Hormonal Mechanisms in Aggression
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- Created on: 13-06-22 12:11
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- Hormonal Mechanisms in Aggression
- Testosterone
- Studies of gender differences find males are typically more aggressive than females
- This could be due to biological differences such as levels of testosterone
- The hormone is produced by both males and females but males produce 10 times more than females.
- Highest levels of testosterone are produced in males aged 15 – 25, the group most likely to commit violent crimes
- Testosterone is thought to influence aggression due to its action on brain areas involved in controlling aggression
- Studies of gender differences find males are typically more aggressive than females
- STRENGTH
- P - Supporting evidence for the role of testosterone in aggression is provided by Dabbs
(1995).
- E - He measured testosterone in saliva of 692 adult male prisoners and found higher levels in
rapists and violent offenders than in burglars and thieves.
- E - He measured testosterone in saliva of 692 adult male prisoners and found higher levels in
rapists and violent offenders than in burglars and thieves.
- L - These findings add value to research into testosterone and aggression as it shows the effects are not androcentric.
- E - He measured testosterone in saliva of 692 adult male prisoners and found higher levels in
rapists and violent offenders than in burglars and thieves.
- E - He measured testosterone in saliva of 692 adult male prisoners and found higher levels in
rapists and violent offenders than in burglars and thieves.
- P - Supporting evidence for the role of testosterone in aggression is provided by Dabbs
(1995).
- WEAKNESS
- P - A limitation of the role of testosterone is that evidence in humans is mixed.
- E - This is because some research shows hormones other than testosterone are also
significantly involved in aggression
- E - For example, Carre and Mehta's (2011) dual hormone hypothesis claims high testosterone
only leads to aggression when cortisol is low. When cortisol is high testosterone's
influence on aggression is blocked.
- L - This suggests that the combined activity of testosterone and cortisol may be a better predictor of human aggression than testosterone alone.
- E - For example, Carre and Mehta's (2011) dual hormone hypothesis claims high testosterone
only leads to aggression when cortisol is low. When cortisol is high testosterone's
influence on aggression is blocked.
- E - This is because some research shows hormones other than testosterone are also
significantly involved in aggression
- P - Neural & hormonal mechanisms do not account for social and environmental factors
that influence aggression.
- E - The social learning explanation suggests that aggression is learned from role models in
the environment.
- E - For example, Bandura et al (1961) found the children who had observed the adult being
rewarded behaved most aggressively and those who had observed the adult being told
off behaved least aggressively
- L - This means that neural and hormonal explanations of aggression are limited and do not provide a complete explanation for aggression
- E - For example, Bandura et al (1961) found the children who had observed the adult being
rewarded behaved most aggressively and those who had observed the adult being told
off behaved least aggressively
- E - The social learning explanation suggests that aggression is learned from role models in
the environment.
- P - A limitation of the role of testosterone is that evidence in humans is mixed.
- Testosterone
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