A03

• Point: A limitation is that this there are other brain structures, besides the amygdala, involved in determining aggressive behaviour

  Evidence: For example, the Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is not part of the limbic system but seems to be involved in self-control, impulse regulation and inhibition of aggressive behaviour

  This means that in patients with psychiatric disorders that primarily feature aggressive behaviour, there is a decrease in OFC activity

  Therefore, => that aggressive behaviour is more complex than originally thought as it involves neural structures beyond the limbic system
• P: A :) of the neural explanation for aggression is that there is research evidence to support the role of serotonin

  E: For example, Berman (2009) investigated the effects of paroxetine, a drug which increased serotonin levels, measured aggression levels in a laboratory-based game which involved giving electric shocks

  E: They found that participants who were given the drugs consistently gave fewer and less intense electric shocks compared to the placebo group.

  Therefore, this seems to => that the link between serotonin and aggression is not just correlational but potentially causal as well.
• Point: However, a limitation of the hormonal explanation is that the role of other hormones is often overlooked

  Evidence: For example, Carre and Mehta’s (2011) dual-hormone hypothesis claims that high levels of testosterone leads to aggression, but only when levels of cortisol are low

  Explain: Cortisol plays a central role in the stress response and high levels of cortisol will block testosterone’s influence on aggression

  Link: Therefore, this suggests that testosterone alone may not be the best predictor of aggressive behaviour in humans.