Ethological Explanation of Aggression

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  • Created by: rosannaaa
  • Created on: 08-04-18 12:44
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  • ETHOLOGICAL EXP OF AGG
    • Ethology = study of animal behaviour in natural settings
    • Lorenz = agg is an innate tendency triggered by environmental stimuli
    • Innate Releasing Mech, Fixed Action Pattern
    • Dominance gives them special status, happens in humans too.
  • Agg is an adaptive response, an individual will be more likely to pass on their genes if they're able to gain upper hand in competition for food, mates territory.
  • Adaptive Functions of agg - eth exp suggest main function of agg is adaptive.
    • Agg is beneficial to survive because a deflated animal is rarely killed but rather is forced to establish territory elsewhere.
      • This means members of a species spread out over a wider area and have to discover resources in different place, reducing competition pressure and possibility of starvation.
  • Other adaptive function is to establish dominance hierarchies. Male chimpanzees use agg to climb troops social hierarchy.
  • Ritualisitic agg = series of behaviours carried out in a set order.
    • One of Lorenz' early observations of fights between animals of same species was how little actual physical damage was done.
      • Most agg encounters consisted mainly of a period ritualistic signalling.
  • IRM, FAP = IRM is a built in physiological process or structure, network of neurons in the brain.
    • Environmental stimulus triggers IRM which then releases specific sequence of behaviours.
      • This sequence is called FAP - 6 features.
    • ETHOLOGICAL EXP OF AGG
      • Ethology = study of animal behaviour in natural settings
      • Lorenz = agg is an innate tendency triggered by environmental stimuli
      • Innate Releasing Mech, Fixed Action Pattern
      • Dominance gives them special status, happens in humans too.
  • 1)stereotyped or unchanging sequences of behaviours.
  • 2)universal, same behaviour found in every individual of species
  • 3)unaffected by learning
  • 4)ballistic - once triggered, it follows course and cannot be altered until completion.
  • 5)single purpose
  • 6)Response to identifiable specific sign stimulus.

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