About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about issues of reductionism when studying aggression, focusing in particular on: (i) the process of reductionism being to break down complicated behaviour into smaller ‘pieces’; (ii) a key strength of reductionism being the simplification of variables, meaning that they are easier to observe and measure; (iii) the biopsychological approach to aggression being that it is rooted in genetic and evolutionary causes; (iv) twin studies, which have confirmed the specific influence of the MAOA gene on aggression and violence; (v) the role of learning processes in the expression of aggression when placed in particular social situations; (vi) epigenetic research focusing on the interaction between genes and the environment on traits and behaviours; (vii) McEwan and colleagues’ research in 2012 on the prenatal genetic development effects of environmental factors.

About the lecturer

Dr Eduardo Vasquez is a senior lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Kent. His research interests include aggression, inter-group relations/conflict, and the influence of alcohol on social behaviours. Some of Dr Vasquez’s recent publications include 'Are you insulting me? Exposure to alcohol primes increases aggression following ambiguous provocation' (2014), 'Any of them will do: In-group identification, out-group entitativity, and gang membership as predictors of group based retribution' (2015), and 'The sexual objectification of girls and aggression towards them in gang and non-gang affiliated youth' (2017).