Biological Explanation: Genetic and Neural Flashcards
What does the genetic explanation for crime suggest?
Would-be offenders inherit a gene, or combination of genes, that predispose them to commit crime.
How many twins did Karl Christiansen (1977)?
3500 twin pairs in Denmark.
What were the findings of Karl Christiansen study?
He found concordance rates for offender behaviour of 35% for identical twins (MZ) males and 13% for non-identical twin (DZ) males.
What happened after offender behaviour was checked against Danish police records?
The data indicates that it is not just the behaviour that might be inherited but the underlying predisposing traits.
What did Raymond Crowe (1972) find out in his research which adopted children?
Adopted children who’s biological mother had a criminal record had a 50% risk of having a criminal record by the age of 18, whereas adopted children whose biological mother didn’t have a criminal record only had a 5% risk.
Who were the participants in Jari Tiihonen et al (2015) genetic analysis of candidate genes?
800 Finnish offenders.
What were the findings of Jari Tiihonen et al (2015) genetic analysis for candidate genes?
Suggested that 2 genes may be associated with violent crimes:
-MAOA (regulates serotonin in the brain)
-CDH13 (has been linked to substance abuse and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
What did the analysis find out about the genes?
About 5-10% of al severe violent crime in Finland is attributable to the MAOA and CDH13 genotypes.
How does the diathesis stress model link to the genetic explanation of offending?
You have to be raised in a dysfunctional environment or have criminal role models which are accompanied by one of the criminal genes.
What does the neural explanation of offending suggest?
There may be neural differences in the brains of offenders and non-offenders.
Where is most of the evidence for the neural explanation from:?
Individuals diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder? (APD)
What is antisocial personality disorder (APD)?
APD is associated with reduced emotional responses, a lack of empathy for the feelings of others, and is a condition that characterises many convicted offenders.
What has Adrian Raine reported from his many studies about the APD brain?
There are several dozen brain-imaging studies demonstrating that individuals with antisocial personalities have reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex.
What is the prefrontal cortex?
The part of the brain that regulates emotional behaviour.
What were the findings from Raine and his collegues (2000) study?
Found an 11% reduction in the volume of grey matter in the prefrontal cortex of people with APD compared to controls.
