biological explanation

Question 1

biological explanations - 6m

Answer 1

• MAOA & CDH13, mutated, 13x more likely to commit crimes, history of violent behaviour
• adoption studys, biological parents who are criminals are 50% more likely to raise a criminal by 18 years old
• 11% less grey matter, low activity in pre-frontal cortext, descision making; crime = irrational decisions
• serotonin low = agression
• dopamine high = impulsive
• innate to commiting crimes

Question 2

genetic explanations

Answer 2

• DNA, impacts psychological features and are inherited from parents to offspring
• candidate genes
• diathesis stress model
• Tilhonen et. al

Question 3

diathesis stress model

Answer 3

• combines genetic pre-disposition and biological trigger

Question 4

Tilhonen et. al

Answer 4

• genetic analysis of 900 offenders
• abnormalities in x2 genes
• with this high risk combo, 13x more likely to have a history of violent behaviour

Question 5

Lange

Answer 5

• 13 MZ & DZ twins where 1 had served a prison sentence
• higher concordance for the other twin serving a sentence in MZ (10/13) than DZ (2/17)

Question 6

issues with twin-studies

Answer 6

• gentic evidence is an assumption of equal environments
• environmental factors are held constant because twins are brought up together so must experience similar environments
• higher in MZ than DZ because they look similar

Question 7

neural explanations

Answer 7

• behaviour disordes in terms of dysfunction of the brain and nervous system
• includes; hypothalamus and serotonin and dopamine

Question 8

raine 2004

Answer 8

• scanned brains of those with APD
• reduced activity in pre-frontal cortext compared to controls, responsible for decision making and emotion regulation
• 11% reduction in grey matter

Question 9

rain et. al - limbic system -

Answer 9

• studied murderers who were found guilty by insanity
• compared to controls, found abnormal asymmetries in the limbic system
• amygdala - 4x more likely to commit a crime in the next 4 years
• reduced activity left, increased on right

Question 10

neurotransmitter evidence - seo et. al

Answer 10

• suggested that low levels or serotonin may pre-dispose individuals to impulsive agression and criminal behaviour
• partly because neurotransmitters inhibit pre-frontal cortext

Question 11

cowe

Answer 11

• adopted children who had a biological parent with a criminal record has 50% greater risk of having a criminal record by 18
• those whos parents didnt have a criminal record only had a 5% risk

Question 12

issues with biological approach

Answer 12

• overly deterministic
• cause and effect issue