Biological explanations: Genetic + Neural Explanations Flashcards
What do genetic explanations suggest about crime?
That some individuals inherit genes that predispose them to criminal behaviour
How do twin studies support genetic explanations of crime?
Lange (1930) found that 13 MZ twins had a co - twin in prison, compared to only 17 DZ twins, suggesting a genetic influence
What did Crowe’s adoption study find?
50% of adopted children with a criminal biological parent had a criminal record by age 18
Only 5% of those without a criminal biological parent had a criminal record
What are candidate genes?
Candidate genes are genes associated with criminal behaviour
What did Tiihonen et al. find about candidate genes?
Finnish offenders with high candidate genes were 13 times more likely to have a history of violent behaviour
Why must findings on candidate genes be interpreted with caution?
The research is still in its early stages and has not been widely replicated
How does the diathesis - stress model explain offending behaviour?
Criminality results from a genetic predisposition combined with an environmental trigger (eg. )
What do neural explanations suggest about criminal behaviour?
Criminals may have differences in brain structure and function compared to non - criminals
What condition is commonly studied in relation to criminal behaviour?
Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD), which is linked to reduced emotional responses and lack of empathy
What role does the prefrontal cortex play in criminal behaviour?
It regulates emotional behaviour, reduced activity in this area is linked to APD
What did Raine’s study find about the APD brain?
People with APD had 11% less grey matter in the prefrontal cortex compared to non criminals
What do mirror neurons do in relation to empathy?
They activate when we empathise with others, allowing us to feel their emotions
What did Keysers et al. find about empathy in criminals?
Criminals with APD can show empathy, but only when explicitly asked to, suggesting an empathy “switch” that can be turned on and off
What is a limitation of the genetic and neural explanations? (problems with twin studies)
> Twin studies of criminality were poorly controlled and judgements related to zygosity were based on appearance rather than DNA testing
> As a result, these studies may lack validity
> Also typically twin studies have small sample sizes, and are an unusual sample, making them less representative of the entire population
> Lastly, most twins are reared in the same environment which provides a major confounding variable as concordance rates may be found because of similar learning experiences instead of genetics
`What is a strength of the genetic and neural explanations? (support for the diathesis - stress model of crime)
> A study of ver 13,000 Danish adoptees was conducted by a psychologist
> Researchers defined criminal conviction as having one or more court convictions, which was checked against Danish police records for each adoptee
> When neither the biological or adoptive parents had convictions, the percentage of adoptees that did was 13.5%
> Figure rose to 20% when either biological parents had convictions, then 24.5% when both adoptive and biological parents had convictions
> This data suggests although genetic inheritance is important, environmental influence cannot be disregarded, supporting the diathesis - stress model
What is a limitation of the genetic and neural explanations? (problem with adoption studies)
> Assumptions that genetic and environmental influences are separate in adoptions studies is complicated by the fact many children experience late adoption, meaning much of their infancy and childhood would have been spent with their biological parents anyways.
> Similarly, many adoptees maintain regular contact with their biological parents following adoption
> These factors make it difficult to assess the environmental impact biological parents may have had
> Additionally, figures mentioned in Mednick et al. study only apply to petty offences.
> Therefore conclusions drawn, may be inapplicable to more serious forms of crime
What is a limitation of the genetic and neural explanations? (biological determinism)
> In criminality, the “criminal gene” presents a dilemma
> Legal systems based on the premise, criminals have personal and moral responsibility for their crimes, and only in extreme cases can one claim they were not acting under their own free will
> Therefore ethical questions are raised about what society does with people who are suspected of carrying criminal genes
