Applied Criminal Psychology Flashcards
What is a physiological explanation for criminal behaviour?
Brain Dysfunction- Raine- Focused on the pre frontal cortex, low activity in this area of the brain can be indicated by a low resting heart rate. It is involved in planning and regulating of behaviour, it also enables us to focus. If there is low arousal in the prefrontal cortex then these abilities are impaired. Raine investigated the relationship between low activity in the prefrontal cortex and impulsive violent criminal behaviour. PET scans were used to investigate the differences in brain activity in murderers who pleaded NGRI and non-murderers.
Genetics- Brunner- suggested an “association” rather than a “cause” between genes and aggressive behaviour, “Warrior gene” was related to aggressive and violet behaviour. MAOA low activity variant may increase susceptibility to antisocial traits and aggression.
What are the non-physiological explanations for criminal behaviour?
Upbringing-Farrington- Cambridge study in delinquent development. Large study of 411 boys aged 8 when the study began and were interviewed as adolescents and adults too, their criminal record was reported as part of the study. The study was comprehensive and identified a range of risk factors for criminal behaviour; family criminality, daring or risk-taking, low school attainment, poverty and poor parenting
Learning-Sutherland- The differential association hypothesis states the more contact someone has with attitudes favourable to criminal behaviour, and more exposure they have to criminal behaviour in their family and friends, the more criminal behaviour they will commit themselves
Cognitive- Palmer & Hollin- those who commit crime do so because they operate at an immature level of moral reasoning. The Kohlbergian preconventional stage of moral reasoning suggests that behaviour is seen as right and wrong only in terms of the outcome for the individual
What was the aim of Raine et al.’s study into brain abnormalities of murders?
To find out if there is a difference in the structure of brain activity between people who have committed murder (NGRIs) and non-murderers.
What did Raine et al. hypothesise?
1). Serious violent individuals pleading NGRI have relatively localised brain dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex, angular gyrus, amygdala, hippocampus, corpus callosum and thalamus
2). Seriously violent individuals pleading NGRI show no dysfunction in other brain areas that are not associated with violence
What was the method used by Raine in his study into brain abnormalities of murders?
Quasi experiment as the IV is naturally occurring (murderers pleading NGRI and non murderers). The DV was whether the participant showed evidence of brain dysfunction in their prefrontal cortex.
What experimental design did Raine et al. use in his study into brain abnormalities of murders?
Used matched pairs design, matching on age and gender (matched with controls)
Who were the sample for Raine in his study into brain abnormalities of murders?
Murders- 41, 39M 2F who were tried in California for murder or manslaughter who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity
Control- 41 39M 2F non-murderers who take no medication and have no history of mental illness
What was the procedure for Raine in his study into brain abnormalities of murders?
-Participated under protocols and concent forms
-all murderers were kept in custody and were medication free for two weeks prior to the brain scanning. non-murderers did not take medication.
-before receiving FDG injection participants were given practice trials on the continuous performance task (CPT) and 30s before scan they stared the CPT
-participants were then taken to an adjacent PET scanner where 10 slices of their brain were taken
-Was very precise so it could be replicated
What did Raine et al. find in his study into brain abnormalities of murders?
in murderers who pleaded NGFRI had reduced activity in areas linked to violence, pre-frontal cortex, left angular gyrus and corpus collosum
-abnormal asymmetries; reduced activity on the left half of the brain compared to right, which are areas linked to violence and aggressive behaviours like hippocampus
What conclusions can be made about Raine’s research in his study into brain abnormalities of murders?
Murderers who plead not guilty by reason of insanity have significant differences in metabolism of glucose in a number of brain areas than non-murderers
-results do not show that violent behaviour is determined by biology alone
Evaluate the strengths of Raine’s study into brain abnormalities of murders
method-high control over extraneous variables so results on brain abnormalities in murderers who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity are more likely to be reliable as the experiment can be replicated due to standardised procedures.
Evaluate the weaknesses of Raine’s study into brain abnormalities of murders
-Sample- small so is unlikely to be representative of all murderers from California so brain abnormalities in murderers cannot be generalised to other murderers from other places// androcentric sample as there are significantly more male than females
-Method- using matched pairs is inaccurate as you cannot exactly match people, so is low in ecological validity
What did Raine argue is the cause for criminal behaviour?
Criminal behavior comes from a combination of biological, environmental and neurological factors, and brain dysfunction, genetic predisposition and birth complications
What are Raine’s biological risk factors for antisocial and criminal behaviour?
-Children of mothers who smoke during pregnancy have a 3-fold risk of becoming violent offenders compared to children who’s mothers didn’t smoke during pregnancy
-Birth complications risk factor for antisocial behaviour and crime
-Poor nutrition of a mother during pregnancy doubles rates of anti-social behaviour
Explain how biological interventions work.
-100 children received a 3 part intervention: nutrition, physical exercise, cognitive simulation. Raine found that when older they could focus their attention better than controls, and scored significantly lower on conduct disorder rating than control, and were less cruel to others.
-Regularly taking omega 3 supplements can help to reduce aggressive and violent behaviours making them less likely to partake in crime
-not smoking during pregnancy so testosterone levels will be kept at a suitable level therefore the child is less likely to grow up to be violent
