

Answer 4

Sign stimuli

Question 5

What are FAPs produced by?

Answer 5

Innate releasing mechanisms (IRMs)

Question 6

What is an IRM?

Answer 6

A neural network that produces an FAP

Question 7

What are the 4 characteristics of FAPs?

Answer 7

Stereotyped, universal, independent of individual experience and ballistic

Question 8

When we say an FAP is ballistic, what do we mean?

Answer 8

Once it has been triggered it cannot be stopped

Question 9

Who conducted research into FAPs?

Answer 9

Tinbergen

Question 10

What animal did Tinbergen study?

Answer 10

Stickleback fish

Question 11

What is the sign stimulus in stickleback fish?

Answer 11

The red underbelly of male fishes

Question 12

What is ritualistic aggression?

Answer 12

When animals use a range of behaviours as a threat display without engaging in violence

Question 13

Give an example of ritualistic aggression.

Answer 13

Chest pounding

Question 14

What is appeasement behaviour?

Answer 14

Behaviour that shows an animal doesn’t want to engage in violence

Question 15

Give an example of an appeasement display in dogs.

Answer 15

Exposing belly by rolling over

Question 16

What are the 4 AO3 points of the ethological explanation of aggression?

Answer 16

1) Benefits of ritualised aggression
2) Killing conspecifics is not that rare
3) Do humans have an FAP?
4) Criticisms of an ‘instinctive’ view of aggression

Question 17

What is the main benefit of ritualised aggression?

Answer 17

It prevents conflicts escalating into dangerous physical aggression

Question 18

In which tribe is there evidence of ritualistic aggression?

Answer 18

Yanomamo tribe

Question 19

Where are the Yanomamo tribe found?

Answer 19

South America

Question 20

What forms of ritualistic aggression do the Yanomamo tribe engage in?

Answer 20

Chest pounding and club fighting

Question 21

How do eskimos settle grudges?

Answer 21

Song duels

Question 22

Give two examples of animals that kill conspecifics?

Answer 22

Male lions kill other lions cubs, and chimpanzees kill chimpanzees from other groups

Question 23

Why may FAPs no longer be adaptive?

Answer 23

As the environment we live in is changing so rapidly

Question 24

What type of validity do FAPs lack?

Answer 24

Temporal validity

Question 25

Why is aggressive behaviour less fixed than it used to be?

Answer 25

The ability to adapt to the ever-changing environment has proved more important in survival than fixed behaviours

Question 26

Who criticised Lorenz’s theory of instinctual aggression?

Answer 26

Lehrman

Question 27

Why did Lehrman criticise Lorenz’s theory of instinctual aggression?

Answer 27

He believed that Lorenz underestimated the role of environmental factors in the development of species-typical aggression

Question 28

In modern ethology, what term has replaced ‘FAP’?

Answer 28

Behaviour pattern