Ethological Explanation

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The Ethological Explanation of Aggression

Ethological explanations attempt to understand the innate behaviour of human and non-human animals by studying them in their natural environment. Aggressive behaviour with animals is seen as adaptive (beneficial for survival.)

Animals and aggression

Defeated animals are rarely killed, but rather are forced to establish territory elsewhere.
This means that members of the species spread out over a wider area and have to discover resources in a different place to reduce the possibility of starvation.

Dominance hierarchies

Another adaptive function of aggression is the establishment of dominance hierarchies.
- For example, male chimpanzees use aggression to climb their troop’s social hierarchy.
- Their dominance gives them special status, which confers social privileges like mating rights over females.
These social hierarchies also exist in human societies.

Pettit et al. (1988)

Pettit et al. (1988) studied groups of young human children and observed how aggression played an important role in the development of some children’s dominance over others.
This is adaptive because dominance over others brings benefits such as the power to get your own way and access to resources.

Nisbett

There is evidence that aggressive behaviour is more common in some human cultures than in others.

Evaluation

Ethological explanations argue that aggression is genetically determined and heritable.
It is therefore supported by evidence that demonstrates the genetic and physiological basis of aggression, such as Brunner et al. (1993).
However there is evidence that aggressive behaviour is more common in some human cultures than in others.

Nisbett (1993)

Nisbett (1993) compared homicide rates in different parts of the United States.
He found a north-south divide.
Killings were much more common amongst white males in the southern states than the northern states but only for reactive aggression triggered by arguments.

Nisbett (1993) conclusions

Nisbett concluded that the difference in homicide rates was caused by a culture of honour, meaning the response to impulsive aggression was a learned social norm.

Nisbett et al. (1996)

This was supported by a laboratory study by Nisbett et al. (1996) who found that when white males from the south were assaulted in a research situation, they were more likely than northern white males to become aggressive.

Nisbett and ethological

It is difficult for ethological theory, with its view of aggression as instinctive, to explain how culture can’t override innate influences, such as those found in the Nisbett et al. study.

Ritualistic Aggression

Aggression can also be seen as ritualistic. However there is evidence that casts doubt on the view of ritualistic aggression.

Ritual

A ritual is defined as a series of behaviours carried out in set order.
Lorenz (1966) defined aggression as ‘the fighting instinct in beast and man which is directed against members of the same species’.
As Lorenz noted, most aggressive encounters consist mainly of a period of ritualistic signalling (e.g. posturing and barring of teeth) and rarely reach the point of becoming physical.

Appeasement displays

Intra-species aggressive confrontations end with the ritual appeasement displays to indicate acceptance of defeat.
It inhibits aggressive behaviour in the victor and prevents any damage to the loser.
- For example a defeated wolf exposing its neck to the winner.

Explanation of appeasement displays

Such behaviour is thought to be adaptive because if every aggressive encounter ended with the death of one of the combatants it could threaten the existence of the species.

Jane Goodall (2010)

Jane Goodall (2010) observed chimpanzees at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.
During what Goodall called the four-year-war, male chimps from one community set about systematically slaughtering all the members of another group.
They did this in a co-ordinated and premeditated fashion. On some occasions.

Appeasement signals

The violence continued despite the fact that the victims were offering signals of appeasement and defensiveness.
These signals did not inhibit the aggressive behaviour of the attacking chimps as predicted by the ethological explanation.