The Physiology Of Aggression And Defeat

This short volume contains papers presented at a special symposium, "The Physiology of Aggression and Defeat," during the MAS meetings in Dallas, Texas, in December, 1968. At a time when we need to understand the basic mechan isms underlying various forms of aggression, these papers report progress toward this goal. Although the many social, psychologic and economic causal mechanisms contributing to aggression have been reasonably well-understood for a number of years, the correlated physiological, biochemical, endocrinological and neurochemical changes taking place in an organism that is either the aggressor or the recipient of aggression have not been studied extensively, and the limited available data in the past have often been in con siderable conflict. These eight papers demonstrate that complex interac tions take place among the psychological, social, physio logical, biochemical, endocrinological and neurochemical factors involved in aggression and defeat. The general indications are that while the aggressor learns to survive and adapts readily to the fighting process, the vanquished, if he does not die, maintains an existence highlighted by severe and extensive changes in all physiologic and psycho logic systems. We cannot make sweeping generalizations to the human organism from the results of non-human animal experimentation. Nevertheless, it is well-known that in all animals, including the human, similar basic biochemi cal systems are involved.

This short volume contains papers presented at a special symposium, "The Physiology of Aggression and Defeat," during the MAS meetings in Dallas, Texas, in December, 1968. At a time when we need to understand the basic mechan isms underlying various forms of aggression, these papers report progress toward this goal. Although the many social, psychologic and economic causal mechanisms contributing to aggression have been reasonably well-understood for a number of years, the correlated physiological, biochemical, endocrinological and neurochemical changes taking place in an organism that is either the aggressor or the recipient of aggression have not been studied extensively, and the limited available data in the past have often been in con siderable conflict. These eight papers demonstrate that complex interac tions take place among the psychological, social, physio logical, biochemical, endocrinological and neurochemical factors involved in aggression and defeat. The general indications are that while the aggressor learns to survive and adapts readily to the fighting process, the vanquished, if he does not die, maintains an existence highlighted by severe and extensive changes in all physiologic and psycho logic systems. We cannot make sweeping generalizations to the human organism from the results of non-human animal experimentation. Nevertheless, it is well-known that in all animals, including the human, similar basic biochemi cal systems are involved.

No detailed description available for "Origins of Aggression".

Looks at the effect of deadly battle on the body and mind and offers new research findings to help prevent lasting adverse effects.

This book is the product of many years' experience teaching behavioral science in a way that demonstrates its relevance to clinical medicine. We have been guided by the reactions and evaluations of many first-year medical students. The result is a conceptual framework different from those that we and others had tried before. Because the clinical relevance of knowledge about human behavior is less apparent to many first-year students than that of the other traditional pre clinical courses, books and courses organized as brief introductions to psychology, sociology, and behavioral neurology have often been poorly received. Various medical schools and texts have explored ways to overcome this difficulty. One text organizes the presentation around very practical problems which are of unmistakable interest to the future physician: the therapeutic relationship, death and dying, sexuality, and pain, to give a few examples. Another emphasizes stages of development, periods of the human life cycle, as its organizing principle. Both of these approaches have merit and have been used successfully in various schools. They seem to us, however, to have a potentially serious shortcoming. They focus student attention too much on the more immediately intriguing issues of specific clinical problems or on the more easily recognized age specific behavioral issues. In the limited time available, the teaching of general principles of human behavioral functioning may then be neglected.

This volume is an overview of research examining the relationship between hormones and aggressive behavior. The last 15 years have witnessed a tremen dous growth of knowledge in this area, yet reviews written by specialists are virtually nonexistent. This work is an attempt to provide a comprehensive and cohesive synthesis of this literature. Chapters 1-7 provide an analysis of hor monal influences on the major forms of aggressive behavior, including intermale, interfemale, shock-induced, maternal, territorial, and predatory aggression. The focus of Chapters 8-12 is an examination of the mechanisms through which hormones might act to produce changes in agonistic responding. Genetic, de velopmental, neural, and biochemical influences are considered. It is well known that environment, social context, and experience modulate the effects of hor mones on behavior. Thus, Chapters 13-15 are designed to review the literature concerning hormone-pheromone interactions, hormonal responses to compe tition, and the influence of social context on the endocrine system and aggressive behavior. Frequently, the principles advanced by behavioral endocrinologists are based on research in one species, the rodent. To provide a more comparative perspective and to examine specifically the generality of those principles gen erated for rodents, Chapters 16-22 examine hormone-aggression relationships in a variety of species, including fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, infrahuman primates, humans, ungulates, and insects. This volume should be useful to both beginning and advanced researchers in animal behavior, behavioral endocri nology, physiological psychology, neuroendocrinology, zoology, physiology, and psychiatry.