Ethological explanations

• the assumption is that ethological explanations can be extrapolated to humans because we are all subject to the same forces of natural selections
• looking at animals in their natural setting means we can understand the way aggression has helped the evolutionary process
• looking at animal behaviour in laboratory settings allows for high control, which isn't possible to the same extent with human participants
• according to ethology, aggression is an instinct that occurs in all members of the same species without the need of learning
• in ethology, the main function of aggression is adaptive and used to establish dominance which brings them power to get their own way and access to resources
• Lorenz (1935) believed that animals have an innate mechanism for aggressive behaviour, which is a drive that needs to be satisfied. the drive builds up, until the animal behaves aggressively and it's released
• the specific neural circuit that monitors aggressive behaviour is the innate releasing mechanism (IRM) which is hardwired into the brain of the animal. the aggression is also activated by specific external stimuli which triggers a fixed aggressive reaction
• all members of the same species have a series of stereotyped behaviours which Timbergen (1951) called fixed action patterns (FAPs). FAPs are produced by the IRM which is triggered by a specific stimulus
• Lea (1984) found 5 characteristics of FAPs

  1. stereotyped: the behaviour always occurs in the same way
  2. universal: the behaviour is the same across all individuals of the same species
  3. independent of individual experience: the behaviour is innate, with no learning involved. they're the same for every individual, regardless of experience
  4. ballistic: once triggered, the FAP can't be changed or stopped
  5. specific triggers: each FAP has a specific trigger that occurs in a specific situation