Lesson 4.3.8.2

4.3.8.2 Ethological and evolutionary explanations of aggression Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.3.8.2, Ethological and evolutionary explanations of aggression: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Psychology (7182), Unit 3: Issues and options in Psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. In ethology, what biological mechanism responds to a sign stimulus?

    • Innate releasing mechanism
    • Reflex arc network
    • Motor endplate unit
    • Central governor system

  2. Which feature is characteristic of an ethological fixed action pattern?

    • Learned motor response
    • Stereotyped behavioural sequence
    • Highly variable structure
    • Easily interrupted routine

  3. Which species did Tinbergen study to demonstrate innate releasing mechanisms?

    • Domestic dog
    • Ringed plover
    • Rhesus macaque
    • Three-spined stickleback

  4. According to ethological theory, why are fixed action patterns adaptive?

    • Rapid innate response
    • Gradual sensory habituation
    • High behavioural flexibility
    • Continuous energy conservation

  5. According to evolutionary psychology, why did aggressive behaviour evolve in humans?

    • Promoted social equality
    • Enhanced survival chances
    • Prevented resource competition
    • Reduced physiological arousal

  6. Which evolutionary factor is most strongly associated with male human aggression?

    • Intra-sexual competition
    • Kin selection
    • Reciprocal exchange
    • Altruistic punishment

  7. Why are ethological explanations of aggression difficult to generalise to human behaviour?

    • Animal brains are larger
    • Human cultural variation
    • Identical fixed action patterns
    • Lack of animal instincts

  8. Which finding supports the evolutionary explanation of human aggression?

    • Cross-cultural universality
    • Localised social norms
    • Vicarious reinforcement rates
    • Frontal lobe damage

  9. In Tinbergen's stickleback experiments, what was the sign stimulus for aggression?

    • Large dorsal fin
    • Red belly
    • Swollen stomach
    • Mating display

  10. Which ethological concept refers to a biological neural structure activated by a sign stimulus?

    • Fixed action pattern
    • Vicarious reinforcement
    • Operant conditioning
    • Innate releasing mechanism

  11. According to evolutionary psychology, why did aggressive behaviour evolve in human ancestors?

    • It reduced stress
    • It was learned
    • It was adaptive
    • It caused catharsis

  12. Why are ethological explanations of aggression criticised when applied to humans?

    • Ignores cultural factors
    • Ignores biological drives
    • Lacks empirical support
    • Focuses on females

  13. Why are evolutionary explanations for human aggression difficult to test empirically?

    • Ethical guidelines prohibit
    • Ancestral environments unobservable
    • Hormone levels fluctuate
    • Aggression unmeasurable

  14. Which ethological term describes a specific environmental feature that triggers aggression?

    • Mediational process
    • Conditioned stimulus
    • Fixed action pattern
    • Sign stimulus

  15. Which evolutionary process drives aggressive competition for mates between males?

    • Sexual selection
    • Group selection
    • Kin selection
    • Reciprocal altruism

  16. According to the ethological explanation, what type of behaviour is aggression?

    • Solely cognitive
    • Random and aimless
    • Innate and adaptive
    • Entirely learned

  17. What term describes a stereotyped, unlearned sequence of behaviour triggered by a sign stimulus?

    • Fixed action pattern
    • Operant response
    • Innate releasing mechanism
    • Vicarious learning

  18. What is the defining feature of a sign stimulus in ethology?

    • Operates through punishment
    • Depends on culture
    • Requires social learning
    • Triggers innate response

  19. Why is the concept of a fixed action pattern rarely applied to human aggression?

    • Lacks biological basis
    • Human aggression varies
    • Humans lack hormones
    • Animals never aggress

  20. Which observation would best support the existence of an innate releasing mechanism in human infants?

    • Unlearned facial responses
    • Reduced aggression later
    • Learning through rewards
    • Imitating adult actions

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