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Question: Discuss the role of neural and hormonal mechanisms in aggression (21/24)
A2 level Psychology
Answer: Research supporting the role of testosterone in aggression comes from Vom Saal (1983). He noted the differences in aggressiveness in female lab rats and investigated the possibility that this was due to their experience in the womb. He found that when they were born, the female rats which gestated closest to male rats were the most aggressive female rats in the litter. This concludes and supports the idea that the more exposure you have to testosterone whilst in the womb, the more likely you are to show aggressive behaviour.
A weakness of this study is that it’s biologically reductionist as it ignores environmental interactions. The Social learning theory of aggression states that aggression is learnt indirectly through vicarious reinforcement. Therefore the female rats in this study could be showing aggressive behaviour because they have indirectly learnt it through growing up wit...(short extract)
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- Subject: Psychology
- Course: A2 Level Psychology
- Level: A-Level
- Year: Not applicable
- Mark: 84%
- Words: 1010
- Date submitted: May 29, 2014
- Date written: Not available
- References: No
- Document type: Essay*
- Essay ID: 5765
