Hormonal factors

• Basic introduction?

  • Observations of many species has led to the belief that aggression happens more in males than females.
  • One reason for this is that males have testosterone, a male sex hormone.
  • Testosterone is responsible for sperm production and other secondary characteristics, it is associated with aggression.
• Real life of testosterone?

  • Research has shown that aggression increases in puberty due to increased testosterone.
  • When mice are castrated, their testosterone as well as aggression drops. It is also seen in lower order animals. 
  • Androgens can not be given to humans ethically as it may take a longitudinal study as well as health risks to it. 
• Key Prison study?

  • Alternatively, Dabbs et al (1995) investigated the link between testosterone, crime and prison behaviour.
  • They measured the testosterone from the salivas of 692 male adult prisoners.
  • There was a positive correlation between testosterone levels and severity of violence.
  • Prisoners with sex and violence had more testosterone levels than those with theft or burglary, they had more prison rules broken
• Androcentric?

  • The research only focuses on males. Even when women have less levels of testosterone, the relationship still just about applies.
  • Dabbs (1988) looked at 84 female prisoners with their testosterone and criminal history.
  • They found testosterone was related to criminal violence, the relationship was not straightforward.
  • Higher testosterone in women who were charged with unprovoked violence and etc. 
• Negative correlational evaluation?

  • The research is correlational, there is bi-directional ambiguity.
  • It could be aggression causing testosterone rather than testosterone causing aggression.
  • There is evidence in real life where in status conflicts, testosterone decreases in losers but rises in winners.
  • Therefore, testosterone affects behaviour but also responds to it. 
• Deterministic?

  • Aggression is determined by levels of hormones.
  • This has led to the suggestion of chemical castration, which is socially sensitive.
  • As testosterone is linked with high levels of aggression, then castrating should reduce the aggression.
  • However, the data is correlational and may be other factors influencing so chemical castration may not be the most effective solution . 
• Reductionist?

  • It reduces complex human behaviour of aggression to high levels of testosterone, it focuses on the role of nature.
  • It is likely that there are many other reasons for aggression such as SLT.
  • SLT states that aggression can be learnt due to our environment arguing for the role of nurture.
  • Aggression is likely due to combination of biological vulnerability and environmental trigger - (diathesis stress model)