About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about the hormonal mechanisms involved in aggressive behaviour, focusing in particular on: (i) the role of testosterone; (ii) the fact that men generally show a greater degree of physically aggressive behaviour than women; (iii) how this may point to a relationship between high levels of testosterone and increased aggression; (iv) a study by Dabbs et al. (1990) which seems to confirm this suggestion, whilst also considering some criticisms of their findings; (v) how the fluctuation of testosterone levels in certain contexts, e.g. in a competitive situation, can have an impact on aggressive behaviour.

About the lecturer

Claire Lawrence is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Nottingham.

She works predominantly in the area of individual differences and her research centres around the question: Why do some people act aggressively in some situations, and other people don't? She also examines whether some antisocial traits have benefits in a sexual selection context.

Her second main area of research is the unintended and negative impacts of behavioural interventions.