GoConqr has a new look! Let us know what you think.

Sign up free

Flashcards

Aggression flashcards - checklist followed

Millie Carless English 86 cards

Cards in this deck (86)

  1. 1AggressionAggression
  2. 2What is the limbic system?Subcortical structures in the brain (including the hypothalamus and amygdala) thought to be closely involved in regulating emotional behaviour including aggression.
  3. 3What is the amygdala?A region located in the temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex. It is a part of the limbic system and is associated with memory, emotion, sleep, arousal and the fight or flight response.
  4. 4What is the hippocampus?A structure in the subcortical area of each hemisphere of the forebrain, associated with memory. It is a part of the limbic system, and is therefore also involved in motivation, emotion and learning.
  5. 5What is serotonin?A neurotransmitter with widespread inhibitory effects throughout the brain. It has a key role in aggressive behaviour.
  6. 6What is testosterone?A hormone from the androgen group that is produced in mainly in the male testes (and in smaller amounts in the female ovaries.) Associated with aggressiveness.
  7. 7How does the limbic system work and what does it include?1. Identified as being responsible for aggressive behaviour - the external layer of the brain (frontal cortex) works to control this.
    2. Destruction of one area the limbic system (hypothalamus) has shown in research to produce permanent savage behaviour in cats.
    3. Animal studies shown stimulating amygdala causes aggressive responses to the environment.
    4. Removal of the amygdala = tameness in cats and calmness in humans
  8. 8How does the amygdala work and what is its role in aggression?*The amygdala has a key role in humans and nonhuman animals in how the organism assesses and responds to environmental threats and challenges.
    *The reactivity of the amygdala in humans has proven to be an important predictor in aggressive behaviour.
  9. 9How does the hippocampus work and what is its role in aggression?*The hypothalamus is responsible for the regulation of the autonomic nervous system, which in turn regulates responses to emotional circumstances.
    *Damage to this area can result in an inappropriate aggressive response to a perceived threat.
  10. 10What is the role of the neurotransmitter serotonin in aggression?*It is involved with the communication of impulses between neurons.
    *Normal levels of serotonin in the orbitofrontal cortex are linked with reduced firing of neurons and, and this is associated with a great degree of self-control.
  11. 11What is the role of the hormone testosterone?*Testosterone is an androgen responsible for the development of masculine features.
    *It also has a role in regulating social behaviour via its influence on certain areas of the brain implicated in aggression.
    *Increasing testosterone, increases aggression.
  12. 12What are the strengths and weaknesses of the limbic system?Refer to notes.
  13. 13What are the strengths and weaknesses of serotonin?Refer to notes.
  14. 14What are the strengths and weaknesses of testosterone?Refer to notes.
  15. 15What are genes?Genes consist of DNA strands. DNA produces 'instructions' for general physical features of an organism. They are transmitted from parents to offspring.
  16. 16What are twin studies?Research conducted using twins. It is presumed that all twins share a similar environment and so genetic similarity can be assessed in a Quasi-experiment.
  17. 17What are adoptions?Research into nature vs nurture conducted by comparing a child's similarity to their biological parents (shared genes) and adopted parents/siblings (shared environment.)
  18. 18What is the MAOA gene?The gene responsible for the activity of the enzyme monoamine oxidase in the brain. The low-activity variant of the gene is closely associated to behaviour.
  19. 19What is variance?***
  20. 20What are concordance rates?A measure of similarity (usually a percentage) between two individuals on sets or sets of individuals on a given trait.
  21. 21What are monozygotic and dizygotic twins?MZ twins have the same genes whereas DZ twins share about 50 percent of genes.
  22. 22What is a meta-analysis?Combining results from a number of studies on a particular topic to provide an overall view.
  23. 23What are the findings of twin studies?For aggressive behaviour defined as direct physical assault, researchers found concordance rates of 50 percent for MZ twins and 19 percent of DZ twins - corresponding figures for verbal aggression were 28 percent and 7 percent.
  24. 24What are the findings of adoption studies?Adoption studies of direct aggression and antisocial behaviour accounted for 41 percent of the variance in aggression, more or less in line with the findings in twin studies.
  25. 25What are the findings of the MAOA gene studies?Men with the low activity of the MAOA gene were found to be the most violent.
  26. 26Evaluation of the genetic factors of aggression, including criticisms or strengths of the studies mentioned in AO1.???
  27. 27What is the definition of ethological explanation?An explanation that seeks to understand the innate behaviour of animals (including humans) by studying them in their natural environment.
  28. 28What is ritualistic aggression?When animals use a range of behaviours to intimidate an opponent, but without engaging in fights.
  29. 29What is adaptive?Any physical or psychological characteristic that enhances an individual's survival and reproduction, and is thus likely to be naturally selected. Such characteristics are passed on to future generations.
  30. 30What is survival?Outliving another animal/organism in order to carry on their species.
    **Check
  31. 31What is natural selection?The major process that explains evolution whereby inherited traits that enhance an animal's reproductive success are passed on to the next generation and thus 'selected', whereas animals without such traits are less successful at reproduction and their traits are not selected.
  32. 32What are innate releasing mechanisms?A biological structure or process (in the brain) which is activated by an external stimulus that in turn triggers a fixed action pattern.
  33. 33What are fixed action patterns?A sequence of stereotyped pre-programmed behaviours triggered by an innate releasing mechanism.
  34. 34What is the ethological explanation of aggression? 1. How aggression is adaptive 2. How ritualistic aggression is adaptive1. Aggression is beneficial to survival because a 'defeated' animal is rarely killed but is forced to establish territory elsewhere - members of species then spread out over wide area - reduces competition and starvation.
    1. Also establishing dominance hierarchies are adaptive because dominance over others brings benefits such as power and resources.
  35. 35What is the ethological explanation of aggression? 1. How aggression is adaptive 2. How ritualistic aggression is adaptive2. Most aggressive behaviour is ritualistic (claws and facial expressions) and rarely reaches the point of becoming physical. Also intra-species aggressive confrontations end with ritual appeasement displays - acceptance of defeat and inhibits aggressive behaviour. This is adaptive because if every aggressive encounter ended with death, threaten existence of species.
  36. 36Describe a fixed action pattern and a innate releasing mechanism in relation to an example.Example: Male sticklebacks
    Procedure: These are highly territorial during the spring mating season, when they also develop red spot on underbelly. If another male enters territory - FAP is initiated. Sight of red spot triggers innate releasing mechanism -IAP.
    Findings: Regardless of shape, if model had red spot stickleback would aggressively display and attack it - if no red spot no aggression. FAP always the same.
  37. 37Evaluate the effectiveness of the ethological explanation in explaining aggression, including using supporting and contradictory studies.***Look at notes.
  38. 38What is evolution explanation?An account of the changes in species over millions of years: characteristics that enhance survival and reproduction are natural selected.
  39. 39What is sexual jealousy?A major motivator of aggressive behaviour in males which can be given an evolutionary explanation.
  40. 40Description of the evolutionary explanation of aggression, including how sexual jealously plays a role.*Unlike women, men can never be be totally sure whether they have fathered a child.
    *This proposes the threat of cockoldry, or having to raise offspring which are not his own which is a waste of resources.
    *This decreases the survival of the man's offspring and increases the survival of the 'father's' genes.
    *Sexual jealousy drives the often aggressive strategies that men employ to retain their partners from 'straying.'
  41. 41Evaluation of the explanation including the strengths and weaknesses.***Refer to notes.
  42. 42What is the frustration aggression hypothesis?A social psychological theory that argues that anger, hostility and even violence are always the outcome when we are prevented from achieving our goal.
  43. 43What are social psychological explanations of aggression?Any theory that argues that aggression is the result of an interaction between an individual's characteristics and features of the situations in which behvaiour occurs.
  44. 44What is the psychodynamic approach?A perspective that describes the different forces, most of which are unconscious, that operate on the mind and direct human behvaiour and experience.
  45. 45Description of the psychodynamic approach, in relation to how it explains aggression using the frustration aggression hypothesis, using an example to support your answer*The hypothesis that frustration always leads to aggression and and aggression is the result of frustration comes from the psychodynamic concept of catharsis and views that aggression is a psychological drive akin to biological drives.
  46. 46Description of the psychodynamic approach, in relation to how it explains aggression using the frustration aggression hypothesis, using an example to support your answer*The hypothesis recognises that aggression is not always expressed directly against the source of frustration for three reasons
    1. Cause of frustration is abstract - economic situation
    2. Cause may be too powerful and we risk punishment by aggressing against it - lower grade then expected
    3. Cause may be unavailable at the time - teacher left before realised grade you got
  47. 47Evaluation of the frustration-aggression hypothesis including supporting and contradictory studiesSupporting research: Green's study
    *Aim: Green carried out study into effects of frustration on aggression
    *Procedure: Male uni students given jigsaw to complete. Three conditions: 1 - puzzle impossible, 2 - ran out of time because confederate kept interrupting, 3 - confederate insulted pps ability to do puzzle.
    *Electric shocks then given to confederate when they made mistake on another task.
    *Results: insulted = strongest shocks, interferred = second. All three more intense then control group (no frustration.)
    ***CA: Male university students = beta bias/ lacks generalisability.
  48. 48Evaluation of the frustration-aggression hypothesis including supporting and contradictory studies***Picture on phone.
  49. 49What is social learning theory?Social learning theory combines cognitive learning theory, which posits that learning is influenced by psychological factors, and behavioural learning theory, which assumes that learning is based on responses to environmental stimuli.
  50. 50What is attention?The extent to which we are exposed/notice the behaviour. For a behaviour to be imitated, it has to grab our attention.
  51. 51What is retention?How well the behaviour is remembered. The behaviour may be noticed but is it not always remembered which obviously prevents imitation.
  52. 52What is motivation?The will to perform the behaviour. The rewards and punishment that follow a behaviour will be considered by the observer. If the perceived rewards outweigh the perceived costs (if there are any), then the behaviour will be more likely to be imitated by the observer.
  53. 53What is reproduction?This is the ability to perform the behavior that the model has just demonstrated. We see much behavior on a daily basis that we would like to be able to imitate but that this not always possible.
  54. 54What is self-efficacy?Extent to which we believe our actions will achieve a desired goal. A child will feel more confident in executing aggression acts if they know it can lead to rewards.
    Example: if someone bullying is rewarded they carry on.
  55. 55What is vicarious reinforcement?Seeing a behaviour being rewarded allows the child to learn that aggressive behaviour will get them the desired outcome.
  56. 56What is vicarious punishment?If a child observes an aggressive behaviour that is punished, they will be less likely to repeat it.
  57. 57Description of Bandura’s social learning theory IN RELATION TO aggression.Procedure: Children were asked to observe an adult role model either being aggressive or non - aggressive towards a bobo doll. The aggressive behaviours included: kicking, hitting with a hammer and shouting. The children were then taken into a new room and given a variety of toys to play with, including the doll and the researchers observed their behaviour.
  58. 58Description of Bandura’s social learning theory IN RELATION TO aggression.Findings: Without being instructed, the children copied their role models including both physical and verbal actions. Some children copied the exact behaviours the tole models produced. The children did so regardless of the role model. Those in the non-aggressive group showed almost no aggressive behaviour.
  59. 59Evaluation of Bandura’s social learning theory of aggression, including the bobo doll study (1961).***phone
  60. 60What is deindividuation?A psychological state in which an individual loses their personal identity and takes on the identity of the group.
  61. 61What is individual identity?Your own identity - not the identity of the group.
  62. 62What is private awareness?Awareness of one's own thoughts and feelings. Attention becomes focused outwardly on the events that are occurring around us, so we pay less attention to own beliefs and feelings and therefore are less self-critical.
  63. 63What is public awareness?The appraisal of other people. The number of people in the crowd is large and therefore a person is not being judged for their actions but the actions of the group. Therefore, there is a diffusion of responsibility.
  64. 64Description of deindividuation as an explanation for aggression, as well as the difference between public and private self-awareness.*Feel like you are able to get away with the behaviour as you are less likely to be identified in the crowd
    *Feel like you are able to merge into the background of a group e.g. football fans
    Practical application:
    *Individuate people
    *Reminders to make own decisions
    *Making people take breaks from video games
  65. 65Evaluation of deindividuation including studies to support and contradict.***Refer to phone.
  66. 66What are dispositional factors?Any explanation of behaviour which accounts for personality.
  67. 67What are situational factors?Any explanation of behaviour which considers the environment.
  68. 68What is the deprivation model?*Suggests the prison environment will affect a person's level of aggression.
    *Explanation suggests prisons 'deprive' people's freedom, which causes them severe stress and consequently leads to aggressive acts, so that they are somewhat in control of their lives.
    *Example: prisoners deprived from autonomy, liberties, phone ect
    *Depriving prisoners of their right to heterosexual relationships can often lead to aggressive acts of homosexual violence.
  69. 69What is the importation model?*It proposes that individuals bring their characteristics and traits from the outside world into prison
    *Suggested if you have come from a subculture where violence and aggression is norm then this will prevail in a prison environment
  70. 70What are the three sub-cultures?1. Convict sub culture - personality follows the norms inherited by those in the criminal profession, they are trustworthy/loyal to other criminals but not aggressive.
    2. Conventional sub culture - personality is most likely to show aggression. They seek positions of power and influence within the institution and use aggression to do this.
    3. Criminal 'thief' sub culture - personality is usually compromised of one time offenders who reject the other subcultures within prison and look to identify more with the staff.
  71. 71Evaluation of institutional aggression including supporting and contradictory studies.Refer to phone.
  72. 72What are longitudinal studies?An observational research method in which data is gathered for the same subjects repeatedly over a period of time.
  73. 73What is a correlation?Correlation is a statistical measure that indicates the extent to which two or more variables fluctuate together.
  74. 74What is a meta-analysis?Meta-analysis is the statistical procedure for combining data from multiple studies. When the treatment effect (or effect size) is consistent from one study to the next, meta-analysis can be used to identify this common effect.
  75. 75What are experimental studies?An experiment is an investigation in which a hypothesis is scientifically tested. In an experiment, an independent variable (the cause) is manipulated and the dependent variable (the effect) is measured; any extraneous variables are controlled.
  76. 76Describe the research which supports that video games cause aggressionAnderson (2010) performed a meta-analysis using 136 studies including longitudinal studies, correlations and experiments.
    Findings: Exposure to violent video games was associated with an increase in aggressive behaviours. This finding was representative across collectivist and individualistic cultures. Researchers argued exposure to violent video games was more of a risk then second-hand smoke.
  77. 77Pros and Cons of Anderson (2010)Pros:
    1. Meta-analyses increase the reliability of the findings.
    2. Across collectivistic and individualistic cultures which means its generalisable and no cultural bias.
    Cons:
    1. Publication bias - does not take into account research that hasn't been published.
    2. Variety in methodology
  78. 78Describe the research with supports that video games cause aggressionDeLisi et. al (2013) studied 227 juvenile offenders, all with histories of serious aggressive behaviour e.g. hitting parents/teachers or gang violence. They collected data using a structured interview gathering information about aggression and violent video game playing.
    Findings:
  79. 79Pros and Cons of Delisi et al**
  80. 80What is desensitisation?*Long term explanation
    Repeated exposure to aggressive/violent acts reduces normal level of physiological and psychological arousal associated with anxiety, making aggressive acts more likely.
  81. 81What is disinhibition?*Short term and long term effect
    Normal social constraints against certain behaviours can be weakened by environmental triggers. These behaviours then appear temporarily socially acceptable and therefore increase the chance of occurring.
  82. 82What is cognitive priming?*Short term
    Violent images provide us with ready-made scripts about aggression which are stored in memory and triggered when we perceive aggressive cues in situations.
  83. 83Description of desensitisationThe sympathetic nervous system is activated when we experience psychological arousal, which causes our heart rate to increase and our blood pressure to increase. However, when children view violent TV or play violent computer games, they become accustomed to its effects.
    Desensitisation can also lead to psychological arousal as it can promote the belief that it is socially acceptable to use aggression as a means of resolving conflict. In particular it has been found that this can decrease empathy for the victims and their injuries.
  84. 84Description of disinhibitionWhen exposed to, violent media can decrease the feelings of restraint one would usually feel. People generally accept that antisocial behaviour is harmful, however video games often minimise these feelings.
    *Hitting/kicking and other violent acts are rewarded and the consequences of these actions are minimised or hidden e.g. COD.
    *Based on SLT.
  85. 85Description of cognitive priming*Idea that we have a schema of how aggressive behaviour should look, which is based on previous experience.
    *Some ideas come from the media (violent video games) and so these cues trigger an automatic response.
  86. 86Evaluation of these ideas including supporting and contradictory studies

Information

Description
Flashcards on Aggression flashcards - checklist followed, created by Millie Carless on 05/02/2019.
Created by
Millie Carless
Views
1
Rating

More on Biological explanations of aggression

Feedback

What is it about?

What do you think of the new look?

How do you like it?