bio explanation of crime: amygdala Flashcards
Describe the amygdala as an explanation of crime and anti-social behaviour
The amygdala are 2 small areas of the brain located in the limbic system, associated with aggression and fear. Amygdala can trigger a flight/fly response if a persons amygdalae are abnormal or not functioning properly it may lead to impulsive and risk taking behaviour which might make them more likely to commit criminal acts. For example, Raine et al found a link between NGRI’s to poor functioning amygdalae. Faulty amygdalae mean people are unable to prevent themselves from acting in a violent and aggressive way.
how is the function of the amygdala linked to crime?
the amygdala is responsible for the fight or flight response, so if it is damaged, this can be activated falsely, leading to the wrong response. for example, harmless stimuli could be interpreted as a threat which could cause the individual to act aggressively or ‘fight’ without anticipating consequences.
additionally, the individual cannot interpret emotions correctly so lack empathy for victims and they also have no emotional memory. therefore, this links to recidivism as people cannot remember the consequences of previous actions.
what does the left side of the amygdala link to?
understanding emotions
reward + motivation
thought
what does the right side of the amygdala link to?
facial recognition
fear
action
how do findings about the left and right amygdala link to recidivism?
left damage = cannot distinguish between emotions, acts for immediate reward and cannot learn from punishment
right damage = no fear of consequence / punishment to reoffend
How has psychological knowledge changed over time in relation to the research that explores the link between the amygdala and aggression? (theories,treatments,tech)
There have been a number of technological developments over the years allowing researchers to investigate the relationship between amygdala and criminal behaviour. Prior to the use of brain scanning techniques, case studies of individuals were used to make links. However, researchers often had to wait until the person was dead to carry out a post-mortem on their brain to see which areas had been damaged. Charles Whitman carried out a violent mass shooting. A post mortem showed that he had a tumour on his limbic system which may have contributed to this. However, more recent research has used PET scans to investigate the amygdala in groups of living people. Raine found via PET scans that a group of NGRI’s has asymmetrical functioning of their amygdalae compared to controls. Using scanning techniques helps understand the brain
what is a strength of the amygdala as an explanation of crime (PEE)?
a strength of the amygdala as an explanation for aggression is supporting evidence such as Yang, using MRI scans to measure amygdala differences in psychopaths compared to controls. findings were that psychopaths had reduced volume of their left (17.1%) and right (18.9%) amygdala and surface deformations compared to controls. therefore, this suggests that reduced volume and thus, reduced functioning can lead to individuals having blunted emotions and engaging in cold / calculated / hostile behaviour. However, Yang found correlations between the size of the amygdala and psychopathy but not related directly to crime
what is a strength of the amygdala as an explanation of crime (PEE)?
- Raine
a strength of the amygdala as an explanation for crime is the supporting evidence from Raine. they studied 1795 3 year olds until the age of 23. results showed that 137 became criminal offenders and those who lacked fear conditioning later became criminals. therefore, this supports the idea that deficits in the amygdala links to crime because it has a role in emotional processing and perception so if it is damaged, individuals cannot recognise fear or remember consequences. however, as he isolated his variable to study these causes and effects he may of ignored any other factors which may contribute to reasons for crime.
