Unit 3 - 2: Agression and Stress

Question 1

Aggression

Answer 1

Behavior intended to cause physical or emotional pain/ harm towards group or individual

Question 2

Intermale Aggression

Answer 2

Aggression between males of same species; evolutionary benefit for competition of food and mates; testosterone

Question 3

Testosterone and Aggression

Answer 3

Humans do not show correlated increase in intermale aggression, but levels of testosterone may be a result of behaviors

Question 4

Maternal Aggresion

Answer 4

Provocation of Female mammals when offspring is threatened

Question 5

Serotonin and aggression

Answer 5

Low serotonin levels

Question 6

GABA system and aggresion

Answer 6

When GABA is activated, it reduces aggresion

Question 7

Brain areas that mediate violent behaviors in non humans (2)

Answer 7

1. Medial Amygdala - relaying info about rivals and mates
2. Ventromedial hypothalamus - exerts hormone response

Question 8

Temporal lobe and aggression

Answer 8

Controversy; affect to this area can result in aggression

Question 9

Bio psychology of Violence

Answer 9

Psychopaths

Question 10

Is violence nature or nature

Answer 10

Both

Question 11

Stress

Answer 11

Wear and tear of the mind by life experiences

Question 12

Hormones in mediating stress (6)

Answer 12

1. In response to stress, hypothalamus activates sympathetic nervous system
2. Adrenal gland key in responding
3. Adrenal medulla (core) releases epinephrine and norepinephrine which ease heart rate and speed breathing (sympathetic)
4. Hypothalamus tells anterior pituitary to realize hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) to stimulate adrenal cortex (outer layer)
5. Adrenal cortex releases steroid hormones like cortisol
6. Glucocorticoid receptors in brain respond to cortisol (memories associated with fear and stress, regulation of energy stores, negative feedback on continued cortisol release

Question 13

Stress immunization

Answer 13

Early experiences help us cope later in life
(Ex. Rat pups handled by humans better adapted to stress later in life—> maternal care after stressful experience)

Question 14

Psychosomatic medicine

Answer 14

Studies distinctive psychological, behavioral, and social factors that influence susceptibility or resistance to diverse illnesses

Question 15

Health psychology (behavioral medicine)

Answer 15

Emphasizes role of social favors in the cause, progression, and consequences of health and illness

Question 16

Psychoneuroimmunology

Answer 16

Studies how immune system interacts with others organs in the hormonal and nervous system (study with stress and cold virus on students)

Question 17

Stress affects on health

Answer 17

Fatigue, diabetes, hypertension (high BP), ulcers, dwarfism, bone decalcification, loss of libido, apathy, etc

Question 18

Why does stress suppress immune system?

Answer 18

Immune response to stress are energetically expensive so energy is devoted to immediate threats