ethological explanation

    Cards (3)

    • what are ethological explanations for aggression?
      aggression is adaptive due to:
      • increases survival chance, appeasement forces 'loser' to find a new habitat
      • increases social status in a hierarchy
    • what is ritualistic aggression
      no physical damage occurs in a fight, aggressive rituals and conflict ends in a ritual display of defeat (showing skin on neck)
    • what are fixed action patterns and innate releasing mechanisms
      FAPs- sequence of behaviours occurring automatically due to innate releasing mechanisms
      IRMs- network that responds to a stimulus and triggers a specific response
      Tinbergen- stickleback fish- male fish enters another's territory and behaves aggressively, red on underbelly triggers IRM and leads to FAP