1.1.4 Evaluation Of Raine Study Flashcards
Why is the study being a quasi experiment a weakness?
IV not manipulated
Although the research had many controls e.g. matched pairs, there will still have been uncontrolled CVs
Give an example of a cv that could have influenced Raines research:
Upbringing and personality which may have predisposed the murderers to violence
Because the study is a quasi experiment and Raine didn’t manipulate the IV, what can we not do?
Establish a cause and effect relationship e.g violence is caused by dysfunction in certain areas of the brain
What is a danger regarding cause and effect relationships being assumed?
People may assume criminal behaviour is predetermined and inescapable
Why is it a strength that the data was collected using PET scans?
Study the brain in a way not possible until recently
Can study in detail the differences in brain activity between individuals and how their brains process info
What is a weakness of raine using PET scans in this research?
PET scans can be difficult to interpret
Because PET scans are difficult to interpret what could this lead to?
Affected results, decreased accuracy
May lead to the misinterpretation that some areas of the brain are responsible for certain responses
Another weakness is that the sample lacks population validity, what does this mean?
Murderers are not typical of all violent individuals
Not all violent individuals are murderers
Not all murderers are NGRI
Why is it a weakness that the research lacks population validity?
Generalisations can’t be made
We are only told about NGRI murderers
Another strength is that recent research supports rained findings give an example of such research and what it showed:
Yang and Raine (2009)
Meta analysis showed in 43 brain imaging studies there was reduced prefrontal cortex activity in antisocial and violent individuals
Why is it a strength that research supports Raines findings?
Backs up Raines findings
Increased accuracy
Ethics: were all the participants able to give full informed consent?
No they pleaded NGRI not in the right state of mind to make desicions
Ethics: could participants exercise there right to withdraw?
Might not have been able to understand - insane
Might not have felt they were in a position to refuse - prisoners
Ethics: could participants be subject to psychological harm?
Yes
Took off medication for two weeks potential relapses
Pet scans uncomfortable
Inability to perform in task could lower self esteem
Social how might the research affect those who aren’t violent but have similar brain activity?
Forced treatment
Imprisonment
Self fulfilling prophecy
