bio explan - genetic

Question 1

what do genetic explanations outline

Answer 1

outlines likelihood of behaving in particular way thats determined by persons genetic makeup - inherited by parents

Question 2

what do genetic explanations propose in terms of criminal behaviour

Answer 2

genetic explanations propose one or more genes predispose individuals to criminal behaviour (if you have a parent who commits crimes you most likely will commit a crime)

Question 3

what evidence is there to support genetic explanations

Answer 3

TWIN STUDIES
- identical twins (share 100% DNA) and non identical twins (share 50% DNA) are compared

Question 4

who reviewed research using twin studies to look at offending behaviour

Answer 4

Raine et al

Question 5

what research was conducted by Raine et al regarding twins and offending behaviour

Answer 5

• reviewed research on delinquent (under 18 offenders) behaviour of twins
• found 52% concordance rate of MZ twins
• 21% concordance rate of DZ twins

Question 6

what are the 2 genetic explanations of offending behaviour

Answer 6

• candidate genes
• diathesis stress model

Question 7

define candidate genes

Answer 7

genes related to particular trait - in this case CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR

Question 8

what are the 2 candidate genes associated with offending behaviour

Answer 8

• monoamine oxidase A (MAOA)
• cadherin 13 (CDH13)

Question 9

outline monoamine oxidase 13 (MAOA) as candidate gene linking to offending behaviour

Answer 9

• Brunner analysed DNA of 28 males in Dutch family who’d had history of violent and impulsive criminal behaviors
• found particular share gene that led to abnormally low levels of MAOA - causing increase in aggression

Question 10

What is role of monoamine oxidase A gene

Answer 10

controls and regulates serotonin which is linked to aggression and violence
- having low levels of gene increases serotonin

Question 11

outline cadherin 13 as candidate gene linking to offenders behaviour

Answer 11

• Tiihonen studied 9000 offenders and found evidence of low MAOA and low CDH13 activity
• estimated 5-10% of all violent crimes in finland is down to abnormalities in MAOA + CDH13 genes

Question 12

how is the diathesis stress model a genetic explanation of offending behaviour

Answer 12

• genes can be switched on and off thats caused by epigenomes that have been affected by environmental factors

Question 13

define epigenetics

Answer 13

study on how own behaviour + environment can cause changes that affect the way genes work (passed onto offspring - genetic vulnerability)

Question 14

example of how diathesis stress model can help explain it being genetic explanation for offending behaviour

Answer 14

MALTREATMENT IN CHILDREN
- Caspi used data from study which followed 1000 people from when they were babies in 1970s
- assessed anti social behaviour at age 26, Caspi found 12% of men with low MAOA genes had experienced maltreatment when they were babies - also responsible for 44% of criminal convictions

Question 15

evaluation points for genetic explanation of offending behaviour

Answer 15

(+) research support
(-) deterministic explanation
(-) non violent crimes

Question 16

expand on eval point - research support (+)

Answer 16

• adoption and twin studies can be form of research indicating there being elements regarding inheritence of offending behaviour
• Crowe found adopted children who had bio parent with criminal record had 50% greater risk of having criminal record by age 18 - compared to those whose parents dont have criminal record (5% risk of themselves getting one)
• Mednicks study of 14k adoptees found 15% of sons adopted by criminal families went on to be criminals compared to 20% biological whose parents were criminals (even adoptees can gain criminal activity)
• research support suggests inherited genes are signification factor of offender behaviour

Question 17

expand on eval point - deterministic explanation (-)

Answer 17

• genetic explanations are presented as the genes a person is born with determines their later behaviour
  evidence of genes shows criminality cannot be 100% explained in terms of genetic
  Tiihonen found individuals with defective gene were 13 times more likely to have history of repeated violent behaviours (suggesting not everyone with defective gene will become offender)
• alternatively law questions whether behaviour is outside persons control (may find it harder to avoid criminal behaviour due to genetics + environment)
• therefore deterministic view of criminal behaviour cannot totally be ruled out

Question 18

expand on eval point - non violent crimes (-)

Answer 18

• most genetic research is towards association between offending and violent/aggressive behaviours (offending behaviour includes theft/fraud - non violent)
• non violent offences are more difficult to link to biology
• Findlay pointed out crime is neither natural category of behaviour but instead a social construct
• makes it difficult to argue such behaviour can be explained through genetics and interaction with enviornment when non violent crimes may not be down to it
• with limited research to show there is genetic explanation for non violent crimes it limits the whole explanation