Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

The Resident-intruder Paradigm: A Standardized Test for Aggression, Violence and Social Stress
Published on: July 4, 2013
The neurobiology of aggressive behaviour
1Faculty of Medicine of Strasbourg, French Academy of Sciences, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
Abstract:
Neurobiological research on aggressive behaviour comes up against particular difficulties that stem from the multifactorial origin of any social behaviour and from the fact that it evolves over time under the shaping influence of experience. From a historical point of view, the conceptual framework progressively switched from a deterministic causality based on the spatial distribution of a specifically-related 'neural substrate' to a probabilistic causality taking into account all the multiple contextual and developmental determinants with their underlying brain processes and mechanisms. With regard to ethical issues, the role and the weight ascribed to biological determinants in the generation of aggressive behaviour greatly influence the way in which one plans to fight against such behaviour.
Related Concept Videos
Aggression
Introduction to Biological Bases of Psychology
The nervous system, the cornerstone of...
Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences
Secondary Motives: Affiliation Motivation and Aggression Motivation
Neurotransmitters
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...

