biological explanation of crime: amygdala Flashcards
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 does the amygdala’s role in expressing emotion link to crime?
if overstimulated, emotions such as anger are overtly expressed, resulting in aggression
how does the amygdala’s role in emotional memory link to crime?
if the amygdala is damaged, there is a lack of emotional memory so the individual cannot remember to feel fear of consequences when acting impulsively and cannot recognise victims’ fear
how does the amygdala’s role in facial recognition link to crime, in terms of defensive behaviour?
amygdala deficits can lead to the wrong response when perceiving facial expression. there could be a lack of fear conditioning which results in impulsive behaviour or overstimulation which results in fight or flight activation which can lead to aggression
what is a strength of the amygdala as an explanation of crime (PEE)?
- Yang
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.
how does the amygdala’s role in emotion regulation link to crime?
too much or too little activation of the amygdala may contribute towards excessive negative affects, or decreased sensitivity to social cues. therefore, the individual may act to gain immediate rewards without considering others which could lead to a crime.
where does the amygdala process information from?
thalamus
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.
