Biological- Neaural Explaination For Offending

Question 1

What does the neural explanation suggest

Answer 1

How structures of the brain and neurochemical factors may be different in criminals

Question 2

What are the neurochemical differences in criminals and non criminals

Answer 2

Differences in neurotransmitter levels e.g. high levels of noradrenaline have been linked to violence and aggression AND low levels of serotonin have been linked to greater impulsivity

Question 3

What are the structural differences in brains of criminals
Prefrontal cortex study

Answer 3

Criminals
Raine- Prefrontal cortex
-Looked at 71 brain imaging studies showing that murderers and psychopaths and found reduced functioning in the prefrontal cortex.

-This is the area involved in regulating emotions, personality, decision making and controlling moral behaviour
-Low activity in this area is associated with impulsiveness=criminal behaviour.

Question 4

What are the structural differences in brains of criminals
Limbic system and study

Answer 4

PET scan of 41 murderers and 41 non-murderes
Limbic system- Includes the hippocampus and amygdala which process emotional information
Less active and smaller amygdala = lack of empathy, guilt and unregulated emotions = uncontrollable outbursts and more likely to commit crime.

Question 5

Evaluation of neural explanation

Answer 5

✅PET scans are a scientific method- empirical evidence, increase validity, objective

✅reserahc support

❌too deterministic as suggests if you have these structural or neurochemical differences in your brain you will commit a crime which isn’t true, and disregards free will.