Ethological AO3

• What did Green (1994) find?

  On a biological level at least, all mammals have the brain structure as humans
• What does Green's (1994) study mean for the ethological explanation?

  Support the core underlying assmption of the theory that aggression in non-human animals can be extrapolated to humans because we are all subject to the same forces of natural selection
• How might the ethological approach lack generalisability despite extrapolating to all mammalian species?

  Recent human studies have shown markers for motor inhibition when preparing for an action
• Why is it significant that the ethological approach to aggression does not necessarily apply to humans?

  Human behaviour is not 'ballistic' and be inhibited through socialisation and higher-order cognitive functioning; cannot be applied to humans outside academic quarters
• What did Goodall (2010) find to contradict the theory of appeasement in ritualistic aggression?


  Study of chimpanzee behaviour showed systematic slaughtering of one group by another that was stronger
• What does Goodall's (2010) suggest about the ethological approach to aggression?


  Lack of appeasement from an ethological standpoint is difficult to explain; therefore this behavior cannot be described to be adaptive; theory lacks theoretical credibility as it has been dismantled
• What did Cohen and Nisbett (1997) find about cultural differences in the ethological approach?

  Over a 20-year period, culture of honour states had twice as many school shootings per capita
• What does Cohen and Nisbett's (1997) research suggest about the ethological approach to aggression?

  Cultural differences, such as high variation in aggression, is problematic for the ethological explanation to account for - this behaviour cannot be innate