2.1 Biological Theories- Physiological- Neural Explanations Flashcards
Who was Phineas Gage
He was a construction foreman who was setting up explosives on a railway when it went off and a metal rod was lodged in his head through his left eye into his pre-frontal-cortex
What was the impact on Phineas Gage
His mood changed, he became aggressive and short-tempered and impulsive.
How does the case of Phineas Gage link to criminality
It shows that damage to the brain can affect someone’s personality and impulse control which can then lead a person to become a violent criminal
Raine (1994) conducted PET scans on a normal person and a criminal. Explain his findings
He found that criminals had less activity in their grey matter of their brain compared to a normal person.
What’s the job of the Pre-Frontal-Cortex (PFC)
The PFC is responsible for decision making, logic and impulse control.
Explain the job of Serotonin
its a neurotransmitter that travels between neurones, it has an influence on mood and stability.
How does serotonin link to aggression
Low levels of serotonin can link to high levels of aggression. Excessive exposure in the womb of serotonin can lead to desensitisation to its effects later in life.
What is a strength of Neural Explanations of Criminality
There’s legitimate scientific evidence
What are 3 weaknesses of Neural Explanations
-Suggests criminality is biologically determined
-Evidence shows correlation to brain damage and change in personality, not that causation of crime
-Supporting evidence of Phineas Gage only shows links to change in personality not change in criminality
