Examining Genetic and Environmental Effects on Reactive Versus Proactive Aggression”
Introduction
Prior to this study, no other research had studied the genetic and environmental influences on reactive and proactive aggression. The purpose of this study was to explain how much genes and (shared and non-shared) environmental factors each contribute to aggression, specifically proactive and reactive. Once a positive correlation between the two types of aggression was determined, a “sub-purpose” was to find out if any correlation was due to another common factor, such as physical aggression. And, which factors are unique to proactive aggression and which are unique to reactive aggression.
The article defines proactive aggression, or instrumental aggression as “offensive, and cold-blooded, requires neither provocation nor anger” and reactive aggression as “affective, defensive, and hot-blooded, involving angry outbursts in response to actual or perceived provocations or threats” (Brendgen et al., 2006, page 1299).
At the time of this study the specific genes related to aggression expression were not known, so it would have been impractical for the genotype to be assayed. Evidence for genetic influence on aggression is seen in temperament, which is extremely heritable, and associated with reactive and proactive aggression. Additional evidence lies in skin conductance induced by stress; both reactive and proactive kids exhibit higher levels of skin conductance, a physiological response. Thus, in lieu of a genetic examination, the researchers utilized the benefits of monozygotic twins’ identical genome to assess the genetic, shared environmental, and non-shared environmental influence.
The ‘subpurpose’ of this study was br...
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....13, 0.22, and 0.16, respectively). This implies a significant genetic influence on aggression (reactive, proactive and physical).
Next they used structural equation modeling and a univariate model with ‘chi-square statistics, the Akaike information criterion, the Bayesian information criterion, the comparative fit index, and the root-mean square error of approximation’ to obtain the best-fitting and most probable model, AE. From this we gained aggression variance: for reactive aggression, 39% was found to be due to genetics and 61% was due to nonshared environmental factors
Reference List
Brendgen, M., Vitaro, F., Boivin, M., Dionne, G., & Pérusse, D. (2006). Examining genetic and environmental effects on reactive versus proactive aggression. Developmental Psychology, 42(6), 1299-1312. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.42.6.1299
All around the globe, people have attempted to find an organic, genetic basis for aggressive behavior. Several hormones and neurotransmitters, such as testosterone and seretonin, have been implicated in the "aggression quest", as well as specific localities of the human brain. My paper will serve to suggest that although many findings have shown impressive results regarding possible biological causes of violent behavior, we still do not have sufficient means to understand the neuroanatomical or biochemical basis of aggression.
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One of the most researched topics in the history of psychology is aggression. One goal of social scientists has been to define aggression. Some believe that aggression is biologically preprogrammed, others look toward situational factors and this study suggests that aggression is learned. This study was conducted by Albert Bandura and his associates in 1961 at Stanford University. The researchers proposed that the children be exposed to adult models with either aggressive or nonaggressive ways, they would then be tested without the models present to determine if they would imitate that aggression they observed in the adult.
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Many experts do not accept that biology alone creates children who kill. They believe that violence is a learned behavior. Being abused or witnessing domestic violence is an environmental factor in ju...
Tuvblad, C., Grann, M., & Lichtenstein, P. (2006). Heritability for adolescent antisocial behaviour differs with socioeconomic status: Gene-environment interaction. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 734-743. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2005.01552.x
Behavior, Aggressive Cognition, Aggressive Affect, Physiological Arousal, and Prosocial Behavior: a Meta-Analytic Review of the Scientific Literature." Psychological Science (2001). EBSCO. DePaul Library. 7 Mar. 2008.
The aggressive personality is defined as an “individual’s whose overall style of interacting involves considerable, persistent, maladaptive aggression” (counselingresource.com). Evolutionary, biological and environmental factors are contributing components of the aggressive personality. Human beings ...
Slep, A. M. S., Heyman, R. E., & Snarr, J. D. (2011). Child emotional aggression and
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