Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - 2006 - Volume 29, Issue 03  


Open Peer Commentary

Human cruelty is rooted in the reinforcing effects of intraspecific aggression that subserves dominance motivation

Michael Potegal a1 poteg001@umn.edu
a1 Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, MMC 486, Minneapolis MN 55455.

Article author query
potegal m   [PubMed][Google Scholar] 

Abstract

Intraspecific aggression (IA), in service to dominance, has far deeper roots in animal behavior and human evolution than does predation. The reinforcing properties of such aggression are most likely to be a major source of human cruelty.