1.1.4 Classic Research (Bi)

Question 1

What did research show about rats who are stressed in early life?

Answer 1

They show increased activity in the right hemisphere when killing mice

Question 2

What did severing the corpus callosum in rats lead to?

Answer 2

An increase in mice killing

Question 3

What does the research on rats suggest?

Answer 3

The left hemisphere must have some role in controlling violent behaviour

Question 4

What are the problems with linking the rat research to human brain dysfunction in murderers?

Answer 4

• extrapolating/generalising findings (rats aren’t humans)

* rats aren’t murdering - they kill instinctively

Question 5

What did early research into brain dysfunction and violence in humans use?

Answer 5

• case studies of people with brain damage
• accidents - e.g phineas gage
• split brain patients

Question 6

What is a split brain patient?

Answer 6

A patient who had had their corpus callosum severed, often as part of an operation designed to cure epilepsy

Question 7

What do split brain patients show?

Answer 7

• Poor emotional expression

* Inability to grasp long term implications of a situation

Question 8

Why might the effects of the split brain operation be linked to violence?

Answer 8

Split brain patients can’t control their emotions (anger) and don’t understand the consequences of violence

Question 9

Other than the corpus callosum, what areas of the brain are linked to violence?

Answer 9

• temporal lobe
• frontal lobe
• the brain is also highly integrated so other areas can be involved

Question 10

How have modern brain scanning techniques helped researchers in studying violent offenders?

Answer 10

Functional scans show brain activity in high levels of detail, so it is easier to study brain functioning amongst violent offenders

Question 11

What has long been suspected about brain dysfunction?

Answer 11

Brain dysfunction can predispose someone to violent behaviour

Question 12

What did research show about rats who are stressed in early life?

Answer 12

They show increased activity in the right hemisphere when killing mice

Question 13

What did severing the corpus callosum in rats lead to?

Answer 13

An increase in mice killing

Question 14

What does the research on rats suggest?

Answer 14

The left hemisphere must have some role in controlling violent behaviour

Question 15

What are the problems with linking the rat research to human brain dysfunction in murderers?

Answer 15

• extrapolating/generalising findings (rats aren’t humans)

* rats aren’t murdering - they kill instinctively

Question 16

What did early research into brain dysfunction and violence in humans use?

Answer 16

• case studies of people with brain damage
• accidents - e.g phineas gage
• split brain patients

Question 17

What is a split brain patient?

Answer 17

A patient who had had their corpus callosum severed, often as part of an operation designed to cure epilepsy

Question 18

What do split brain patients show?

Answer 18

• Poor emotional expression

* Inability to grasp long term implications of a situation

Question 19

Why might the effects of the split brain operation be linked to violence?

Answer 19

Split brain patients can’t control their emotions (anger) and don’t understand the consequences of violence

Question 20

Other than the corpus callosum, what areas of the brain are linked to violence?

Answer 20

• temporal lobe
• frontal lobe
• the brain is also highly integrated so other areas can be involved

Question 21

How have modern brain scanning techniques helped researchers in studying violent offenders?

Answer 21

Functional scans show brain activity in high levels of detail, so it is easier to study brain functioning amongst violent offenders

Question 22

What has long been suspected about brain dysfunction?

Answer 22

Brain dysfunction can predispose someone to violent behaviour