AQA A Level Psychology
AQA A Level Psychology 3.3.8 Aggression Exam Questions
Free AQA A Level Psychology exam questions for 3.3.8 Aggression, with a mark scheme for every pack. Covers neural and hormonal mechanisms, genetic factors, ethological and evolutionary explanations, social psychological explanations, institutional aggression and media influences on aggression.
3.3.8 Aggression exam questions
5 question packs of real past exam questions, each with its mark scheme. Do not stop after a few: answer as many as you can without notes, then mark every answer with the mark scheme. The more questions you do, the more quickly you will spot how examiners ask about each idea.
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About AQA A Level Psychology 3.3.8 Aggression
Aggression is an Option 3 choice on AQA A Level Paper 3, Issues and Options. It compares biological, ethological, evolutionary and social psychological explanations of why people behave aggressively. You study the limbic system, serotonin and testosterone, the MAOA gene, innate releasing mechanisms and fixed action patterns, evolutionary explanations, the frustration-aggression hypothesis, social learning theory and de-individuation. You also learn dispositional and situational explanations of institutional aggression in prisons and the effects of media, including computer games, through desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming. The topic is a strong source of nature-nurture and reductionism examples and links to Biopsychology and SLT.
What you need to know
- Neural and hormonal mechanisms The limbic system, especially the amygdala, is linked to aggression, while the orbitofrontal cortex regulates it. Low serotonin is associated with impulsive aggression, and testosterone is linked to aggression, as is the dual-hormone hypothesis involving cortisol.
- Genetic factors Twin and adoption studies suggest a genetic influence. The MAOA gene regulates serotonin; Brunner et al. (1993) studied a Dutch family whose men had a MAOA mutation and showed violent behaviour.
- Ethological explanation Aggression is innate and adaptive, reducing conflict through ritual signalling. Innate releasing mechanisms trigger fixed action patterns, as in Tinbergen's (1951) stickleback studies.
- Evolutionary explanations Aggression may be adaptive for males because of sexual jealousy and cuckoldry risk, leading to mate retention strategies such as direct guarding and violence.
- Social psychological explanations The frustration-aggression hypothesis (Dollard et al., 1939) with Berkowitz's weapons effect; social learning theory with modelling and vicarious reinforcement (Bandura); and de-individuation, a loss of personal identity in crowds or anonymity (Zimbardo).
- Institutional and media aggression The importation model (Irwin and Cressey, 1962) is dispositional; the deprivation model (Sykes, 1958) is situational. Media influences include violent films and computer games, explained by desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming.
Common mistakes in 3.3.8 Aggression
- Writing that testosterone causes aggression directly; its effects depend on other hormones and the situation.
- Mixing up the ethological terms; the innate releasing mechanism is the neural network that triggers the fixed action pattern, the behaviour itself.
- Describing the importation model as about prison conditions; it says prisoners bring aggressive traits into prison with them.
- Claiming frustration always leads to aggression; Berkowitz's revision says frustration creates a readiness that environmental cues can trigger.
- Treating desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming as the same; each is a separate explanation of media effects.
Try three 3.3.8 Aggression exam-style questions
1. Explain what is meant by a fixed action pattern. (2 marks)
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A sequence of stereotyped behaviours triggered by an innate releasing mechanism; it is universal within a species, ballistic (once started it cannot be stopped), single-purpose and unaffected by learning.
2. Outline the deprivation model of institutional aggression. (4 marks)
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A situational explanation proposed by Sykes (1958); prisoners experience deprivations such as loss of liberty, autonomy, goods and services, heterosexual relationships and security; these cause stress and frustration; aggression is a way of coping with these deprivations; features of the prison such as overcrowding increase aggression.
3. Outline how de-individuation can explain aggression. (3 marks)
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De-individuation is a psychological state in which people lose their sense of personal identity; it occurs when they are anonymous, for example in a crowd or wearing a uniform; this reduces self-awareness and fear of negative evaluation, so they are more likely to behave aggressively; Zimbardo found hooded, anonymous participants gave shocks for about twice as long as identifiable participants.
3.3.8 Aggression FAQs
What does AQA A Level Psychology Aggression cover?
It covers neural and hormonal mechanisms, genetic factors including the MAOA gene, the ethological and evolutionary explanations, the frustration-aggression hypothesis, social learning theory, de-individuation, institutional aggression in prisons and media influences on aggression.
Which paper is Aggression examined in?
Aggression is an option in Section D (Option 3) of AQA A Level Paper 3, alongside Forensic Psychology and Addiction.
How do I write a strong essay on media influences on aggression?
Describe the evidence on violent films and computer games, explain the three mechanisms (desensitisation, disinhibition and cognitive priming), and evaluate with points on correlational versus experimental research, ecological validity and individual differences.
