hormonal mechanisms of aggression
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Cards (19)
- hormonal explanation?
- how biochemistry affects aggression
- what is testosterone?
- male sex hormone
- produced from testes gland
- role of testosterone?
- thought to influence aggression from young adulthood onwards due to its action on brain areas involved in controllong aggression
- supported by fact men are more aggressive - 10x more testosterone
- men get less aggressive as they get older - declines across mans lifespan
- link testosterone & serotonin?
- testosterone acts on serotonin synapses to reduce serotonin transmission
- links neural & hormonal explanations together
- research into testosterone?
- dolan 2001
- dolan 2001?
- found positive coorelation between testosterone levels & aggressive behaviours in sample of 60 male offenders in uk maximum security hospitals
- shows hormonal mechanisms do influence aggression
- when testosterone levels increase so does aggressive behaviour
- BUT correlation does not equal causation
- 3 * of hormonal mechanisms?
- empirical evidence from van goozen et al
- evidence to support from dabbs
- evidence to support from beeman
- * empirical evidence from van goozen 1995?
- conducted study to see if changes in testosterone levels altered aggressive behaviour
- followed sample of transgenser patients before & after hormone therapy
- bio males to females decreased testosterone levels
- bio females to males increased levels
- found tendency for aggression to decrease in male to female transitions/vice versa
- shows when we experimentally manipulate/alter biochemistry it impacts behaviour
- high levels of testosterone linked to aggression levels - biological cause
- * evidence from dabbs 1995?
- measured testosterone levels from saliva of 692 adult male prisoners
- found there was much higher levels of testosterone in violent offenders - rapists that in non violent who commited petty crime - burglars/theives
- shows high levels of testosterone linked to increased aggression levels
- those who were more violent had increased levels adding to validity
- X contradictory evidence from dabbs?
- study is correlational so its a more ethical way of studyiny hormonal mechanisms in aggression
- would be unethical to manipulate testosterone levels
- HOWEVER we dont know whether is is abnormality with hormones which causes aggression or whether person is already aggressive which changes their hormonal structure
- may be other factors involved - childhood upbringing
- affects aggression
- evidence from beeman 1947?
- castrated male mice reducing levels of testosterone so aggressivess reduced
- later injected mice with testosterone which re-established their aggression
- shows testosterone does influence aggression
- when castrated testosterone levles decreased showing less aggression
- reinforces hypothesis that high levels of testosterone increase aggression
- X contradictory evidence from beeman?
- more ethical to research on animals
- too unethical to castrate human males to lower their levels of testosterone to see effect this would have on aggression - breaks protection from harm
- HOWEVER difficult to generalise findings to humans as our biology is much more complex & we have different intellectual/social/emotional experiences that affect behaviour
- so cannot say that having higher level of testosterone in humans will cause aggression same as mice
- X biologically deterministic?
- pro: cause & effect so empirical & used to develop practical applications to treat agg
- allows us predict & prevent future behaviour eg identify whos at risk look at levels of hormone & meds to prevent imbalance
- con: implies that agg caused by biochem - out of our control/not in free will
- potential socially sensitive - criminals absolved - less responsible - biochem/hormone
- may upset/offend victims/families
- feel removal of blame minimises significance of trauma
- excuse/normalise agg in others
- males naturally have more testos -lead to negative stereotyping