3.1.6 hormones Flashcards
what are hormones?
- chemical messengers that transmit information around the body
- produced and secreted by glands (endocrine system)
- carried in the blood and operate all around the body, affecting target organs.
how do hormones affect behaviour?
- by binding to cells in organs around the body and changing how they function which can change our mood and behaviour
- hormones take longer to work compared to neurotransmitters and produce longer-lasting changes in the body.
adrenaline - gland + behaviour
- adrenal gland secretes adrenaline in response to threats/stressors
- triggers fight or flight response
cortisol - gland + behaviour
- adrenal gland secretes cortisol in response to stressors
- protects body against effects of stress which makes us less stressed BUT causes damage with long-term stress
melatonin - gland + behaviour
- pineal gland releases melatonin in response to fall in daylight levels
- makes us feel sleepy
what is testosterone?
testosterone is an androgen – it promotes the development of male secondary sexual characteristics, and the production of sperm.
what role does testosterone play in aggression?
- testosterone has a role in regulating social behaviour, through its influence on areas of the brain involved in aggression
- High levels of testosterone are associated with increased aggression,
- testosterone increases activity in the amygdala. the amygdala’s responsibility is to detect threats and it responds to threats with aggression.
Dual-hormone hypothesis
Interaction between cortisol and testosterone is an accurate prediction than looking at them separately…
High levels of testosterone leads to aggressive behaviour only when cortisol levels are low
When cortisol is high, testosterone’s influence on aggression is blocked
supporting evidence for hormones (ao3)
- dabbs et al - testosterone levels (saliva swab) were higher in male prisoners who had been convicted of a violent crime compared to those who had been convicted of a non-violent crime.
- measured testosterone in the saliva of 87 female inmates and found that the degree of criminal violence used by these women, positively correlated with testosterone level.
- Testosterone also correlated with the extent of women’s aggressive dominance in the prison.
therefore valid explanation of aggression
contradicting evidence for hormones (ao3)
Raine - deficit in the pre-frontal cortex causes issues with controlling impulsive aggressive behaviour, imbalance in amygdala causes issues interpreting threats
Results: Difference in pre-frontal cortex activity between NGRI’s and controls
( -0.04) and NGRI’s had an imbalance in the amygdala (lower on left side,
compared to right side)
T- hormones is not a valid explanation as there are alternate exp
application to real life for hormones (ao3)
P - Application to real life
E - Maletzky et al., 2006 found that a testosterone lowering drug (Depo-Provera) reduced levels of sexually aggressive behaviour in some offenders.
T - This is good because reducing violent crime can have a positive impact on individuals, communities and the whole of society.
reductionst - hormones (ao3)
P: A further weakness of this theory is that it is biologically reductionist
E: It reduces complex agg. beh. down to chemical messages in the body thus
focussing on nature, therefore ignoring nurture. SLT suggests role models
influence beh. If a child identities with an agg. role model, it’s likely they will imitate their beh.
T: This limits the validity of the hormone explanation because it is not holistic.
hormones conclusion ao3
The hormone explanation is valid and is highly scientific, meaning it can benefit society, however psychologists must be cautious because this is only to an extent because other factors have been proven to play a role too.
