Stress and aggression
Stressed out rats become aggressive, and they're slow to cool down--which suggests a feedback loop between stress hormones and the "attack center" of the brain.The finding could help explain the self-perpetuating nature of violence, according to a European study released last month.
Just as importantly, the study suggests that the "attack center" of the brain influences social perception more than it controls physical behavior. Rats who feel threatened attack, even if the threat is false.
"The findings," reports the American Psychological Association, "may ultimately also shed light on why normally pacific people turn violent in settings previously associated--for them--with aggression: Their stress hormones rise, facilitating the onset of aggression and making them more likely to become violent in seemingly benign settings."
The study is published in the October issue of Behavioral Neuroscience.
There's a fine opportunity here for someone interested in both violence and embodiment to engage the study from a theological point of view . . . .
.: Posted by Duane Bidwell on Wednesday, November 17, 2004
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