Evolutionary Explanations
Aggression AO1
Sexual Jealousy
- Greater in men – fear of cuckoldry
Neural and Hormonal Explanation - Mate retention strategies: direct
guarding, negative inducements, physical
Neural violence
- Limbic system (hypothalamus, Bullying
hippocampus, amygdala) linked to
aggression - Adaptive for males – dominance and
- Amygdala linked to reactive aggression characteristics desirable for females
- Low serotonin disrupt orbifrontal cortex - Adaptive for females – prevent males
– reduced self-control, higher impulsive leaving – provide resources for offspring
crime
Hormonal
Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis
- Testosterone linked with aggression in
- Original: goal blocked, frustration,
men and castrated animals
aggression relieves frustration, displaced
- Low progesterone linked with aggression
– catharsis
in women
- Updated: frustration creates readiness
for aggression, aggressive cues cause
aggression – students shocked then gave
Genetic Explanations shocks, greater when guns present
- Students completing jigsaw then giving
- Twin study concordance rates for
shocks – higher frustration = higher
physical assault – 50% MZ, 19% DZ
shocks (taunting > time > impossible)
- Meta-analysis of orphan studies – 41%
- MAOA gene regulates serotonin – MAO-L
variant = low serotonin, high aggression
- MAOA: 56% Maori, 36% Caucasian Social Learning Theory
- Dutch family with history of violence –
many had MAOA-L variant - Vicarious reinforcement – imitate
- Only leads to aggression when combined rewarded aggressive behaviour in role
with childhood trauma models
- Self-efficacy – aggression successful in
the past so continue to use
- Bandura’s Bobo doll
Ethological Explanation
- Adaptive functions – forces animals to
new territories and establish dominance Deindividuation
- Ritualistic aggression – appeasement
displays prevent injury and death - Loss of identity, free from social norms
- Innate releasing mechanism (IRMs) - Self-awareness reduced, less attention to
trigger fixed action patterns (FAPs) feelings, less accountable for aggression
- FAPs: stereotyped, universal, ballistic,
single purpose
- Tinbergen - male sticklebacks were
aggressive to models with red spot
Aggression AO1
Sexual Jealousy
- Greater in men – fear of cuckoldry
Neural and Hormonal Explanation - Mate retention strategies: direct
guarding, negative inducements, physical
Neural violence
- Limbic system (hypothalamus, Bullying
hippocampus, amygdala) linked to
aggression - Adaptive for males – dominance and
- Amygdala linked to reactive aggression characteristics desirable for females
- Low serotonin disrupt orbifrontal cortex - Adaptive for females – prevent males
– reduced self-control, higher impulsive leaving – provide resources for offspring
crime
Hormonal
Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis
- Testosterone linked with aggression in
- Original: goal blocked, frustration,
men and castrated animals
aggression relieves frustration, displaced
- Low progesterone linked with aggression
– catharsis
in women
- Updated: frustration creates readiness
for aggression, aggressive cues cause
aggression – students shocked then gave
Genetic Explanations shocks, greater when guns present
- Students completing jigsaw then giving
- Twin study concordance rates for
shocks – higher frustration = higher
physical assault – 50% MZ, 19% DZ
shocks (taunting > time > impossible)
- Meta-analysis of orphan studies – 41%
- MAOA gene regulates serotonin – MAO-L
variant = low serotonin, high aggression
- MAOA: 56% Maori, 36% Caucasian Social Learning Theory
- Dutch family with history of violence –
many had MAOA-L variant - Vicarious reinforcement – imitate
- Only leads to aggression when combined rewarded aggressive behaviour in role
with childhood trauma models
- Self-efficacy – aggression successful in
the past so continue to use
- Bandura’s Bobo doll
Ethological Explanation
- Adaptive functions – forces animals to
new territories and establish dominance Deindividuation
- Ritualistic aggression – appeasement
displays prevent injury and death - Loss of identity, free from social norms
- Innate releasing mechanism (IRMs) - Self-awareness reduced, less attention to
trigger fixed action patterns (FAPs) feelings, less accountable for aggression
- FAPs: stereotyped, universal, ballistic,
single purpose
- Tinbergen - male sticklebacks were
aggressive to models with red spot
