Aggression- Ethological explanations

Question 1

what is ethology?

Answer 1

an evolutionary approach based on the study of animals in their natural environment

Question 2

what does ethology suggest about aggression?

Answer 2

it is an innate adaptive response which has evolved in humans and animals to help them survive
-helps get resources (e.g. competing for territory, food or status) or it can scare of predators

Question 3

how is aggression believed to be released in this explanation?

Answer 3

aggression is the result of an evolved automatic biological response in the brain
-when exposed to a sign stimulus, such as facial expressions, this causes the release of an automatic behavioural response

Question 4

what did Lorenz believe about aggression over time?

Answer 4

it increases over time as the urge to be aggressive builds up in animals
-once the internal pressure to be aggressive builds up enough, an environmental cue releases it

Question 5

what does Lorenz’s hydraulic model suggest?

Answer 5

over time, animals build up pent up aggression called action specific energy. when a sign stimulus/ environmental cue is presented, an innate releasing mechanism is triggered, this then initiates a behavioural response called a fixed action potential

Question 6

what is an IRM?

Answer 6

innate releasing mechanism is an innate neurological network that is hardwired into a species
-it detects a specific sign stimulus and triggers aggressive response

Question 7

what is a FAP?

Answer 7

fixed action potential is a stereotyped/ adaptive sequence of behaviour triggered by an IRM

Question 8

characteristics of a FAP

Answer 8

-ballistic
-universal
-stereotyped
-specific

Question 9

ballistic

Answer 9

once initiated, they can’t be stopped

Question 10

universal

Answer 10

within a species- all members of a species show the same pattern of behaviour

Question 11

stereotyped

Answer 11

the behaviour follows a certain pattern

Question 12

specific

Answer 12

to that stimulus

Question 13

A03 ethological
supporting study- Tinbergen

Answer 13

E: found that aggressive behaviour was consistently demonstrated by male stickleback fish in response to the presentation of a red underbelly, regardless of the shape, the response was ballistic
E: aggression was shown until the red stimulus was taken out of the tank (ballistic), the sign stimulus is the red belly that initiated the IRM.

Question 14

A03 ethological
opposition- generalisability

Answer 14

P: extrapolating animal research to human aggression may lack generalisability
E: research to test this explanation is based largely on animal studies, therefore it is difficult to conclude whether human aggression has the same underlying principles
E: humans have a more developed PFC, need to be capable of higher order thinking, follow laws etc, animals have a more instinct response, don’t consider consequences
L: additionally, aggressive cannot be truly measured in animals because intent is not known and cannot be communicated- may be an act of survival not aggression

Question 15

A03 ethological
determinism

Answer 15

P: biologically deterministic stance
E: it assumes humans have no control in whether or not aggressive behaviour is displayed, but instead are controlled by innate hardwired neuronal networks that initiate a FAP behaviour
E: this is problematic as we may not feel accountable for our aggressive behaviour as it is out of our control / in our nature, therefore take no responsibility or attempts to change

Question 16

A03 ethological
cultural differences

Answer 16

P: does not account for cultural differences in aggressive behaviour
E: research has shown there is great variation in aggression cross-culturally e.g. aggression can be influenced by learned values, socialisation
E: this therefore challenges the assumption that human aggression is driven by hardwired neurological network that is innate and pre-programmed
L: ethological explanations alone are therefore insufficient in accounting for human aggression