Biological explanations : Genetic & neural Flashcards
Outline Genetic Explanations of Offending: Twin & Adoption Studies
The genetic explanations for crime suggest that offenders inherit a gene,combination of genes that predispose them to commit a crime
Importance of genes-illustrated by twin studies
first criminal twin study conducted by Lange
he investigated 13 identical (MZ) & 17 non identical (DZ) twins
where one of twins in each pair served time in prison
found 10MZ & only 2 DZ had co-twin also in prison
concluded genetic factors play predominant part in offending behaviour
A01
Outline the role of Candidate genes linked to offending
Certain genes have been linked to offending behaviour, criminality is genetic
* The MAOA gene regulates serotonin in the brain & has been linked to aggressive behaviour,( also known as warrior gene)
* CDH13 has been linked to substance abuse and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
Tiihonen et al. (2015) examined 900 Finnish offenders and found that 5-10% of all severe & extremely violent crime in Finland was attributed to the MAOA and CDH13 genotypes
A01
Outline the role of a diathesis-stress model to explain offending behaviour
The diathesis-stress model Suggests that genetics have some influence on offending then likely that it is partly due to the effects of the enviroment as well, A tendancy towards criminal behaviour can come about through a combination of genetic predispostions & biological triggers e.g being raised in a dysfunctional enviroment or having criminal role models
A01
Neural Explanations of Offending: The Role of the Prefrontal cortex
neural explanations suggest there may be neural differences in the brain of criminals & non-criminals
this evdience comes from investiagting individuals diagnosed with antisocial Personality disorder (APD)
APD is associated with:
Reduced emotional responses
A lack of empathy
Disregard for the safety of others
Lying, stealing, frequent fighting
These are characteristics that can be found amongst convicted offenders
A01
neural explanations of offending-Raine
Strength
Raine et al. (2000) found an 11% reduced volume of grey matter in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of those with APD,
the area responsible for regulating emotional behaviour
The PFC is the seat of higher-level cognitive processes such as decision-making, attention, emotion regulation, impulse control, and moral reasoning
These findings suggest a link between crime and the inability to regulate or understand emotions, or to control impulses
A01
Outline Mirror Neurons to Explain Offending Behaviour-keysers
Keysers (2011) found that when specifically asked to empathise with a person a participant with APD showed empathy and their mirror neurons were activated
thus it might be that those with APD and/or offenders can experience empathy, but only when they purposely intend to be empathetic
Empathy, for offenders and those with APD, acts as an “on/off switch” rather than a natural and more permanent process like a neurotypical brain
A03
explain how genetic explanations for offending suffers from biological determinism & problem in prosecuting offenders
Limitation
The theory that criminal behaviour is genetically predisposed is biologically deterministic & issue when prosecuting offenders
Identifying possible biological precursors means that a person cannot be held responsible for their behaviour, because have no control over their biology & the manifestation of those genetics
Only in extreme circumstances (e.g., a severe mental disorder) is a person judged to lack responsibility for a crime, but the real world application of this theory poses a problem for law and the justice system
A03
Biological reducationism-Katz
Limitation
Criminality is complex, explanations that reduce offeding behaviour to a genetic or neural level may be oversly simplistic. Crime does appear to run in family, but so does emotional instability, mental disorders, poverty-Katz
* This makes it difficult to disentangle the effects of genes & neural influences from other possible factors
