A more realistic and accurate definition of Biology is the reductionist definition: Biology is the natural science that studies the no-spontaneous transfer of energy and the quasi-stable systems that experience it. Mice species have differing logic and reasoning capacities as compared to humans, hence mice do not facilitate the opportunity to choose to be aggressive or not, whereas children have the capability of logically choosing to act aggressively. The learning perspective also denies some very important mental processes which also result in the development of aggression in children. These findings are applicable to a small sample and findings cannot be predicted to be the same for a different sample of children as all children are different. As defined by the Psychology Dictionary, a biological factor is that which affects the behavior and function of an organism and includes any condition that has a psychological effect on a living being. Biologicals, medicines made from living organisms and their products, must be pure and effective. Anne, H. (2009). Biological development, the progressive changes in size, shape, and function during the life of an organism by which its genetic potentials (genotype) are translated into functioning mature systems (phenotype).Most modern philosophical outlooks would consider that development of some kind or other characterizes all things, in both the physical and biological worlds. If a child’s genes are inclined to be aggressive, the parent within the environment will attempt to nurture and accommodate for their child’s genes by attempting to provide a calm lifestyle. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! Caspi, A. Plomin, R., Corley, A, Fulker, D.W, & DeFries, J.C. (1998). This issue is worthy of investigation since aggression has become a substantial social problem amongst upcoming generations. This is a downfall as complex human behaviours cannot always be explained on a genetic basis; the surrounding environment also plays a central role in influencing and triggering aggressive behaviours. Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a university student. In Biological Learning and Control, Reza Shadmehr and Sandro Mussa-Ivaldi present a theoretical framework for understanding the regularity of the brain's perceptions, its reactions to sensory stimuli, and its control of movements. LTP is based on the Hebbian principle: “cells that fire together, wire together.” This principle attempts to explain associative learning, in which simultaneous activation of cells leads to pronounced increases in synaptic strength between those cells, and provides a biological basis for the pairing of stimulus and response in classical conditioning. See more. In another study conducted by Russian researchers, silver foxes were studied. of or relating to biology or to life and living processes; used in or produced by applied … A criticism of this study is that the cultural context of the children was not taken into account. domestic violence textual analysis high school vs college the heart of darkness university of central florida concept environmental problems gender inequality american dream nhs college proposal identity is college worth it terrorism. Berkowitz, L. (1989). Having considered the interpretations of the development of aggression in children from both the biological and learning perspective, and the criticisms which arise from the research conducted, it can be concluded that both the biological and learning perspectives contribute to the development of aggression in children. When considering the learning perspective and environmental determinants of aggression in children there are key factors which play an essential role. Learning occurs when stimuli in the environment produce changes in the nervous system. For instance, the problem of reduction is evident in Albert Bandura’s study of the Bobo doll whereby aggressive behaviour is reduced to the process of imitation. This leads to the conclusion that there are multiple forces which lead a child to acting aggressively; hence biological and environmental factors which trigger aggression cannot be isolated. Nevertheless, the learning perspective focuses on the environment and the condition in which a child is situated to produce an aggressive response. The learning perspective also has a low ecological validity, whereby the children who were engaging in the experiment may have acted differently in the laboratory than what they would have in a real life situation. It has always appealed to me to understand the basis of aggressive behaviour as I have seen this behaviour amongst most children and teenagers, as well as adults. Habituation is the “behavioral version” of sensory adaptation, with decreased behavioral responses over time to a repeated stimulus. For example, when an individual is frustrated, in a certain situation, they will immediately display aggressive behaviour. This essay is an evaluation of the biological perspective and learning perspective of psychology accounting for the development of aggression in children. Children and youth growing up all around the world are resorting to violence on a daily basis. Biology is the study of life and living organisms, from one-celled creatures to the most complex living organism of all — the human being. Current Psychiatry Reports Journal, Volume 2, Number 2, (1535-1645). ‘Serotonin and aggression in children’. Bard,P. Similar to Dollard’s findings (1939), it was observed from this conducted study that the children who were frustrated because they had to wait before being exposed to the toys, played aggressively with the toys by smashing and stomping on them. Similarly, there is always some sort of connection that can be drawn between animals and humans, therefore using animals can be a starting point to understanding the biological bases of aggression in children. A diagram of the General Adaptation Syndrome model.. This is sufficient to draw the conclusion that pain is a contributing factor to aggression. The hypothalamus and amygdala can be manipulated using electrical currents, and they may be switched on or off disabling their normal operation using an electrode. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. This essay may contain factual inaccuracies or out of date material. This may have affected the way they acted in the laboratory and the ultimate results of the experiment. One social determinant of aggressive behaviour is Albert Bandura’s social learning theory (1961) which highlights the role of observation and its consequences on the aggressive behaviour in children from the learning perspective. Environmental factors are also not placed into perspective. ; 40:751-756. It has many practical applications which have been effective in explaining the development of aggressive behaviour. Psychology (23rd April 2000). Study for free with our range of university lectures! Firstly, a theory proposed to support the theory of aggression from the learning perspective is the ‘frustration-aggression hypothesis’ which was proposed by John Dollard (1939). R.A & Richardson. Biologicals, medicines made from living organisms and their products, must be pure and effective. Dr. Anderson of Iowa State University in Ames and his colleagues found that in the U.S and Japan, Japanese and American children who played violent video games demonstrated more aggressive behaviour months later compared to their peers who didn’t. Biological predisposition is commonly known as someone's 'nature', as opposed to their 'nurture', or upbringing. Selective breeding has been one of the longest existing methods to find the existence of a phenotypic characteristic. However, according to Baron and Richardson (1994), the tendency to be aggressive is not passed on from the parents to the offspring; rather the temperament which is capable of making someone more or less aggressive can be inherited. The underlying principle of this assumption suggests that aggression in children does not purely develop as a result of biological factors, rather it accounts for a very minor part. Thus, it has overlooked other leading causes of the development of aggression including the children’s upbringing and home environment. Therefore, frustration is not the only key factor which contributes to aggressive behaviour: there are other sources which may lead to this same outcome. For example, the sound of a car backfiring might sound like a gunshot to a war veteran, and the veteran may drop to the ground in response, even if there is no threat present. Albert Bandura’s Bobo Doll experiment highlights the role of observation in children’s learning. It is a form of non-associative learning that does not require conscious motivation or awareness. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. Psychology: Themes and Variations (7th ed.). A biological is a drug, such as a vaccine, that is derived from a living organism. This is not an example of the work produced by our Essay Writing Service. A significant contribution of this selective breeding experiment is its illustration of a genetic basis of aggression and how it can be passed onto the offspring. In terms of the biological perspective, aggression is viewed as purely being based on biological basis. Another weakness of explaining the development of aggression in children from the biological perspective is the reductionist nature of the biological approach. Sensitization occurs when a reaction to a stimulus causes an increased reaction to a second stimulus. July 24, 2015. ‘On emotional expression after decortication, with some remarks on certain theoretical views’. This examination investigates the origins of childhood aggression and evaluates two differing perspectives, these being the biological and learning perspective, and collectively concludes that there are various factors which contribute to a child acting aggressively. Many theories have been driven by findings from research on animals, which highlight that there is some genetic aspect to aggression. Behaviour can be inherited (as it is determined by genetic information) You can view samples of our professional work here. Twin studies provide geneticists with a kind of natural experiment in which the behavioral likeness of identical twins (whose genetic relatedness is 1.0) can be compared with the resemblance of dizygotic twins (whose genetic relatedness is 0.5). J.H. According to Berkowitz (1975) aggression can be defined as any behaviour which is intended to cause harm to another person whether physically or verbally. See more. Understanding the underlying factors which contribute to aggressive behaviour will form the basis of combating the levels of violence all around the world where children, youth and adolescents often resort to violence. There may be a few details yet to be discovered, but we pretty much know now what’s going on neurologically, physiologically and psychologically when a person learns knowledge and skills. Video games have also been identified as a contributing cause of aggression in children. Many of the theories and case studies that have been put forward to support the hypothesis that aggression in children is biologically determined will be discussed in further detail. OpenStax College, How Neurons Communicate. Australia: John Wiley & Sons. Popova N, Voitenko N, Kulikov A, Avgustinovich D (1991). OpenStax College, Communication Between Neurons. In Weiten (2007) text, the biological perspective belief that is referred to is that all psychological issues stem from a physiological background. On the other hand, the children who were allowed to play immediately with the toys handled them carefully and played happily. Once they have been engaged in aggressive acts it impacts on the children emotionally, and as a consequence these children find it much easier and acceptable to engage in violence and aggressive acts. In neural communication, a neurotransmitter is released from the axon of one neuron, crosses a synapse, and is then picked up by the dendrites of an adjacent neuron. It is my curiosity and eagerness to discover more about the development of aggression from two opposing views, these being the biological and learning, which have motivated me to undertake this research topic for my extended essay. Recall that sensory adaptation involves the gradual decrease in neurological sensory response caused by the repeated application of a particular stimulus over time. Approaches to Psyhcology (2nd ed.). Pharmacol Biochem Behav. Biology is subdivided into separate branches for convenience of study, though all the subdivisions are interrelated by basic principles. It not only applies to direct experiences such as being disciplined by parents, but rather at all times such as when watching television. The U.S and Japanese children named their favourite video games and how often they played. From the results it was found that the children from each group who were exposed to more violent video games were much more aggressive than those who were less exposed. To be specific, Albert Bandura’s Bobo doll experiment can be criticised on the grounds that the children’s aggression was measured away from their natural environment. Through further investigation, the effect of cognitive and mental processes may now be evaluated to determine their influence on childhood aggression which will lead to educational programs being implemented in schools and for the general society. Biological and Learning Psychology. The learning perspective suggests that children who play violent video games such as Doom, Wolfenstein 3D or Mortal Combat and others often experience aggressive behaviour, either physically or verbally. Arising from this experiment is the criticism of extrapolating results from animals to humans. Violent video games have a supplementary impact on young children and trigger aggressive behaviour more than violent television shows because they are more interactive, engaging the child in aggressive acts and ultimately rewarding them for acting aggressively within the game. Hence, it is difficult to compare the behaviour of these children whilst ignoring cultural factors. In this experiment Bandura examined the consequential actions of children observing an adult behaving aggressively with a Bobo doll. Parallels between humans and animals may be oversimplified, and therefore social, as well as learning processes, must also be taken into consideration. GCSE education materials, experiments, PowerPoint presentations, biological drawings, insect life-cycles, fish, birds, amphibia, amoeba, study & revision aids, Key stage 3-4 & IGCSE, and books Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Parents may also choose to put their child in a hobby that is sports oriented to cater for the aggressive levels in order to use their energy in a positive way, where they stimulate thinking and reasoning skills preventing the child from resorting to aggressive acts. Despite the complexity of the science, certain unifying concepts consolidate it into a single, coherent field. Biological definition is - of or relating to biology or to life and living processes. Top Tag’s. The mice can have their behaviours observed in a lab, unlike humans. Habituation, Sensitization, and Potentiation. One way that the nervous system changes is through potentiation, or the strengthening of the nerve synapses (the gaps between neurons). “Potentiation” refers to a strengthening of a nerve synapse. Psychology for the VCE Student (4th ed.). You'll recognize the root "bio-," meaning "life," as in biography — the story of someone's life — and biology … The frustration aggression hypothesis supported by Dollard (1939) is an inefficient method of demonstrating how childhood aggression develops as in some cases, such as learned helplessness, frustration may not lead to aggression; rather it may lead to depression. Differentiate among habituation, sensitization, and long-term potentiation. Psychological Review 41:309-329 and 424-449. Correspondingly, the findings of all studies conducted cannot be generalised to all children. In other words, habituation is when we learn not to respond to a stimulus that is presented repeatedly without change. The biological perspective suggests that aggression in children is inherited through the traits of parents. CC licensed content, Specific attribution, http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Sensitization, http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Habituation, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-term_potentiation, http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/neurotransmitter, http://cnx.org/contents/72cfcf6f-e196-4e0b-9bcf-45f4853993e4@5/How-Neurons-Communicate, http://cnx.org/contents/4abf04bf-93a0-45c3-9cbc-2cefd46e68cc@4.100:34/Psychology, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebbian_theory, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_(biology)%23/media/File:General_Adaptation_Syndrome.jpg, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neuronal_Synapse.jpg, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Neuron_-_annotated.svg. Mitsis, Effie M, Hampering. Biologicals are drugs derived from living cells and cultivated in a laboratory. One interesting thing the biological perspective offers in regards to the need for food is a departure from… Such learning, by drawing on the full range of a learner's experience, strengthens the individual's ability both to find novel connections and to harness peripheral perception. Much like observation of other’s behaviours, violent video games and television shows have also been proven to trigger aggression in children. How to use biological in a sentence. A criticism of this research is that it is not ecological – the children may have not acted aggressively towards any human in real life. Another potential weakness is the fact that the children may have not been exposed to the Bobo doll previously, hence they did not know how to play with it. The role of LTP in learning is still being researched, but studies on the hippocampus have found LTP to occur during associative learning (such as classical conditioning ). The learning perspective’s social learning theory is a useful explanation for the aggressive behaviour of children. These studies clearly highlight the role which serotonin plays in causing aggressive behaviour amongst children; the lower the levels of serotonin the higher the level of aggression. In Anderson’s study, 181 Japanese students aged between 12 and 15 years old and 364 U.S. children aged between 9 and12 years old were tested. In this article, we will venture on the biological theories and brain structures associated to learning and memory. Biologicals are drugs derived from living cells and cultivated in a laboratory. ‘Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models’. When you use the word biological, you're talking about life and living things. The biological perspective does not regard or take into the account the interaction of the mind and body with the environment, rather it only takes into consideration neurological processes. According to Berkowitz (1975) aggression is any behaviour which causes intentional harm to another person. A biological is a drug, such as a vaccine, that is derived from a living organism. They watched the video of the model constantly acting aggressively by sitting on the doll, punching it and kicking it repeatedly. It was also assumed that all biological influences such as levels of serotonin are identical for each participant. A biological is a drug, such as a vaccine, that is derived from a living organism. Lagerspetz’s experiment can be criticised on the grounds that it cannot be conducted with humans because it is clearly unethical. According to this hypothesis, aggression will only occur due to frustration and no other particular factor. Albert Bandura views most human behaviour as learned by observing a model or simply another person, which affects a child’s view of how this new behaviour can be developed and how this new attained behaviour is a guide for their actions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 211-218, Bandura, A, Ross, D. and Ross, S.A (1961). Potentiation, habituation, and sensitization are three ways in which stimuli in the environment produce changes in the nervous system. During the experiment he had children watching models acting aggressively towards a Bobo doll. However, positive correlations between real life situations can be drawn, highlighting that laboratory studies are considerably useful. From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. The frustration-aggression hypothesis has a weaker stance, because frustration does not always induce aggression, rather it may encourage retaliation. Biological Predisposition. During habituation, fewer neurotransmitters are released at the synapse. This investigation is an evaluation of the biological and learning perspectives of psychology accounting for the development of aggression in children. However, the learning perspective views aggression in children as having some sort of biological basis, yet through experience and reinforcement aggression becomes learned and evident amongst children. This hypothesis suggests that frustration accounts for all aggressive acts. Genes influence our personality traits, our IQ, our likelihood of getting cancer, and even our chances of becoming an alcoholic. Twin studies are very useful for the reason that identical twins are monozygotic, and their genetic makeup is identical. In sensitization, however, there are more pre-synaptic neurotransmitters, and the neuron itself is more excitable. All work is written to order. Presumably, constant and excessive exposure to violent video games causes children to become desensitized to violence. Habituation and sensitization work in different ways neurologically. Studies such as the breeding of generations as conducted by Lagzerspetz and lesions on certain parts of the brain, conducted by Bard, are contributing factors in the development of aggression which cannot be conducted on humans because it will cause psychological and physical harm to the participants and most likely result in death. Please refer to an authoritative source if you require up-to-date information on any health or medical issue. Alarming news articles and reports focus on aggressive acts. As the stimulus occurs over and over (and as long as it is not associated with any reward or punishment), we learn not to focus our attention on it. Biology includes the study of genes and cells that give living things their special characteristics. In contrast, the children who were exposed to the non-aggressive model showed no or very little aggressive behaviour. Both structures communicate with each other via electric signals. 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