Genetic Explanation of Aggression

Biological explanations of aggression offer a completely different perspective to the social psychological explanations of Aggression. Biological models assume that aggression is located within the biological make-up of the individual rather than in the environment around them. However, the relationship between biological mechanisms and aggressive behaviour is not that simple. To what extent are there genetic influences underlying aggression:
Species of various animals have been selectively bred to produce higher aggressive individuals, for example, Doberman dogs were originally bred by humans to behave aggressively towards intruders so that they can be used as guard dogs This ability to select the most aggressive dogs and breed them together to give new generations with the same aggressive tendencies suggest that there are specific genes that determine levels of aggression In humans, evidence for a genetic component to aggression comes from twin studies and adoption studies where criminality is used as a measure of aggression Research has also highlighted the MAOA gene as being important. A number of studies have found a link between a mutation of this gene and aggression. This gene normally regulates oxidise A which is an enzyme that breaks down several neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine (which are implicated mood an imbalance may cause people to respond inappropriately, often aggressively, to stressful situations). Normally Males have XY chromosomes (females have XX). Sandbert (1961) was the first to identify the 47 XYY type, suggesting that such individuals needed to be hospitalised because of their aggressiveness. More recent research has compared XYY men with XY men for aggressiveness and no definite differences were found except for height.

The genetic approach to aggression assumes that the propensity

for aggressive behaviour lies in an individuals genetic makeup. Researchers must try to establish whether genetically related individuals are more similar in their aggressive tendencies than non-related individuals. This also has important implications for understanding the origins of violent crime.

Patricia George / IB Psychology / BLOA / Genetics / Aggression

Is Aggression Inherited?
Trying to determine the role of genetic factors in aggression is essentially a question of nurture and nature. To disentangle the relative contribution of nature (genetic inheritance) and nurture (environmental contribution) researchers have used a variety of methodological techniques including twin and adoption studies, studies of individual genes, and studies of violent populations

Twin Studies & Adoption Studies: Meta Analyses:

Miles and Carey (1997) carried out a meta-analysis of 24 twin and adoption studies that had investigated the genetic basis of aggression. Most studies had relied on parental or participants selfreport of aggressive tendencies although some involved observation of aggressive behaviour. Results: suggest a strong genetic influence that could account for as much as 50% of the variance in aggression. Age differences were notably important, with both genes and family environment being influential in determining aggression in youth, but at later ages the influence of rearing environments decreased and the influence of genes increased. Source: see original paper: Miles, D. R., & Carey, G. (1997). Genetic and environmental architecture of human aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Volume 72, pages 207-217. A later meta-analysis by Rhee and Waldman (2002) combined the results of 51 twin and adoption studies and concluded that aggressive anti-social behaviour was largely a product of genetic contributions. However, in this study as with the Miles and Carey study above, several variables including age of participant and assessment method for aggression, moderated the genetic influence on aggression, suggesting that although genetic factors play a significant part in the development of aggressive behaviours, the influence of other factors affects their expression. Evaluation Points: Twin studies still indicate an important influence of environmental factors in the development of aggression. Twin studies do not reveal how genes affect aggression. Case studies may shed more light on this. See Kay Twins & the case study involving a Dutch family who had impulsive aggressive tendencies that were inherited by the male members of the family; MAOA gene & XYY Type. The methods used might be problematic: the use of self-report questionnaires rather than more objective measures of aggression may limit the validity of some of the studies.

Patricia George / IB Psychology / BLOA / Genetics / Aggression

Case Study:

Gangland Killers and identical twins Ronnie & Reggie Kray 1966
Reginald "Reggie" Kray (24 October 1933 1 October 2000) and Ronald "Ronnie" Kray (24 October 1933 17 March 1995) were identical twin brothers, and the foremost organised crime leaders dominating London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s. Ronald, commonly referred to as Ron or Ronnie, was homosexual in a period when it was illegal in the UK, and also suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. The Krays were involved in armed robberies, arson, protection rackets, violent assaults including torture and the murders of Jack "the hat" McVitie and George Cornell. As West End nightclub owners they mixed with well-known names such as Diana Dors, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland as well as politicians. This gave them a perceived respectability and in the 1960s became celebrities in their own right being photographed by the likes of David Bailey and appearing in interviews on television. They were eventually arrested on May 9, 1968 and convicted in 1969 by the efforts of a dedicated squad of detectives led by Detective Superintendent Leonard Read, and were both sentenced to life imprisonment.

MAOA Gene and Aggression:

Case Study: Dutch family: aggression in male members. In the 1980s a study of a Dutch family found that many of the male members behaved in a particular violent and aggressive manner and a large proportion had been involved in serious crimes of violence., including rape and arson One member was found to be prone to violent outbursts; one male, criticized by his employer, attempted to run him over with a car - another raped his sister and was sent to a mental hospital - a third coerced his sister into undressing by threatening her with a knife. These men also display retarded motor development, difficulties in task planning, and awkward sexual behaviour. Recently, researchers claimed to have found the basis of such aggressive behaviour to genetic sources - specifically, a deficiency in the MAOA gene of these males (Brenner et al. 1993)

A specific mutation in the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene has been linked to violent behaviour. All men belonging to a family in the Netherlands who had this mutation were arsonists and rapists. And, mice without an MAOA gene have been found to be excessively aggressive. Low-expression of the MAOA gene is linked to violent tendencies. Lindenberg et al. (2006) used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DNA analysis of142 healthy men and women, who had no history of violence, were shown pictures of angry and fearful faces. Researchers found:

Those with the low-expressing version of MAOA were more impulsive.

Patricia George / IB Psychology / BLOA / Genetics / Aggression

People with low-expressing MAOA had different brain size and activity. Activity of those parts of the brain in males with low-expression MAOA differed more greatly than their female counterparts. Possible Synoptic Points

Genetic Factors:

Problems of Sampling: Many of the studies in this area have focused on individuals convicted of violent crime. Two particular difficulties arise when trying to draw meaningful conclusions from these studies. The first problem lies with the participants themselves. Convictions for violent crime are relatively few compared to the vast number of violent attacks by individuals that never result in a conviction. They therefore represent just a small minority of those regularly involved in aggressive behaviour. Second, contrary to popular belief, offenders designated as violent on the basis of a court conviction are not necessarily the most serious, designated as violent for one offence despite perhaps having otherwise had a lifetime free from crime. This might explain why some studies have found little or no evidence of heritability for violence. Real world application: Although studies of the biological basis of aggression interest nearly everyone, research findings are far too uncertain to be valuable in understanding the causal factors affecting those who engage in violent activities. Nevertheless, there have been suggestions that public policy should be informed by the results of this research. If people are predisposed towards violent crime, then questions about the treatment of such behaviours inevitably arise. Some commentators advocate genetic engineering but others go much further. As long as violence remains at the forefront of public concern, ways of dealing with it that address the problem directly (e.g. through chemical castration remains an attractive option to many. Given the extremely tentative nature of conclusions that can be reached from this research and the farreaching ethical consequences of labeling an individual as a threat to society on the basis of the genetic inheritance, an awareness of the limitations of these studies is extremely important.

References: Articles in the Crime Times about the MAOA Gene

http://www.crimetimes.org/09b/w09bp8.htm http://www.crimetimes.org/09c/w09cp2.htm

Jim Fallon:
Article: A Neuroscientist uncovers a dark secret: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127888976 Video Ted Talks: http://www.ted.com/talks/jim_fallon_exploring_the_mind_of_a_killer.html Full article:

McDermotta et al. 2008 Monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) predicts behavioral aggression following provocation: http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/McDermott/papers/warrior2009.pdf Brain Ethics: MAOA and the risk for impulsivity and violence: http://brainethics.wordpress.com/2006/07/11/maoa-and-the-risk-for-impulsivityPatricia George / IB Psychology / BLOA / Genetics / Aggression

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Patricia George / IB Psychology / BLOA / Genetics / Aggression