What causes aggressive behaviour?
Aggression: the nature of aggression, biological, psychological and social explanations of aggressive behaviour, factors that increase aggression, and the research evidence and methods used to study it.
The SQA Higher Psychology Social Behaviour optional topic on aggression: biological explanations such as genetics and brain factors, psychological and social explanations such as social learning and frustration-aggression, the factors that increase aggression, and the research evidence and methods used to study it.
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What this dot point is asking
Aggression is an optional Social Behaviour topic, so it can appear as a -mark question in the additional-topic section. The SQA wants you to describe what aggression is, explain biological, psychological and social causes, explain factors that increase aggression, and use research evidence and methods to support and evaluate these explanations.
The answer
What aggression is
Biological explanations
Social learning theory
The frustration-aggression hypothesis
Factors that increase aggression
Examples in context
Bandura's Bobo doll studies are the key evidence for social learning: children who watched an adult model behave aggressively towards a doll imitated that behaviour, and imitation was stronger when the model was rewarded, supporting vicarious reinforcement and explaining media effects. Twin and adoption studies support the biological explanation, showing higher concordance for aggression in identical than non-identical twins, though concordance is far from complete, which leaves room for learning. Animal and brain studies link stimulation or damage of the amygdala to changes in aggression, and correlational work links high testosterone and low serotonin to aggressive behaviour, though correlation cannot prove cause. A Higher answer that pairs an explanation with two or three of these studies and judges how they fit reaches the top band.
Try this
Q1. Name two biological factors linked to aggression. [2 marks]
- Cue. Brain structures such as the amygdala/limbic system, and hormones or neurotransmitters such as high testosterone or low serotonin (also genetics).
Q2. Explain how the frustration-aggression hypothesis accounts for aggressive behaviour. [6 marks]
- Cue. Being blocked from a goal causes frustration, which builds a drive to aggress; the aggression may be displaced onto a safer target, and situational cues trigger it.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher (optional topic)20 marksCompare biological and social explanations of aggression.Show worked answer →
A -mark question split between KU and analysis or evaluation. Around to marks reward accurate explanation of both: the biological view (genetic influence, the role of the amygdala and limbic system, testosterone and low serotonin) and the social-learning view (aggression learned by observing and imitating models who are reinforced, as in Bandura's work).
The remaining marks reward comparison and evaluation. Strong answers weigh the two: twin and animal evidence supports biological factors, while Bandura's Bobo doll studies support social learning and explain cultural differences. The discriminator is a reasoned judgement, usually that biological and social factors interact rather than one fully explaining aggression.
SQA Higher (optional topic)12 marksExplain the social learning theory of aggression.Show worked answer →
A -mark question, roughly half KU and half analysis. Markers reward developed explanation of the process rather than a list.
Social learning theory says aggression is learned by observing models, imitating their behaviour, and being more likely to copy it if the model is reinforced (vicarious reinforcement) or admired. Analysis marks come from explaining the steps (attention, retention, reproduction, motivation) and applying them, for example to Bandura's Bobo doll study, then noting strengths such as explaining cultural and media effects and weaknesses such as underplaying biology.
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