Explanations of Aggression

Evolution

- How inherited characteristics change from generation to generation. Organisms better adapted to their environments live longer and pass on their genes.

Infidelity and Jealous

In life we are competing for partners and/or people to mate with.

For men, this can lead to feelings or jealousy and jealous behaviour as a woman can be certain that a child is hers while a man cannot. A man may become aggressive as he doesn't want to dedicate his time and resources to another man's child.

A woman may get jealous if her and her child's survival is at risk, which leads to aggressive behaviour in order to protect.

Limited Resources

This theory suggests that the reason for aggression is to fight over limited resources, such as food and water.

Being seen as stronger

Those who are more aggressive and who are seen as stronger are more likely to survive. If they are "higher" in the group or seen as stronger, they have a higher chance of reproduction.

Different Brain Areas

Pre-frontal Cortex

Responsible for personality expression and the planning of complex cognitive behaviours. It is said to contain our personalities and have an input to our emotional responses and control our social inhibitions. It is also implicated in depression and regulating our emotions.

Amygdala

Responsible for the perception of emotions as well as controlling aggression - the size of the amygdala is positively correlated with aggression and physical behaviour.…