6.1.1 Amygdala & Aggression

Question 1

What is the amygdala responsible for?

Answer 1

• perception of emotions
• emotional remeberance

Question 2

What part of the brain is the amygdala from + it’s role?

Answer 2

> works in Limbic system to send physiological fight/flight to PFC

Question 3

Due to being part of the ‘primitive brain’, what else is the amygdala responsible for?

Answer 3

Our basic urges:

• appetite
• sleep
• sex
• drive
• fear

Question 4

Where does the amygdala take information from and what does it do with it?

Answer 4

• It takes info from the thalamus and interprets it as a threat or not, producing fear, aggression, and fight or flight.

Question 5

What is the relationship between the amygdala and the frontal lobe?

Answer 5

> If PFC = healthy, then willpower can resist amygdala’s urges of fear/ aggression

Question 6

How does the prefrontal cortex aid the amygdala?

Answer 6

> Decides best how to respond to a situation which amygdala stores as a memory
Then if situation reoccurs, response produced w/o logical though from PFC needed

Question 7

How might the prefrontal cortex regulating the amygdala explain criminality?

Answer 7

> May lead to incorrect emotional responses + inability to understand emotions, explaining lack of remorse criminals feel eg psychopathic offenders + violent crimes ie murder

Question 8

What are the gender difference in the amygdala?

Answer 8

• None involving amygdala functioning + criminality, but Shirtcliff et al (2009) found girls = more empathetic so diffs in emotionality may come from amygdala, suggesting women have more remorse when committing crimes/ decr violent crimes committed by women.

Question 9

EACH-Evidence

Answer 9

1.Whitman (brain injury eval)
2.P-Blair (2007) supports
E-Found psychopaths have reduced response to threatening stimuli + anticipation of punishment
E-S, explains that bc amygdala responsible for fight/flight + rational thought w its relationship to PFC,if its damaged then may lead to inability to sense danger + inability to have appropriate responses. Without this may lead to decr remorse + incr recidivism, often found in psychopathic offenders

Question 10

EACH-Application

Answer 10

A-P- Yes
E-Amygdalotomies- the removal of the amygdala- evidenced to reduce aggression due to the removal of part of the ‘primitve brain’ such as sex drive and aggression drive which can lead to crimes
E-S, treatment to reduce aggression so can rehabilitate criminals/ prevent criminality

Question 11

EACH-Criticisms

Answer 11

1.P-Deterministic
E-Suggests there’s no free will in criminality due to response being elicited by amygdala is out of our control
E-W, suggesting int factors determine criminality, inconsistent w society’s idea of responsibility + self-control
2.P- SLT as alternative
E-Explains aggression can be learnt through observation of RMs also being aggressive, can lead to crim behav
E-W, shows other explanations + a holistic approach needed to understand criminality better

Question 12

EACH-How good is the research

Answer 12

H- Same as brain injury