Hormonal mechanisms

• Testosterone higher in men and linked to aggression - AO1


  Observation that males are generally more aggressive than females

  - Attention on research looking at hormonal influences is focused on male sex hormones testosterone
• Testosterone - AO1

  - A hormone from the androgen group that is produced mainly in the male testes and in similar amounts in the female ovaries.

  - Also associated with aggressiveness

  - It has a role in regulating social behaviour via its influences on certain area of the brain implicated in aggression
• Donald et al (2001) - procedure and findings - AO1


  - Found positive correlation between testosterone levels and aggressive behaviours in a sample of 60 male offenders in UK maximum security hospitals.

  - These men mostly suffered from personality disorders such as psychopathy and had histories of impulsively violent behaviour
• Giammanco et al (2005) - AO1


  • Conducted animal studies
  • Demonstrated experimental increases in testosterone are related to greater aggressive behaviour in several species
  • Also found the converse was true - testosterone decrease leads to decreased aggression in castration studies
• Research into hormonal influences towards aggression - AO1

  - Giammanco et al (2005) - testosterone leads to more aggressive behaviour in many species

  - Donald et al (2001) - Found positive correlation between testosterone levels and aggressive behaviours in a sample of 60 male offenders in UK maximum security hospitals.
• AO3 research into hormonal influences for aggression

  - Mazur (1985) - formulated the biosocial model of status (BMoS)

  - Mehta and Josephs (2006) - confirmed hypothesis of BMoS

  - Carre and Mehata (2011) - developed the dual-hormone hypothesis

  - Anne Popma et al (2007) - study on adolescent males confirms this dual-hormone hypothesis in relation to direct physical aggression
• Biosocial model of status (BMoS) - AO3

  P - There has been plausible mechanisms developed to help explain the effects of testosterone

  E - Mazur (1985) - formulated the biosocial model of status suggests changes to testosterone levels following a loss of status should affect post-competition aggression

  A - Supported by Mehta and Josephs (2006) of the losers in a lab-based competition game - whose testosterone levels rose after loss - 73% rechallenged- But the losers whose testosterone levels dropped - only 22% rechallenged
• Other hormones - AO3

  P - Evidence suggesting link between testosterone and aggression is not simple

  E - Carre and Mehata (2011) developed the dual-hormone hypothesis. High levels of testosterone lead to aggressive behaviour but only when levels of cortisol are low

  A - When cortisol levels are high testosterone influence on aggression is blocked. Popma et al (2007) study on adolescent males confirms this hypothesis.

  L - This means that the combined activity of testosterone and cortisol may be a much better predictor for human aggression compared to just one hormone alone.