P2 AGGRESSION

Flashcards on Aggression for A Level Psychology Paper 3

What brain structures are included in the limbic system, associated with controlling emotions like fear and aggression?

Amygdala and hippocampus

Which part of the limbic system rapidly interprets sensory information and provides an appropriate emotional response?

Amygdala

What happens when parts of the amygdala are electrically stimulated in hamsters?

They show signs of aggression such as preparing to attack.

What brain structure deals with the formation of long-term memories and can trigger fear or aggression based on past experiences?

Hippocampus

What may abnormalities in the hippocampus prevent, leading to aggressive behavior?

The amygdala processing sensory information appropriately

What brain region, not part of the limbic system, is believed to have an important role in controlling impulsive behavior, such as aggression?

Pre-frontal cortex

What kind of data does research on hamsters provide, suggesting that the amygdala is linked to aggression?

Cause and effect data

What was found in the limbic system of murderers in a study using PET scans?

Abnormalities

What methodological issues exist in research linking the limbic system and aggression?

Correlational data and low generalisability due to animal studies

What might abnormalities within the limbic system predispose people to, regarding aggression?

Aggression but not necessarily be the cause of such behavior

Does low serotonin mediate an individual’s emotional response to a situation?

Yes, it has a calming effect on neurons, particularly in the pre-frontal cortex.

How do low levels of serotonin disrupt the calming effect of the prefrontal cortex?

Individuals being more likely to behave aggressively.

During development in the womb, what happens when the brain becomes flooded with serotonin?

The brain becomes less sensitive to the calming effect of serotonin, potentially leading to aggression.

What did research find in the cerebrospinal fluid of people with aggressive and impulsive behavior?

Lower levels of a waste product of serotonin

What is associated with low serotonin levels in monkeys and humans?

Impulsive aggression, assaults, self-injury, and violent suicide

How does alcohol affect serotonin levels, and what is a possible consequence?

High levels of alcohol reduce serotonin, this offers a possible explanation for the link between alcohol and aggression.

What evidence suggests gender bias in conclusions linking serotonin and aggression levels?

A study showed decreased serotonin increased aggression in males, but not in females.

What is the relationship between testosterone levels and physical aggression in many species?

High levels of testosterone are associated with increased physical aggression.

When are the highest levels of violence found in males, correlating with testosterone levels?

Aged 15-25 years old

How might testosterone alter the way people react to a stimulus, rather than directly causing aggression?

Testosterone may alter the way they react to a stimulus, making them react more strongly.

What effect does testosterone have on serotonin levels in the brain?

Reduces the amount of serotonin that is available for transmission across the synapses of the nerves in the brain.

What did correlational studies reveal about testosterone levels in violent vs. non-violent criminals?

Testosterone levels were higher in violent criminals.

What were Albert et al's (1993) findings regarding studies into the link between testosterone and aggression?

Many studies show no correlation between testosterone and aggression.

What challenges the link between testosterone and aggression, suggesting a more complex relationship?

Research showing complex link between testosterone and aggression suggesting testosterone could make women nicer rather than aggressive depending on the situation.

What are the potential practical applications of research linking high testosterone levels to high levels of aggression?

Developing a biological treatment to reduce testosterone levels and aggression.

What is the relationship between cortisol levels and aggression, according to research?

Higher levels of cortisol are associated with lower levels of aggression (negative correlation).

How might increased levels of cortisol reduce aggression?

By increasing anxiety/withdrawal or inhibiting testosterone levels.

What has research found in violent criminals and violent schoolchildren regarding cortisol levels?

Low levels of Cortisol

What challenges the negative correlation between cortisol and aggression levels?

Some studies have found no correlation or even higher cortisol levels in aggressive participants.

According to the Dual Hormone Hypothesis, what two hormones interact to produce aggression?

Testosterone and cortisol

What does the Dual Hormone Hypothesis suggest about the conditions under which high testosterone leads to aggression?

High levels of testosterone lead to high levels of aggression ONLY when levels of cortisol are low.

Early psychologists examining genetic causes of aggression were particularly interested in individuals with what genotype?

XYY

The genotype XYY occurs in approximately how many males?

1 in 1000

What claim does Jacobs et al's (1965) finding that 3% of men in prison had the XYY chromosome pattern support?

Supports a link between chromosomal abnormality and aggressive behaviour.

What did Theilgaard (1984) find when comparing the personality traits of XYY men with XY men?

XYY can cause an increase in height, but not an increase in aggression.

What gene has been associated with aggression, although no specific gene for causing aggression has been identified?

MAOA gene

What enzyme does the MAOA gene produce, and what is its function?

Monoamine Oxidase A (MAOA), responsible for breaking down neurotransmitters like serotonin.

What is the effect of the MAOA-L variation of the MAOA gene?

Leads to the production of low levels of the MAOA enzyme, causing a build-up of serotonin

What has the MAOA-L gene been termed, and why?

Warrior gene’ as it is more commonly found in populations with a history of warfare.

What did Caspi et al (2002) find regarding boys with the MAOA-L gene and their behavior?

Boys with the MAOA-L gene were more likely to show aggressive behavior when they grew up, but only if they had been treated badly as children.

How was the MAOA-L gene theory initially discovered?

Research on rats using a gene deletion technique.

What did Brunner et al (1993) find in male members of one Dutch family who had been repeatedly involved in impulsively aggressive behavior?

The males had abnormally low levels of MAOA in their brains and possessed the MAOA-L gene.

What did Vassos (2014) claim in his meta-analysis regarding genetics and aggression?

Hundreds of thousands of genes are likely interacting in complex ways to determine aggression, not simply one gene.

How do genes and experiences interact in relation to aggression, according to Caspi et al's findings?

Genes can be considered as predisposing factors that increase the risk of aggression if an individual has a bad experience.

What do ethologists study regarding animal behavior?

Behaviours such as aggression shown by animals in their natural environments

According to Lorenz (1966), what is aggression in animals often like?

Ritualistic, such as in threat displays and appeasement rituals, rather than killing.

What does IRM stand for, and what is it?

Innate Releasing Mechanism, a built-in neural structure that releases an automatic behavioral response when exposed to specific stimuli.

What does FAP stand for, and what is it?

Fixed Action Pattern. The resulting aggressive behavioural response.

In Tinbergen's (1951) study, what behavior did male sticklebacks show towards wooden 'male' sticklebacks?

Aggressive behaviour

What cultural differences in aggression did Nisbett (1996) demonstrate?

South American white males were more likely to respond aggressively to insults than white North American males.

What term might be more appropriate than 'fixed action pattern' to acknowledge the flexibility of behaviors?

General behaviour pattern

What do evolutionary explanations focus on regarding behavior?

The adaptive nature of behaviour.

What is seen as an adaptive strategy that solved a number of challenges for our ancestors?

Aggression

What are two examples provided by evolutionary theorists where male aggression is adaptive?

Competition for female mates (sexual competition) and suspicion of female partner's infidelity (sexual jealousy).

Why would males use aggression to eliminate competition (ie other males) in terms of sexual success?

Males who successfully used aggression to eliminate competition (ie other males) would have been more successful in acquiring mates.

What did Shackelford et al (2005) use to investigate the use of mate retention strategies?

A survey method

What might explanations based on sexual competition and sexual jealousy fail to explain?

Very high levels of cruelty (genocide)

What type of bias do evolutionary explanations for aggression in response to sexual competition and sexual jealousy suffer from?

Gender bias (alpha bias)

What did a review of 2060 murders in the US find regarding women and jealousy?

Women were twice as likely to murder their partner out of jealousy.

According to Dollard et al (1939), what causes all aggression?

Frustration

What concept is the Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis based on?

Psychodynamic concept of catharsis which is a form of emotional release

What is catharsis?

Form of emotional release

Where will aggressive behaviour be re- directed onto when it is not practically possible, we risk punishment by responding aggressively against the source, or the source is unavailable?

An alternative source – perhaps an inanimate object, a pet or a younger sibling

What did the insulted group do when completing an electric shock task?

Gave the strongest shocks, followed by the distracted group and then the impossible puzzle group

What were participants asked to do in one study, that actually increased aggression rather than less?

Hit a punch bag

What does frustration not always lead to?

Aggression

What did Albert Bandura propose about all behaviour including aggression?

All behaviour including aggression is learned.

Are role models most commonly people who are similar in terms of gender, age or appearance?

Yes, people who are similar in terms of gender, age or appearance are more likely to attract our attention and interest, as are people who we look up to and have status in our society

What did Bandura suggest must be met for imitation of aggression to take place?

Four mediational processes, (or cognitive conditions)

Outline one thing Bandura included in later variations of the bobo doll study?

Vicarious reinforcement

Where is reactive aggression better explained rather than as a result of observational learning

The frustration-aggression hypothesis

Is social learning theory able to explain the wealth of biological evidence into aggression?

No, instead, it may be argued that aggression is explained better by acknowledging the interaction of experiences and biology as they both have a strong role in human behaviour.

Aggression is rare among who?

!Kung San of the Kalahari Desert

By being in a large crowd, wearing a uniform or by the effects of drugs or alcohol can trigger what?

De-individuation

What happens when we are individuated?

Behaviour conforms to social norms relating to acceptable behaviour.

When is behaviour based on primitive urges such as aggression?

When de-individuated

When is shame to being criticised or punished a strong barrier to carrying out aggressive acts?

Usually

According to one study, those dressing as nurses gave less of what to the masked participants?

Electric shocks

Does deindividuation allow for conscious decisions to act aggressively, making it a satisfactory explanation of aggression?

No, deindividuation does not allow for conscious decisions to act aggressively so is not a satisfactory explanation of aggression.

In the six months prior to the prisons inspectorate report, how many acts of violence were recorded at feltham?

300

What do dispositional explanations focus on?

The characteristics of prisoners, arguing that they are violent individuals who bring aggression into the prison with them.

What model argues that it is not the situational pressures that explain high levels of aggression in prison, but rather the disposition of the individuals within it?

The importation model

What did Irwin and Cressey (1962) suggest was a high level of aggression in prisons?

The prisoners bringing a subculture typical of criminality into prison.

What is anger a good predictor of, of aggression in prison?

Anger was the best predictor of all three. (Anger, anti-social personality and impulsivity)

By focusing on the values and belief systems held by prisoners, the importation model fails to consider the possibility that prisoners might be aggressive for what reasons?

They are biologically aggressive individuals.

Situational explanations suggest prison is an environment that creates what?

Aggressive behaviour because of its systems and regimes; aggression is caused by the prison situation.

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, what happens that triggers anti-social behaviour?

Self-actualisation is therefore not possible which could trigger anti- social behaviour.