Journal article
GENETICS OF AGGRESSIVE AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR
The Psychiatric clinics of North America, Vol.20(2), pp.301-322
1997
DOI: 10.1016/S0193-953X(05)70314-2
PMID: 9196916
Abstract
Aggressive behavior has been defined in numerous ways to include behaviors ranging from the milder forms of aggression such as throwing a temper tantrum or pouting to the more serious expressions of aggression in violent crimes. In fact, Harre and Lamb
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found more than 250 different definitions of aggression in the literature. Additionally, aggression has been shown to consist of at least four subcomponents: physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility.
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Clearly, there are many different ways the psychological construct of aggression can be defined, and each of these definitions has different implications for the extent to which aggression is influenced by one's genetic make-up. Most of the research on aggression, however, has focused solely on the construct of physical aggression. Genetic research on aggression is no exception.
This article develops the topic of the genetics of aggressive and violent behavior from three directions. First, evidence from twin, family, and adoption studies establishes the case for the importance of genetically transmitted factors in the genesis of aggressivity from childhood through adulthood. Second, evidence from adoption studies is presented to show that some environmental conditions interact with genetic factors in such a way as to suggest that the development of aggressivity requires the presence of both genetic and environmental factors. Third, additional and direct evidence of genetic factors in aggressivity is presented from the perspective of molecular genetics, where underlying biochemical mechanisms associated with aggressivity have been found to be caused by specific genes. Although there is a wide body of literature discussing the genetics of criminality and global diagnostic categories, such as antisocial behavior,
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this article focuses specifically on the more narrowly defined behaviors of aggression and violence.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- GENETICS OF AGGRESSIVE AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR
- Creators
- Remi J. Cadoret - University of IowaLeslie D. Leve - Oregon Social Learning CenterEric Devor - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Psychiatric clinics of North America, Vol.20(2), pp.301-322
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc
- DOI
- 10.1016/S0193-953X(05)70314-2
- PMID
- 9196916
- ISSN
- 0193-953X
- eISSN
- 1558-3147
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 1997
- Academic Unit
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Record Identifier
- 9984315566702771
Metrics
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