The role of hormones to explain aggression Flashcards
What are hormones and how do they differ from neurotransmitters?
Chemical messengers of the body
Travel in bloodstream at much slower rate
What do hormones affect?
Metabolism, mood, reproduction, and sexual function
What is responsible for making hormones?
The endocrine system, ovaries, and testes
How do hormones work?
Binds to receptor proteins in target cells + change cell function, cell responds in particular way
How is behaviour affected by hormones?
Based on when theyre released + how concentrated they are (how high the levels)
Hormones affect behaviour directly or indirectly + cause physical changes in body
Can the environment affect the release of hormones?
Yes, such as stress in a situation
How does adrenaline affect aggression?
When paired with noradrenaline, produces fight or flight response
Too high adrenaline + fight or flight = aggression
What is the function of ACTH?
Stimulates production + release of cortisol from cortex of adrenal gland
What is a problem with alot of the research based around hormones + aggression?
Theyre animal studies, cant generalise
Why cant correlations demonstrating relationships between hormones and aggression infer cause + effect?
Not proven that link between hormones + aggression is directional cause of aggressive behaviour
How are men more aggressive than women?
Due to testosterone
Human studies support link between testosterone and aggression
Who are the researchers studying behaviour links between aggression + adrenaline, cortisol?
Haller + Kruk = adrenaline
Kruk et al = cortisol
Who are the researchers studying behaviour links between aggression + testosterone?
Kalat, Dabbs et al
Why is research on relationship between testosterone + aggression difficult?
Only reliable measurement of brain testosterone is lumbar puncture
Lumbar puncture = medical procedure where needle inserted in lower part of spine to look for evidence of conditions affecting brain, spinal cord, or nervous system
Who is the researcher studying behaviour links between aggression + animal studies?
Adelson (2004)
