The role of the brain, hormones and natural selection

Question 1

What do hormones do in comparison to neurotransmitters?

Answer 1

They send messages around the brain more slowly and for different purposes, they effect mood, development and reproduction

Question 2

How do hormones work?

Answer 2

By binding to receptor proteins in target cells and changing cell function, secretion is either triggered by other hormones or at the neurone level

Question 3

Examples of hormones and what they do?

Answer 3

> Melatonin - helps us sleep, produced when its dark

>Adrenaline - fight/flight response, increases blood flow to muscles - secreted by adrenal gland

Question 4

What is the role of cortisol in aggression?

Answer 4

Low levels of cortisol have been implicated in aggressive behaviour as it is designed to inhibit aggression in normal levels

Question 5

What is the role of testosterone in aggression?

Answer 5

Increased testosterone leads to aggression when it is not properly regulated by seretonin

Question 6

What did Dabbs et al (1987) find that supported the role of testosterone in aggressionn with his 89 male prisoners?

Answer 6

The testosterone was higher in the saliva of those involved in violent crime compared to non violent crime

Question 7

What did Chang et al (2012) find with his fish when they reacted to their own mirror image?

Answer 7

Boldness and aggression correlated with the amount of testosterone and cortisol they had before the behaviours

Question 8

What gives the role of cortisol and testosterone in aggression credibility?

Answer 8

both human and animal studies have been linked to testosterone and cortisol giving the findings reliability and credibilty

Question 9

How is it reductionist to explain aggression as being due to a hormone or specific part of the brain?

Answer 9

there are many factors involed in making someone aggressive like the situation for example

Question 10

How did the behaviour of castrated rodents support the role of testosterone in aggression?

Answer 10

They showed little aggressive behaviour as production of testosterone had stopped yet when injected with it, they became aggressive

Question 11

How does natural selection explain aggression?

Answer 11

Since males are more physically aggressive, it could have came from males protecting females, females more verbally aggressive - pregnant - holding babies - have to resort to verbal aggression

Question 12

What is natural selection?

Answer 12

Organisms better adapted to their environment are healthier, live longer and reproduce more frequently, passing on genes that make them reproductively fit

Question 13

What are genetic mutations?

Answer 13

Changes in gene structure, if successful they are passed in, if not they die out

Question 14

How is success measured according to natural selection?

Answer 14

The production of offspring that survive to reproduce

Question 15

Is the theory of evolution as an explanation for aggression credible?

Answer 15

Yes because it has stood the test of time and is widely believed, many studies have observed animal and human behaviour

Question 16

Is Darwin’s theory scientific?

Answer 16

> Reduces behaviour to the genes that guide it
Inheritance can be observed
Supported by observable evidence
Has the potential to be falsified

Question 17

How is Darwin’s theory reductionist?

Answer 17

Focusses on genetic transmission only when a behaviour can be learned in other ways such as through observation

Question 18

How does research such as McDermott et al (2009) support the role of the MAOA gene?

Answer 18

Research has found that people with a version of the MAOA gene that shows low experssion may be more likely to react to provocation by showing aggression, high functioning MAOA associated with social behaviour

Question 19

How does Brunner et al (1993) support the role of the MAOA gene in aggression?

Answer 19

Studied family in Netherlands, males in the family showed patterns of behaviour involving implusive aggression e.g violence, identified a fault in MAOA gene of aggressives which wasn’t present in non aggressives

Question 20

How does Cases et al (1995) support the role of the MAOA gene?

Answer 20

Found that adult male mice who were missing the MAOA producing gene were more aggressive

Question 21

How does Wilson and Daley (1985) support the idea that men are aggressive due to instincts of being protective over women?

Answer 21

Studied murders in Detroit, majority of murderers and victims were young men, 29 cases indicated ‘escalating showing off ‘ disputes and some result over disputes of women

Question 22

What is aggression?

Answer 22

A range of behaviours that can result in phsycial or psychological harm to onself, others or objects in the environment. Can be verbal, mental or physical, serves to assert dominance, reast to pain/fear/threats

Question 23

What is person orientated aggression?

Answer 23

Where the goal is to cause harm to someone else

Question 24

What is instrumental aggression?

Answer 24

Aggression to achieve some kind of reward/preferred outcome

Question 25

What is reactive aggression?

Answer 25

A response to a hostile or aggressive situation

Question 26

What is sanctioned aggression?

Answer 26

Aggressive behvaiour which is legal/permitted because the outcome is seen as justifiable

Question 27

What area of the brain is associated with offensive aggression?

Answer 27

Medial Hypothalamus

Question 28

What area of the brain is associated with defensive behaviour?

Answer 28

Dorsal Hypothalamus

Question 29

What area of the brian is associated with predatory aggression?

Answer 29

Lateral Predatory

Question 30

How is the midbrain associated with aggression?

Answer 30

Containes periaqueductal grey matter (PAG) which links amygdala and hypothalamus with prefrontal cortex, integrates responses to stress

Question 31

How is the amygdala linked to aggression?

Answer 31

Centre of emotions and motivation, integrates sensory info which gives instinctive feelings and reactions to the environment which will include aggression

Question 32

How is the prefrontal cortex linked to aggression?

Answer 32

governs social interaction and regulates behaviour, connects to amygdala - aggression caused from lack of control from prefrontal cortex

Question 33

How is the hypothalamus linked to aggression?

Answer 33

regulates hormones, including sex hormones, linked to aggression in males via production of testosterone

Question 34

How does Blair, Colledge and Mitchell’s (2001) study support the role of the brain in aggression?

Answer 34

they found that many patients wirh psychopathic behaviour patterns have very similar neurocognitive functioning to patients who have suffered damage to amygdala

Question 35

How does Raine et al (1997) support the role of the brain in aggression?

Answer 35

Found lower activity in prefrontal cortex and differences in the functioning of the limbic system in the brain scans of murderers

Question 36

Why is the role of the bran in aggression supported in a reliable way?

Answer 36

Use of scanning methods give reliable findings because they are easy to repeat and it is more objective, more scientific so it gives reliability

Question 37

How does Phineas Gage support the role of the brain in aggression?

Answer 37

His case study showed that damage to frontal lobes seemed to cause an increase in aggression

Question 38

Why is there an issue with generalisability with the role of the brain in aggression?

Answer 38

Research on specially bred animals, humans are more complex than small mammals (prefrontal cortex is smaller in animals) affects credibility

Question 39

Why is the ethics of research into the role of the brain in aggression questionned?

Answer 39

Animals often harmed during experimenrs from having their brains lesioned, but it could be argued that the harm benefits humans

Question 40

What was found about castrated rodents regarding aggression?

Answer 40

They show little aggression as testosterone production is inhibited but when injected with testosterone they show aggression

Question 41

What role does seretonin have in aggression?

Answer 41

Has a calming, inhibitory effect on neural firing in normal levels but in low levels leads to impulsivity and aggression as neural firing isn’t inhibited

Question 42

What does testosterone stimulate immidiately after birth?

Answer 42

Cell growth in the hypothalamus and amygdala = more testosterone and aggression

Question 43

What is Monoamine oxidase?

Answer 43

An enzyme involved in producing neurotransmitters like seretonin

Question 44

How does MAOA influence aggression?

Answer 44

Some versions of MAOA (warrior) gene result in lower MAOA meaning there is lower seretonin in the brain causing less regulation of testosterone