Biological Explanations Of Offending Behaviour Flashcards
What is ‘atavistic’?
Primitive, historic.
What is the atavistic form?
A historical approach that suggests that some individuals possess primitive features that are reminiscent of criminality.
Who studied the atavistic form?
Lombroso (1880’s).
What did Lombroso believe about the atavistic form?
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).
What are the male atavistic characteristics [SHREC]?
Sloping brow.
High cheekbones.
Really large jaw.
Ears are long.
Curly hair.
What are the female atavistic characteristics [SWDS]?
Shorter.
Wrinkled.
Darker hair.
Smaller skulls.
Atavistic characteristics for:
-Murderers
-Sexual Deviants
-Fraudsters
Atavistic characteristics for:
-Murderers: bloodshot eyes.
-Sexual Deviants: fleshy lips.
-Fraudsters: thin, reedy.
How did Lombroso (1876) study atavistic features?
He examined 4,000 criminals & the skulls of 400 dead criminals to identify distinguishing features among male criminals.
What were the results and conclusion of Lombroso (1876)?
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.
How did Kurtzberg (1968) study atavistic features (supporting evidence)?
Kurtzberg (1968) found that prisoner behaviour had improved following facial surgery.
-No Surgery: recidivism rate of 70%.
-Surgery: recidivism rate of 42%.
How did Goring (1913) study atavistic features (contradicting evidence)?
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.
Evaluation points for atavistic form:
- 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?)
What are the two biological explanations for offending behaviour?
-Genetic explanation.
-Neural explanation.
What is the genetic explanation for offending behaviour?
An explanation that suggests that one or more genes predisposes individuals to criminal behaviour.
How was the genetic explanation studied?
Twin studies where MZ & DZ twins are compared.
How did Christansen (1977) study genetic explanation?
[TWIN STUDY]
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.
How may Christansen (1977) lack validity?
Concordance rates are relatively low, suggesting that genes are not enough when it comes to offending.
What is the MAOA gene?
An enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters in the synapse
[part of synaptic transmission].
What is the MAOA gene also known as?
Warrior gene.
What is the job of the MAOA gene?
Metabolising (‘mopping up’) neurotransmitters in the brain after a nerve impulse, breaking them down to be recycled and excreted.
What is a variant of the MAOA gene?
MAOA-L.
Why may the MAOA-L gene result in offending behaviour?
- MAOA-L gene means that there will be less MAOA produced.
- 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).
- This affects brain activity (e.g. prefrontal cortex - responsible for decision making).
How did Han Brummer (1993) study genetic explanation?
[MAOA]
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.
How did Cases (1995) study genetic explanation?
[MAOA]
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.
How may Cases (1995) lack validity?
Findings can’t be generalised to humans, as mice don’t have a conscience.
What is the neural explanation for offending behaviour?
An explanation that suggests that brain structures may be different in offenders compared to non-offenders.
Examples of differences in neurotransmitter levels being linked to offending behaviour:
-High noradrenaline levels: violence & aggression.
-Low serotonin levels: impulsivity.
Who does the neural explanation focus on?
Individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) - common for criminals.
APD:
Antisocial Personality Disorder.
Who conducted research into the neural explanation for offending behaviour and what method was used?
Raine, PET scanning.
What did Raine learn from PET scans of APD patients?
They had reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex (regulates control over impulsive behaviour).
Criminals find controlling their ________ difficult, and have no ________ or ________.
Impulses, guilt, remorse.
How did Raine (2000) study neural explanation?
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).
What were the results of Raine (2000)?
-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).
How did Raine (2004) study neural explanation?
Cited 71 brain imaging studies showing that murderers, psychopaths and violent individuals have reduced functioning in the prefrontal cortex.
Advantages for biological explanations for offending behaviour:
-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.
Disadvantages for biological explanations for offending behaviour:
-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.
