Ethological Explanation of Aggression

Ethological explanation of aggression

An ethological explanation seeks to understand the innate behaviour of animals (including humans) by studying them in their natural environment. The focus of an ethological explanation is to try and account for behaviour in terms of its adaptive value to the specific species. Ethologists believe that by looking at animal behaviour this can help us to understand human behaviour. For example, a key ethologist from the attachment topic in Year 1 Psychology is Konrad Lorenz (1966) who used the behaviour of geese to explain attachment in humans.

Aggression is also seen as providing an adaptive function by ethologists. Aggression is seen in all animal species and is believed to be an innate behaviour; it is an instinct and genetically determined. If a behaviour is innate, evolutionary psychologists propose that the behaviour must be beneficial to the organism. Aggression as a behaviour can help survival, as aggression can protect resources such as land and food. Aggression can establish dominance hierarchies, and these are vital to allow access to resources, such as females. Although the approach believes the potential for aggression is innate, actual aggressive behaviour is triggered by environmental stimuli known as releasers.

Lorenz (1966) proposed that aggression in animals is often ritualistic, which he argued is more adaptive than direct aggression, as symbolic aggression would help ensure the organism was not harmed. If the organism sustained an injury as part of aggression this could impair their ability to reproduce or even result in death. Therefore, ritualistic aggression such as ‘teeth baring’ would have the effect of deterring an opponent without physical harm being caused.

The ethological theory proposes that aggression can be the result of an evolved automatic biological response in the brain. It is believed that animals have a built-in neural structure (a network of neurons) which, when exposed to specific stimuli (signs or releasers) such as facial expressions, will cause the release of an automatic behavioural response.

The inbuilt biological structure or process is called the Innate Releasing Mechanism (INR). The consequential aggressive behavioural sequence is called the Fixed Action Pattern (FPA). Innate releasing mechanisms are a key part of the ethological (instinctive) approach to aggression (and other behaviours such as courtship/mating). For example, when a dog sees a cat running away from them, they have an instinctive response to chase the cat. When the cat is still the innate releasing mechanism is not activated, but when the cat runs then the INR is activated and the chasing behaviour of the dog is an example of a fixed action pattern. The dogs desire to chase is automatic and instinctual in response to a cat or any other small animal running away from it.

Exam hint: In order to achieve high A01 marks it is important to clearly define key psychological terms such as innate releasing mechanisms and fixed action patterns. One way of ensuring knowledge and understanding is displayed is with the use of examples.

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