Aggressive behaviour

Introduction
The nature of animal aggression
Physiological causes of aggression
- Neuroendocrine influences
- The influence of testosterone
Aggression during growth and development
- Hormonal effects
- Environmental and genetic influences
Functions and evolution of aggression
- Group versus individual selection
- Cost-benefit analysis
  - Territorial behaviour
  - Game theory: the Hawk-Dove model

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Images & Videos

cost-benefit analysis of territorial behaviour

A grid diagram illustrating the Hawk-Dove model, with hawk and dove animals representing aggressive and passive strategies in resource fights. Each cell shows outcomes, payoffs, and risks depending on whether a hawk or dove encounters another hawk or dove.

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aggressive behaviour summary

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External Websites

National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Understanding Aggressive Behavior Across the Life Span

Aggressive behaviour

psychology

Also known as: aggression, aggressiveness

Written by

Felicity A. Huntingford

Professor of Functional Ecology, University of Glasgow, Scotland

Felicity A. Huntingford

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 6, 2026 •History

Aggressive behaviour, animal behaviour that involves actual or potential harm to another animal. Biologists commonly distinguish between two types of aggressive behaviour: predatory or antipredatory aggression, in which animals prey upon or defend themselves from other animals of different species, and intraspecific aggression, in which animals attack members of their own species. Intraspecific aggression is widespread across the animal kingdom, being seen in creatures as diverse as sea anemones, rag worms, wolf spiders, field crickets,...

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