ethological explanations of agression (2)
- Created by: lizzyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
- Created on: 22-03-21 11:23
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- Ethological explanations of aggression
- Ethology
- Study of animal behaviour in natural settings
- They believe aggression is an instinct- we don't learn it and these behaviours are adaptive (helps us to survive)
- Lorenz argued aggression is an instinct evolved to ensure only fittest males would pass genes on to next generation
- Ethologist will generalise animal behaviour to explain human behaviour
- Why are we born with aggressive instincts?
- establish dominance hierarchies
- Can protect resources such as land/ food
- Give us better access to resources such as food/ females
- behaviours of appeasement
- Behaviours to stop in species fighting becoming a kill
- Ritualistic aggression
- Non- physical aggression that takes the form of ritualised displays
- These help to assess relative strength and may prevent costly and dangerous physical aggression taking place
- Innate releasing mechanism
- Are hard-wired brain networks that respond to specific stimuli by initiating a fixed action pattern, set sequence of behaviours
- when a dog sees a cat running away from them, they have an instinctive response to chase the cat. When cat is still IRM isn't activated, but when it runs IRM is activated. Chasing behaviour of dog (fixed action pattern)
- Fixed action pattern
- A predictable series of actions triggered by a cue (key stimulus)
- Ethology
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