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Brain dysfunction and aggression - Coggle Diagram
Brain dysfunction and aggression
aggression
a form of social assertion
causing harm to yourself, others or your environment
can be physical, emotional, mental harm
physical aggression:
violence
social aggression:
spreading rumours
insults
breaking off friendships
threatening someone (causes fear & anxiety)
brain structures
hippocampus:
involved in memory processing
transfers from STM to LTM
amygdala:
emotional centre
handles basic emotions like anger & jealousy
overfunctioning can you lead to aggression
prefrontal cortex:
prefrontal lobe behind forehead
found in both hemispheres
role in controlling emotional responses, social judgements and decision making
connects to parts with dopamine & serotonin
an underfunctioning PFC can cause aggression
limbic system:
emotional control centre of brain
has structures that help us feel our most raw emotions
hypothalamus:
involved in controlling thirst, hunger, body temperature, sexual arousal and the endocrine system
AO3
Downer (1961) amygdala:
monkeys had one amygdala removed
normal behaviour when visual signals sent to amygdala
calmer behaviour when sent to area where amygdala was removed
Raine et al (1997):
found murderers pleading NGRI showed high brain dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala
(less activity in prefrontal cortex, imbalance between two hemispheres of limbic system)
only accounts for extreme aggressive acts that lead to murder
Andy and Velamati (1978) limbic system:
stimulated hypothalamus & limbic system of cats
resulted in aggressive seizures
blocking dopamine increased seizures (measured by howling & hissing)
animal studies can't fully be generalised to humans
differences between humans & animals
e.g. animals have smaller prefrontal cortexes
Phineas Gage (1848) case study:
tamping iron went through skull
damaged prefrontal cortex
caused increased aggression
personality changed radically - became irritable, quick tempered & impatient
Harlow's description of Gage wasn't published until after his death
accounts from this time are often unreliable and conflicting
reductionist approach - only looks at brain dysfunction & ignores other factors