Biological Explanations Of Offending Behaviour

Question 1

What is ‘atavistic’?

Answer 1

Primitive, historic.

Question 2

What is the atavistic form?

Answer 2

A historical approach that suggests that some individuals possess primitive features that are reminiscent of criminality.

Question 3

Who studied the atavistic form?

Answer 3

Lombroso (1880’s).

Question 4

What did Lombroso believe about the atavistic form?

Answer 4

There was a distinct biological class of people that were prone to criminality. They can be identified by their looks (e.g. curly hair, high cheekbones).

Question 5

What are the male atavistic characteristics [SHREC]?

Answer 5

Sloping brow.
High cheekbones.
Really large jaw.
Ears are long.
Curly hair.

Question 6

What are the female atavistic characteristics [SWDS]?

Answer 6

Shorter.
Wrinkled.
Darker hair.
Smaller skulls.

Question 7

Atavistic characteristics for:
-Murderers
-Sexual Deviants
-Fraudsters

Answer 7

Atavistic characteristics for:
-Murderers: bloodshot eyes.
-Sexual Deviants: fleshy lips.
-Fraudsters: thin, reedy.

Question 8

How did Lombroso (1876) study atavistic features?

Answer 8

He examined 4,000 criminals & the skulls of 400 dead criminals to identify distinguishing features among male criminals.

Question 9

What were the results and conclusion of Lombroso (1876)?

Answer 9

40% of those examined had atavistic features.
Indicated that such people were more primitive in an evolutionary sense.
This suggests that criminality is an innate form of inherited physiology.

Question 10

How did Kurtzberg (1968) study atavistic features (supporting evidence)?

Answer 10

Kurtzberg (1968) found that prisoner behaviour had improved following facial surgery.
-No Surgery: recidivism rate of 70%.
-Surgery: recidivism rate of 42%.

Question 11

How did Goring (1913) study atavistic features (contradicting evidence)?

Answer 11

Goring (1913) tested the atavistic form using 3,000 criminals and 3,000 non-criminals. He found no differences between the groups in terms of facial features.

Question 12

Evaluation points for atavistic form:

Answer 12

• Lombroso was the first person that combined science & biology of a person to the study of crime.
• Determinism, lack of free will, eugenic (selective breeding) implications.
• Emphasised a criminal stereotype.
• DeLisi (2012) branded this theory as racist, as an individual that has those features doesn’t necessarily make them a criminal (e.g. African-Americans are criminals because they have curly hair?)

Question 13

What are the two biological explanations for offending behaviour?

Answer 13

-Genetic explanation.
-Neural explanation.

Question 14

What is the genetic explanation for offending behaviour?

Answer 14

An explanation that suggests that one or more genes predisposes individuals to criminal behaviour.

Question 15

How was the genetic explanation studied?

Answer 15

Twin studies where MZ & DZ twins are compared.

Question 16

How did Christansen (1977) study genetic explanation?
[TWIN STUDY]

Answer 16

Looked at 3,500 twin pairs in Denmark.
Concordance rates for MZ was more than double the concordance rates for DZ.
This suggests heritability to criminal behaviour.

Question 17

How may Christansen (1977) lack validity?

Answer 17

Concordance rates are relatively low, suggesting that genes are not enough when it comes to offending.

Question 18

What is the MAOA gene?

Answer 18

An enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters in the synapse
[part of synaptic transmission].

Question 19

What is the MAOA gene also known as?

Answer 19

Warrior gene.

Question 20

What is the job of the MAOA gene?

Answer 20

Metabolising (‘mopping up’) neurotransmitters in the brain after a nerve impulse, breaking them down to be recycled and excreted.

Question 21

What is a variant of the MAOA gene?

Answer 21

MAOA-L.

Question 22

Why may the MAOA-L gene result in offending behaviour?

Answer 22

1. MAOA-L gene means that there will be less MAOA produced.
2. This can result in a rise in neurotransmitter levels in the brain (e.g. dopamine - high levels linked with aggression and lack of self-control).
3. This affects brain activity (e.g. prefrontal cortex - responsible for decision making).

Question 23

How did Han Brummer (1993) study genetic explanation?
[MAOA]

Answer 23

Found that 28 males from a Dutch family - who were repeatedly involved in impulsively aggressive violent criminal behaviour - had abnormally low MAOA levels in their brains, and they had the MAOA-L gene.

Question 24

How did Cases (1995) study genetic explanation?
[MAOA]

Answer 24

Studied genetically engineered mice with low MAOA levels.
They found the mice had abnormal serotonin levels and behaviour. As adult mice, they demonstrated increased levels of aggression, especially during mating.

Question 25

How may Cases (1995) lack validity?

Answer 25

Findings can’t be generalised to humans, as mice don’t have a conscience.

Question 26

What is the neural explanation for offending behaviour?

Answer 26

An explanation that suggests that brain structures may be different in offenders compared to non-offenders.

Question 27

Examples of differences in neurotransmitter levels being linked to offending behaviour:

Answer 27

-High noradrenaline levels: violence & aggression.
-Low serotonin levels: impulsivity.

Question 28

Who does the neural explanation focus on?

Answer 28

Individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) - common for criminals.

Question 29

APD:

Answer 29

Antisocial Personality Disorder.

Question 30

Who conducted research into the neural explanation for offending behaviour and what method was used?

Answer 30

Raine, PET scanning.

Question 31

What did Raine learn from PET scans of APD patients?

Answer 31

They had reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex (regulates control over impulsive behaviour).

Question 32

Criminals find controlling their ________ difficult, and have no ________ or ________.

Answer 32

Impulses, guilt, remorse.

Question 33

How did Raine (2000) study neural explanation?

Answer 33

Looked at the volume of prefrontal grey & white matter in the brains of
-21 APD patients.
-21 control group.
Their autonomic activity was measured through heart rate and skin conductance, where they were put in a stressful situation (videotaped while being asked about their faults).

Question 34

What were the results of Raine (2000)?

Answer 34

-APD patients had 11% less grey matter in the prefrontal area.
-They showed a reduced autonomic response during the stressful situation (due to a lack of guilt and remorse).

Question 35

How did Raine (2004) study neural explanation?

Answer 35

Cited 71 brain imaging studies showing that murderers, psychopaths and violent individuals have reduced functioning in the prefrontal cortex.

Question 36

Advantages for biological explanations for offending behaviour:

Answer 36

-Research support from gene and adoption studies (e.g. Christiansen).
-Diathesis-stress model takes into account both biology and the environment.
-PET scans are a scientific method.

Question 37

Disadvantages for biological explanations for offending behaviour:

Answer 37

-Stereotypes children from ‘criminal families’.
-Majority of the research focuses on violent/aggressive crimes - can genes and neurotransmitters predict non-violent crimes?
-Deterministic - the genes a person is born with determine later behaviour, BUT not everyone with this gene has become a criminal.