The Role of Neural and Hormonal

Mechanisms in Aggression
To understand how destroying the amygdala reduces
aggression.
Explain how testosterone leads to aggressive behaviour.
Is aggression
Nature or nurture?


Phineas Gage
One of the best examples of
how brain injury can influence
aggressive behaviour is the case
of Phineas Gage.
Working on a railway in 1848, he
had an accident in which a
tamping iron went up through
his face , behind his left eye and
out through the top of his head.
He survived the accident, but his
personality was changed,
including a huge increase in
aggression.

*@!* off, Ive
got a splitting
headache!
Neural Mechanisms
Brain structure
Normal aggressive behaviour is not dependent
on separate brain structures, but interaction of a
system of structures.


Amygdala
Hypothalamus
Periaqueductal
grey
Organised
hierarchically and
moderated by the
pre-frontal cortex.
The Role of the Amygdala
Kluver-Bucy syndrome taming
effect found in rhesus monkeys
by removing part of the
temporal lobes and therefore
destroying the amygdala.
Narabyashi et al (1972) 43 / 51
patients whose amygdala was
destroyed through
psychosurgery showed reduced
aggression afterwards.
Mark & Ervin (1970) case study of
female patient behaviour following
electrical stimulation of amygdala.
She exhibited facial grimacing,
became very angry and flung herself
at the wall.
Ashford (1980) temporal lobe
epileptics often become aggressive,
attacking furniture and people.

The Role of Neurotransmitters
The neurotransmitter serotonin influences aggressive behaviour.
In research with vervet monkeys, reducing serotonin levels
resulted in increased aggressive behaviour, whereas increasing
serotonin decreased the aggressive occurrences.
Drugs to raise serotonin levels, such as trytophan have been
given to juvenile delinquents and unpredictable institutionalised
patients.

The relationships found
here are
CORRELATIONAL. What
are the weaknesses of
correlational research?
So the higher the serotonin level, the
lower the aggression.
Wong et al (1997) criminals with violent tendencies
have reduced size amygdala
Van Elst et al (2000) aggressive patients with temporal
lobe epilepsy, amygdala had lost 20% of its volume.
BUT

Muller et al (2003) showed 6 male psychopaths and 6
male controls a series of positive and negative pictures
whilst in MR scanner. Found increased activity in the
amygdala.
The exact role of the amygdala in
aggression is unclear, but it is
certainly a significant one.
Research suggests an interaction
between the amygdala and the
pre-frontal cortex.
The Role of the Prefrontal Cortex
Regulates the emotional responses driven by the
amygdala.
Damage to prefrontal cortex results in impulsivity,
immaturity and loss of control.
Anderson et al (1999) damage during infancy related
to aggressive behaviour as adults.
Case studies comparing early onset damage with adult
onset damage to frontal lobes.
Early onset patients also performed poorly on tests of
moral and pro-social reasoning.
This brings in a cognitive
element also then.
Remember to think
approaches at all times!
Raine et al (1997)
investigated brain activity of
41 murderers using PET
scans.
Found reduced glucose
metabolism in prefrontal
cortex, suggesting this brain
area is less active than in
normal controls.
Volkow et al (1995) found
violent psychiatric patients
had reduced cerebral blood
flow to prefrontal cortex.
During the 1940s, frontal lobe
lobotomies were performed with
startling regularity ; partly because of
the calming effect on patients with a
range of mental health problems
from depression to ADHD to OCD.
GENETIC
What have animal studies shown about the
possibility that aggression is inherited?

What have concordance studies shown?

What have adoption studies shown?
Now try the gap fill exercise

Using the cut and stick activity
Match up the images to the keywords on the
display paper and then link them to how they
would cause aggression.
NEURAL AND HORMONAL
EXPLANATIONS
NEUROTRANSMITTERS
Serotonin low levels
associated with aggression
Dopamine high levels
associated with aggression
Antidepressants and
antipsychotic drugs reduce
levels of aggression
(treatment-aetiology
fallacy?/cause & effect?)
HORMONES
Testosterone link
between levels and
aggression

Animal research
Sex change individuals
Prison populations
BRAIN
STRUCTURE
The amygdala is a seat
of basic emotions

Stimulation with
electrical impulses
provokes rage
Lesioning provokes
passivity
The prefrontal cortex
is the seat of higher
thinking and is linked
to the amygdala
Damage causes
impulsivity, immaturity
linked to aggression
GROUP
DISPLAY
Why might to
aggression in
groups have been
adaptive?

Humans still use
group display:

WAR
FOOTBALL FANS
LYNCHINGS

Hormones and Aggression -
Testosterone
Beeman (1947) castrated male mice and found that
aggressiveness reduced.
He later injected the mice with testosterone which re-
established their aggressiveness.
Castration has since been used as a method for making
domestic and farm animals more manageable.
Testosterone is also clearly related
to aggression in humans.
Dabbs et al (1995) measured
testosterone in saliva of 692 adult
male prisoners. Found higher
levels in rapists and violent
offenders than in burglars and
thieves.
Dabbs et al (1996) looked at 12
fraternities in 2 universities.
Members of fraternities with
highest levels of testosterone were
described as boisterous and
macho, those with lowest were
attentive and helpful.
But remember these are
correlations and what
do we know about
correlations?..
The same effects of
testosterone are also found in
women.
Dabbs et al (1988) female
prisoners. Testosterone highest
in cases of unprovoked
violence but lowest where
violence was defensive (eg. In
domestic abuse cases)
Other research has found
conflicting results, but this is to do
with the operationalisation of
aggression.
Think MAID now (methods,
approaches, issues, debates)
Working in pairs, come up with
as many points as you can.
Using the information, create a table of
evidence for and against hormones as the
cause of human aggression