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A* 6 marker on ethological explanations for aggression AQA A Level Psychology
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Outline the ethological explanation for aggression (6 marker)One explanation for aggression is the ethological explanation which looks to understand the innate
behaviour of animals through studying them in their natural environment and setting. This
explanation suggests that if animals behave in terms of natural selection, aggressive behaviour in
animals must have an adaptive function, meaning it is beneficial to those who do it. For example,
aggressive behaviours must aid a species survival through gaining access to resources such as food
and help increase their reproductive success. Lorenz, the founder of the field of study ethology, said
aggression is an instinct and occurs in all members of a species without the need for learning. This
means that it is innate and is mostly genetically determined. Aggression also allows for the
formation of dominance heiraches which is adaptive as it allows some animals to have a higher
status therefore the access to more resources and mates. In addition, once the dominance hierarchy
is established it reduces incidents of aggression between individuals. Lorenz also observed that
animals rarely engage in aggressive behaviours that result in actual injury and proposed that
ritualistic aggression is the most adaptive type of aggression. Animals such as dogs often show the
adaptive behaviour appeasement which suggests that the animal does not want to be aggressive as
this may impair survival. Instead, it is thought to indicate acceptance of defeat and inhibit further
aggression. These behaviours are adaptive, because they prevent injury and death of the animal
therefore the population of the species is not threatened. Innate releasing mechanisms are
biological structures in the brain which are activated by an external stimulus that in turn trigger a
fixed action pattern, a set sequence of behaviours. Tinbergen (1951) investigated sticklebacks by
presenting them with a series of wooden models of different shapes. The findings show that
regardless of shape if the model had a red spot the male stickleback would be aggressive and attack
it. Finally, he found that aggressive FAP´s were unchanging from one encounter to another.
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