biological

• evolution of aggression is survival of the fittest which is the tendancy to show aggressive behaviours is partly embedded in our genes
• maladaptive is when the environment changes and aggression is not needed to survive
• the amygdala has a central role in how an organism assesses and responds to environmental threats
• the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is the region of the brain for rational thinking that regulates impulse control
• neutrotransmitters include serotonin and dopamine
• serotonin - levels in OFC normally associated with a reasonable degree of behavioural self control. decrease in serotonin levels can lead to impulse behaviours
• dopamine- helps regulate motivational behaviours and our experience of reward. interacts with serotonin to influence aggression
• serotonin underactivity stimulutes dopamine overactivity to cause aggression
• hormones include testosterone and cortisol
• testosterone is the male sex hormone which is associated with increased aggression
• cortisol is the hormone associated with the stress response. individuals with lower levels of cortisol are less inhibited and are more inclined to take risks and act impulsively
• the MAOA gene controls the production of an enzyme called monoamine oxide A (MAO-A). one variant of the MAOA gene leads to low MAO-A activity in some areas of the brain and is associated with aggressive behaviour
• a strength of the biological explanation of aggression is that it has supporting evidence for the role of the amygdala as it predicts the degree of aggressive behaviour
• a weakness of the biological explanation of aggression is that there is no clear link between serotonin, testosterone or cortisol and aggression