BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS OF CRIME AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR Flashcards
Evaluate biological explanations of crime
3
Fazel et al looked at association between TBI and convictions for violent crime (murder/robbery), found ppt who experienced ABI, 8.8% had committed violent crime compared to 3% control group
Amygdala not cause and effect. Amygdala heavily influenced by the orbitofrontal cortex(OFC) - not part of the limbic system. OFC regulates self control and it’s >functioning associated w aggro/violent outbursts
Birkhoff meta analysis, found no link between XYY and offending. Prevalence of XYY males in prison better explained by social factors e.g. XYY traits make it harder for men to integrate into society/find work
What are ABI’s?
1
- Incidents resulting in brain damage (falls) cause developing brain to misfire
What effect can an ABI have on an individual and why?
2
- Disrupt development, can’t move past risk taking behaviour associated w childhood
- Brain not fully matured until mid-20’s
What is XYY syndrome?
1
- Male born w +Y chromosome
What behavioural differences do XYY males have and what doesn’t it effect?
2
- Taller on avg, >intelligence, impulsive
- Testo or sexual development
What are some features of the amygdala?
3
- Located in temporal lobe
- Implicated in aggro, interprets msgs from thalamus as threating or not (fight/flight)
- Abnormalities in size/structure/activity correlate w ^aggro, ^crim behaviour
What fraction of males are born with XYY syndrome?
1
- 1 in 10,000
What is an opposing point for Charles Whitman?
1
- Post mortem, process of dying then assessing the body would of affected structure
What did Kreutzer et al. find?
1
- 20% committed crime before brain injury, 10% committed crime after brain injury
What did Charles Whitman do and what did autopsy reveal?
2
- Murdered his wife, mother, shot 14 others dead
- Brain tumour pressing against his amygdala
