Neural Mechanisms in Aggression
How the naural and hormonal mechanisms affect aggression :)
- Created by: ErinMay
- Created on: 27-02-14 13:48
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- Neural Mechanisms in Aggression
- Neuro- transmitters
- Serotonin
- Serotonin said to inhibit emotionally provoked aggression
- Raleigh et al found that monkeys fed on diet that caused high levels of serotonin showed decreased levels of aggression
- Low levels of serotonin linked with impulsive behaviour, aggression, and also violent suicide
- Male participant given a drug known to deplete Serotonin, then given a self report questionnaire and their aggression and hostility measured, found to be more aggressive
- Serotonin said to inhibit emotionally provoked aggression
- Dopamine
- Less of a strong link with dopamine and aggression.
- Found that increasing dopamine levels by amphetamines has been found to increase aggression.
- Antipsychotics that reduce dopamine also reduce aggression
- Thought that a reward pathway forms from aggression, achievement gained from aggression and dopamine acts as the reward.
- Less of a strong link with dopamine and aggression.
- Serotonin
- Hormonal Mechanisms
- Testosterone
- Testosterone thought to affect aggression levels in young males onwards
- Salivary studies in violent and non violent criminals, much higher levels of testosterone in the violent-crime criminals, and much lower levels in the non-violent criminals.
- Thought that male testosterone levels can rise so sharply because humans are monogamous and the testosterone rises sharply in such animals when he is challenged for his female.
- Albert et al said there was inconsistent evidence, as a lot of stuides have also found no correlation between aggressiveness and testosterone, and the experiments often use small male samples from prison that use self report methods
- Mazur said aggression is just a dominance behaviour, as we are often aggressive without the intent to harm.
- Testosterone thought to affect aggression levels in young males onwards
- Cortisol
- Cortisol has mediating effects on aggression hormones like testosterone as it increases anxiety and likelihood of social withdrawal.
- Dabbs et al found high levels of cortisol inhibit testosterone and therefore inhibit aggression
- Found low levels of cortisol in habitual violent criminals.
- Study of four year old boys found that those with low levels of cortisol were antisocial at a younger age and exhibited 3 times more aggressive symptoms and those with higher or fluctuating cortisol levels
- Cortisol has mediating effects on aggression hormones like testosterone as it increases anxiety and likelihood of social withdrawal.
- Testosterone
- Neuro- transmitters
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