Week 2: Theories of Aggression Flashcards
What are the 4 major biological theories?
- Ethology
- Sociobiology
- Behaviour genetics
- Hormonal explanations
What are the 8 major psychological theories?
- Freudian psychoanalysis
- Frustration-aggression hypothesis
- Cognitive Neo-associationist model
- Excitation transfer theory
- Social learning theory
- Social information processing models
- I3 theory
- General Aggression Model
Ethology
Aggression is an internal, inevitable, and universal energy released by external cues
The steam boiler model
- no releasing cue then we boil over with aggression
Mainly animal studies
Limitations of ethology
No empirical support
Assumes depletion after aggressive act
Sociobiology (natural selection)
Aggression is a product of evolution through natural selection
i.e., intrasexual competition, defence, gaining status
Limitations of sociobiology
Support for correlation but not causal links
In order for aggression to be an adaption it must possess these 3 requirements:
- Phenotypic variation (some people are more aggressive than others)
- Differential reproduction (aggression must facilitate survival/ reproductive success)
- Heritable
Behaviour genetics
Aggression is transmitted through heritable genes
Twin studies suggest that roughly half of the variance in aggression is due to genetics
Adoption versus twin studies
Adoption studies:
- Can look at genetic effects if one of the twins is kept and the other is adopted
Twin studies:
- Can look at genetic effects by comparing MZ and DZ twins
MAO-A gene
“Warrior gene”
Low version of this gene = increased risk of aggression (specifically violent)
Epigenetics
Environment can change expression of genes
Hormonal
Aggression is influenced by sex hormones and cortisol
Endogenous testosterone
Level of testosterone someone has
Exogenous testosterone
Testosterone applied
Both endogenous and exogenous testosterone is associated with increased aggression across species but mostly for ________
men
some evidence for women but may be a weaker relationship
The biosocial model of status that has to do with testosterone states that after a loss testosterone may ___________ and after a win it may _______________
decrease; increase
The challenge hypothesis is a revised theory of the biosocial model of status and states that….
T rises in response to threat
T decreases to facilitate adaptive responses to childcare and long-term bonding
Cortisol
Inhibitory effect on aggression
Lower levels = higher aggression
Dual hormone model
High T and low C = more aggression
- lower empathy
- higher dominance
- evidence for men but evidence is inconclusive for women
Oxytocin
Associated with bonding, maternal behaviour, and attachment
BUT
experiments using exogenous oxytocin has found it to be associated with antisocial behaviour (envy and gloating)
Freudian psychoanalysis
Aggression is a destructive instinct
Idea of catharsis
No empirical evidence
Frustration-Aggression theory
Blocked goal = frustration = aggression
Explains displaced aggression
Frustration doesn’t always lead to aggression but it tends to be more likely when there is an aggressive cue
Cognitive Neo-associationism
Aversive stimuli may lead to negative affect and then to aggression
*Explains why frustration may lead to anger but not always
Theory of excitation transfer
Aggression is based on intensity of arousal and interpretation of arousal
