Aggression Essay Question Flashcards
(25 cards)
General structure of essay
Intro
Testosterone + Aggression
Serotonin + Aggression
Dopamine + Aggression
Situational Factors
Conclusion
Testosterone definition + links found
-Hormone that is prevalent in men, regulates libido, muscle mass, strength, bone mass
-Plays neuroactive role in affecting aggression
-Link between endogenous T levels and aggression is well established in various species and humans.
Who did the study on testosterone and faces
(Nan et al, 2024)
Method + Findings of Nan et al study
-Double blind study
-Gave participants either testosterone or placebo gel, and had them rate their perception of neutral and angry/fearful faces.
-Found that T reduced sensitivity to these angry faces, therefore lowering threat recognition and increasing confrontation.
What theory was Nan et al. actually testing
The thought that testosterone can operate through threat perception
Who did the study on how we react to peoples indicators of testosterone?
(Jensen & Peterson, 2011)
What was the method + findings of Jensen & Peterson’s study?
-Men looked at photos of men with different “facial formidability levels”, and decide how harshly they should be punished.
-Found that men were more likely to punish formidable looking men, but only if the offence was serious
-Suggests we consider how threatening people look and whether they break social rules
Definition of Serotonin
-Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in regulation of emotions, sleep, digestion.
-Due to impact on mood, affects social behaviour
Study that found low levels of serotonin has been linked to aggression in animals
(Edwards & Kravitz, 1997)
Study that found that fish lower in rank found to have enhanced serotonin levels, suggesting serotonin inhibits dominance aggression.
(Winberg & Lepage, 1997)
Conclusions of serotonin paragraph
-Low serotonin -> poor inhibition of aggressive behaviour -> increased likelihood of offending
-Not all aggression is impulsive (planned aggression may not involve serotonin)
-Human behaviour is shaped by learning, context, and decision-making - serotonin’s influence is likely modulatory rather than deterministic
Dopamine
Neurotransmitter involved in the reward system, gives feeling of pleasure
Reward system
-Dopamine receptors increase electrical impulses when unexpected rewards occur, if reward is better than expected, more dopamine, if reward is worse than expected, less dopamine.
-Drugs exploit this (cocaine) (Fisher, 2006)
-Due to this pleasure, dopamine is linked to addiction and impulsivity
Who found that offenders have high rates of addiction, linking dopamine to drug reward systems
(Tweed, Gounari, & Graham, 2019)
Who found that impulsivity is a key factor in aggression
(Bresin, 2019)
What drawaways/ critiques are there of dopamine
-Dopamine is essential for learning, so it’s not a bad thing
-The effects depend on context and triats such as impulsivity and addiction
How to start situational factors paragraph
-Note that neurotransmitters don’t act in isolation
What study notes the complication of aggression, and that testosterone does, finding moderators such as sex, and offender type
(Geniole et al, 2020)
Who did the study on playing as a male avatar
(Yang, Huesmann, & Bushman, 2014)
Method + Findings of (Yang, Huesmann, & Bushman, 2014)
-Male and females played as either a male or female avatar, and either violent or non-violent game
-Aggression was rated after using hot sauce paradigm
-Found that playing as male avatar increased subsequent aggression in both male and female players
-Effect was stronger in males, perhaps because they identified more with the character
-Consistent with priming theory and social learning theory
Who made the study on perceived scarcity scale (SES)
(DeSousa & Rego, 2022)
Findings + Link to question of (DeSousa & Rego, 2022)
-Found that perceived scarcity/ socioeconomic stress linked to chronic stress, poor mental health, anxiety and depression
-Those things are associated with dysregulation of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin
-Increases risk of aggressive behaviour
Method + Findings of (Velez et al, 2014)
-All participants played Halo 2
-Either competitively, cooperatively, or solo play
-Aggression measure was “competitive reaction time test”, where they believed they were playing against someone, and choose the intensity and duration of noise blast
-Found that people that played competitively has least aggression
-Competitive play increased aggression
Who did study on competitive and cooperative play in games
(Velez et al, 2014)
