Discuss genetic factors in aggressive behaviour

Advances in technology within the fields of medicine and biology have allowed researchers to investigate deepen into why humans behave the way they do. The issue that is of interest these days is the study of the “Warrior Gene.” There is debate on whether or not the Warrior Gene has an influence on an individual’s behavior and if it can be used to determine if someone will commit criminal acts. On one side you have those that claim the warrior gene can be related to aggressive and violent behavior. “In fact, humans with a low-activity form of the MAOA (Monoamine Oxidase A, or the warrior gene) gene are much more prevalent in groups with a history of warfare” (Hickey 49). The opposition claims “nature and nurture are inexplicably linked and that there is always an environmental component to human behavior” (Hickey 49). The question is, does a warrior gene make people more prone to violence? I will summarize the yes and no sides of the argument while also providing my own opinion on the

Many scholars have debated on whether aggression is due to biology or our environment. Tomas Hobbes for example, stated in 1651 that in our natural state, we are brutes and are prone to enforcing the law. He believed humans have a natural instinct towards aggression. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s disagreed with that viewpoint; she thought that humans were born gentle creatures and that our society forces aggressive tendencies on us. Although Hobbes and Rousseau seemed to be extremists in their opinions, I thought both takes on aggression were true. Aggression is due to both biology and the environment. Studies have proven that aggression is that something that has to be learned. Humans have developed and adapted so much over time it seems that certain necessities for survival have been ingrained in us from our ancestors. We have a natural instinct to protect our territory and threats from the environment can cause us to act both physically and mentally aggressive. A lot of research that’s been collected about human aggression was from chimpanzee and bonobos

After viewing Origins of Human Aggression (The Nature of Things), I learned a lot about origins of human aggression. In the first part of the video, it focused on 2 year old children and how aggression is derived. The video states a study shows that signs of aggression start within the first couple months of a newborn’s life (Maher, Origins of Human Aggression (The Nature of Things). This study within the video I believe is accurate. I was told by my parents that as I grew I began to be more aggressive. The older I got, I began to do things such as: throw objects, hit people, and throw a tantrum if I could not get my way. One time I cried for an hour just so my mother would buy me a pair of shoes. Throwing that tantrum got me my way, but

It was not a topic that was brought up earlier, because there was tainted history of using biology to figure logistics of criminal behavior. Instead, criminologists look at social and environmental factors such as poverty rates, drug/weapon accessibility, and socialization. Over 100 studies have shown genes play a role in crime. Kevin Beaver, an associate professor at Florida State University’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice states approximately 50 percent of a human’s aggressive behavior is comprised of the thousands of expressed genes affected by the environment (Cohen). The other half of a human’s aggressive behavior is usually environmental or social factors such as, neighborhood, wealth, and education. It is important to also know the other factors that “make” someone a criminal because it will also help researcher see what else contributes to criminal activity (Eysenck).

During our lifetime every one of us feels anger and aggression occasionally, some more than others, maybe as a child in the play ground or later as an adult when somebody cuts you up when you are driving along. But what causes anger and aggression and why do we all suffer from it? Well there are lots of different theories to what causes aggression and where aggressive behaviour comes from. So throughout this essay I will examine the different concepts and theories from different psychologist and develop and show an understanding of Aggression

Taylor et al wanted to learn the relationship between of CP on 3-year-old and the outcome of being more aggressive at the age of 5. They hypothesized that if they linked other significant maternal parenting risk factors and demographic features that the aggressiveness increase. (Lee et al., 2010)

The Homicide Adaptation Theory proposes that “humans possess a number of specific, evolved adaptations for killing that have been selected for because they managed to successfully solve recurrent adaptive problems in our ancestral past.” Unfortunately, the author deemed there was a lack of evidence to confirm the theory, and instead supported the theory “that homicide is a by-product of other evolved adaptations.” Another study, Natural born killers: The genetic origins of extreme violence by Christopher J. Ferguson and Kevin Beaver, contemplates why some humans are genetically at risk to extreme violence. The authors, like this paper, first needed to define the “the evolutionary and biological mechanisms of normal, adaptive aggression from which extreme violence stems.” They then provided evidence that while aggression is often connoted as a negative attribute, in moderation it is quite adaptive for humans. Many modern situations, such as social dominance, sports participation, defense of young, and active pursuit of school and career success, benefit from aggression, which is therefore highly

First and foremost, studies had shown that some adults are inherently aggressive and demonstrated a tendency of disciplining their children through corporal punishment, by spanking with open hands, or cane. In the case of severe punishment, such as kicked or beaten, it will not only causes physical injuries but also emotional harm on children. Based on genetic studies of aggression, numerical data from General Aggression factor addressed the innate aggression included both physical and nonphysical aggressive

Aggression is one of the most researched topics in psychology and due to its many contributing factors, it's difficult to accurately define. It has been wondered if aggression is inherited or learned, specifically in children. In 1961 one of the most influential studies, conducted by Albert bandura and his associates Dorothea Ross and Sheila Ross became known as "the Bobo doll study". There was a control group of young children as well as 8 others divided by an aggressive or nonaggressive model (both male and female), gender and exposure to same or opposite sex models. They were then taken to a play room and would watch the models interact with the toys. The aggressive model became violent with the Bobo doll in the room and this was shown

Physical assault and aggression is the second leading cause of death among 14 to 17 year olds, next to vehicular accidents (Loeber). But why are humans so aggressive in the first place? There are two sides of the debate: Nature, and Nurture. Some say that it’s human nature, genetics that cause most behaviors, while others say that we act as we learned during childhood. This argument applies to aggression as well. Aggression is mainly caused by things during childhood and adolescence where people learn from various sources about aggression, although, human psychology plays a slight factor.

Is behavior learned? It is inborn? What of aggression, intelligence, and madness? There is a crucial relationship between the behavior of humans toward their own kind and the view of life they hold. Interest in behavioral genetics depends on wanting to know why people differ. According to Jack R. Vale, in Genes, Environment, and Behavior, recognition of the importance of hereditary influence on behavior represents one of the most dramatic changes in the social and behavioral sciences during the past two decades. A shift began toward the more balanced contemporary view that recognizes genetic as well as environmental influences on behavior. Behavioral genetics lies in its theory and methods, which consider both genetic and

There are clearly no simple genetic or hormonal factors that can explain the variation in aggressive in males and females. Studies of human males suggest that there is at most a small genetic component to aggression, but a greater one for personality traits associated with such behavior. The biological mechanisms translating the message in the genes into antisocial or criminal behavior are not known. Therefore, there is clearly no simple aggressive gene effect. Many genes are likely to be involved, and each may have a weak effect on aggressive behavior. A direct genetic effect on aggression, for example, may determine how quickly an individual responds to aggravation. Aggression may also be influenced indirectly; for example, a man's size and strength may affect the way he behaves and how others react to him. (Turner, 253)

The first reason why the nurture side of the debate provides more evidence towards understanding violent behavior is due to the fact that children learn violence through parents and other adults in their life. The first way children learn is that they imitate behavior that they

Another factor that influences aggression is a person’s environment. What a person is raised and surrounded by can affect them also. Is a person is raised in a rough environment that may cause much of the aggressive behavior that they display. For example, someone when growing up in a single parent household can trigger some aggression. The person will show aggression to the figure that was absent

Is how aggressive an individual is determined only by his or her genes? Whether psychological and behavioral traits are purely determined by genetics, solely influenced by socialization, or a combination of both has been a highly debated topic within the field of psychology known as the “nature-nurture issue.” Today, although still disputed, a good number of psychologists and other scientists concur that genetics and the environment mutually influence and intermingle with one another (Myers, 2015). We can partially credit this fizzling-out of the nature-nurture debate to the discoveries made in twin studies. Twin studies are used to help delineate the genetic components of behavior and the socially and culturally influenced components (Myers, 2015). This type of study enables researchers to examine the extent to which genetics and environment have an effect on the development of traits and behavior. For example, in lecture, we learned that a common and natural experiment used in twin studies is to examine a set of twins who grew up in the same household and a set twins who grew up in separate households (K.W. Brown, personal communication, August 29, 2017).