Individual and developmental differences

• Brain activation

  • Prefrontal cortex
  • Amygdala
  • Raine - Prefrontal cortex and limbic system are linked to aggression - biological basis - jeans different people pose to different areas being activated
• Brain damage

  • Phineas Gage - damage measured in modern day Damasio - damage involved both left and right prefrontal cortices - explains sudden change in heightened aggressive behaviour
• Freud ideas

  Explain hot blooded and cold blooded people

  Hot blooded aggression = ID acting out

  Cold blooded aggression = Ego successfully controlling and guiding id impulses
• Hormones

  Testosterone increases aggression

  • Edward - rats given testosterone in womb were much more aggressive when given testosterone as adults - testosterone in whey can develop into future aggression
  • mazur 1983 - inter male aggression increases significantly during puberty
• Evolution - changing humans characteristics overtime survival of the fittest

  Aggression is evolutionary advantageous for reproduction and survival - Hill and hurtado