Hormones

• :) Supporting evidence by Hawke

  found that convicted sex offenders that had been castrated had loss of sex drive, showing testes responsible for secreting testosterone, which increases sexual aggression. T/f  supporting theory that testosterone is linked to aggression​
• :) Supporting evidence by Dapps


  measured testosterone in saliva of 89 prisoners involved in violent + non-violent crimes found higher levels in violent crime. T/f testosterone linked to violence + aggression​
• :( Unethical human research

  men castrated in procedure, social control. T/f unethical and less human studies can be conducted​
• :( Reductionist

  only considers idea that testosterone/hormones causes aggression, however ignores other biological explanations like neurotransmitters/brain structures. T/f too simplistic​
• AO1 1 - chem messengers

  Hormones are chemical messengers that transmit information around the body​. They are carried in blood and operate all around the body​, and fluctuating levels of various hormones can cause an increase in aggression
• AO1 2 - slower, long term

  Slower than CNS at passing messages, however tend to affect longer-term changes​, excreted by glands in the endocrine system​ which release different hormones in different situations, e.g. cortisol is released during times of high stress and activates the fight-or-flight response, which may lead to aggression
• AO1 3 - affect behaviour

  Hormones affect behaviour and cause physical changes in the body – E.g. oxytocin released by pituitary gland increases trust in people, and so low levels cause distrust and conflict.
• AO1 4 - testosterone

  Testosterone is an androgen secreted in the testes. ​It has been found that prenatal exposure to testosterone has an organising effect on the developing brain, leading to increased spatial and competitive aggression.​