Ethological explanations

• What is the basis of ethological behaviour?

  
  

  Ethologists study the behaviour pattern of animals. They note that aggression is an innate instinct caused by environmental triggers known as releasers. It is also supported by genetic and neural explanations. 
• Benefits of aggression?

  • Lorenz argued that aggression helps animals survive as it distributes them across land that makes the most efficient use of resources like food.
  • A defeated male is rarely killed so they go elsewhere to establish territory and this means that the species are widespread as they discover other resourceful places.
  • This reduces competition and possibility of starvation. 
  • Aggression can also be used in dominance hierarchies where ranking animal gets access to mates. This happens in primates and humans. 
  • Ethologists argue that findings can be generalized to humans
• IRM's and FAP's?

  • An environmental trigger like bared teeth can cause the IRM.
  • The Innate releasing mechanism is an in-built physiological process like a system of neurons in the brain.
  • This can then lead to a sequence of behaviours called the Fixed action pattern.
  • This is adaptive as the aggression should be enough to deter individuals without violence.
• Types of FAP's?

  Lea (1984) - FAP’s have several main features: 

  • Stereotyped - behaviour occurs in the same way every time
  • Universal - found in every individual of every species 
  • Unaffected by learning - same for every individual regardless of experience
  • Ballistic - Once happens, it can’t be changed
  • Specific trigger - Each FAP has a specific trigger known as a sign stimulus
• Key study into IRM and FRP's?

  • Male sticklebacks are territorial during mating season when they develop a red spot on their underbelly.
  • If a male enters, highly stereotyped behaviours are initiated (FAP). The red spot is the trigger.
  • Wooden models were presented of various shapes, some with red spots
  • They found that if the wooden model did have a red spot regardless of whether it was lifelike or not, the red stickleback attacked
  • If there was no red underbelly, it never attacked.
  • The FAP’s were unchanging once triggered, the FAP ran its course without the need for further stimulus
• Negative evaluation regarding low order animals?

  • Lorenz and Tinbergen did not study higher order animals such as primates yet Lorenz still made generalisations to aggressive behaviours in humans.
  • Humans are also flexible in adapting to an ever changing environment and have a more developed PFC.
  • FAP’s to aggression in humans are not adaptive in today’s modern world - imprisonment.
  • Human behaviour is much less predictable and varied so the theory is not valid.
• Individual difference in FAP's?

  • FAP’s are greatly influenced by environmental factors and learning experiences, there may be subtle variations between the FAP’s within the same species in aggression.
  • For example, not all dogs attack others as they have been taught not to.
  • FAP’s can be made up of different behaviours and may last longer compared to other individuals.
  • This suggests huge flexibility, making some ethologists call it a behaviour pattern.
  • This reduces validity as it does not predict that all FAP’s will be the same. 
• Real-life evidence against ethological explanations?

  • IRM’s and fixed action patterns are meant to be adaptive as they lead to a deterrence of non violence.
  • However, there is evidence of animals killing their own species.
  • In a documentary, Jane Goodall observed chimpanzees in the national park Gombe in Tanzania.
  • In a “4 year war”, the chimpanzees systematically killed all the members of another chimp group.
  • This violence was coordinated and premeditated, which is not adaptive for the survival of species.
• Reductionist?

  • Aggression is reduced to innate instincts and therefore focusing on nature.
  • It neglects social factors. Instincts will be modified by culture.
  • The Kung san people of Kalahari have very negative attitudes towards aggression and have their status reduced if aggressive.
  • However the Yanomami tribe  are described as very fierce and aggression which elevates status in their society.
  • However in western society people will not act on aggression if the consequence is prison.
  • These cultural differences cannot be explained by ethological theory.