Biological explaations - Neural explanation Flashcards
What are the three biochemicals implicated in criminal behaviour?
Noradrenaline (high levels), serotonin (low levels) and dopamine
How did Krakowski argue against neural explanations?
Responses in different environments will differ despite the level of biochemicals being the same
Who conducted a study on primates and what did they correlate?
Higley correlated high testosterone with aggression and low serotonin levels with impulsivity
What enzyme can be used to predict criminality?
MAOA; it breaks down excessive serotonin, which means too much of this results in lowered serotonin
How do noradrenaline levels cause crime?
High levels of noradrenaline are linked to violence and aggression
How do serotonin levels cause crime?
This regulates mood and impulse control, which means low levels of this biochemical results in more criminal activity due to increased impulsivity. Further, an emotionally unstable individual is more likely to lash out due to an impaired capacity to hold back
How is dopamine linked to criminality?
This is linked to criminality due to the relationship it has with addiction and therefore substance abuse. Doperminergic activity in the limbic system means that pleasure is experienced, and the greater the feeling of pleasure, the more likely the behaviour will be committed (The law of effect: Individuals who experience pleasure when enacting a behaviour will perform that behaviour again)
