Chap 3 Flashcards
What ways can the frontal lobe be damaged to facilitate aggressive/violent behaviour
Frontal lobe controls higher order thinking, decision making, directs/maintains attention, integrates internal and external info, makes plans, and behaviour. Deficits in the frontal lobe can: reduce the ability to anticipate a consequence, impaired impulse control, impair select adaptive response, and inappropriate behaviour control.
How can deficits in the prefrontal cortex contribute to violent behaviour?
disrupts social and affective desicion making, diminishes guilt shame and empathy, irritability, poor planning an irresponsibility
How can deficits in the subcorital structures of the limbic system contribute to violent behaviour?
Amygdala - fight or flight/aggression and fear - emotional info processing in the environment and somatic (emotional) memory - stimulates aggression (overactive amygdala) - affects correlation of event with emotion that might decrease the likelihood - affects empathy; ability to recognize fearful and sad expression
How are the deficits in the laterization of language related to violent behaviour?
damage to the left hemisphere (processing and comprehending language (wernickles and broca’s areas) and processing emotional facial expressions) linked to agressive/criminal behaviour - hemispheric asymmetry - understand lexical but not emotional meaning of words (lack of empathy) and lowered verbal ability is linked to antisocial personality behaviour
How is the hemispheric asymmetry (dysfunction) related to violent behaviour?
asymmetrical distribution (lateralization) of particular functions like language/verbal skills to one hemisphere of the brain linked to a lack empathy
What does BAS and BIS stand for?
Behavioural Activation System
Behavioural Inhibition System
How do the BAS and BIS contribute to violent behaviour?
BAS triggers an emotional repsonse in the amygdala (activates behaviour for a reward)
BIS triggers the amygdala emotional response and activates a behaviour for a punishment - if underactive could lead to impulsivity and failure to learn from punishments
Identify the neurotransmitters invovled in the BAS and BIS
BAS - Dopamine
BIS - Serotonin
What are the roles of the neurotransmitters in the BIS and BAS?
Dopamine - activate other neurotransmitters in the system - linked to approach orientated/exploratory and pleasure seeking behaviour - overproduction linked to schizophrenia which suggests a link to aggression
Serotonin - for mood, sleep and appetite; low levels linked to negative outcomes like personality disorder (antisocial), suicide and mood disorders - low levels linked to aggressive behaviour
How can testosterone levels contribute tp social dominance and violent behaviour
- Linked to aggression (weak link) only certain types like social dominance (non-physical aggression to try and achieve higher ranking status in social peer groups) - testosterone levels may rise in situations that challenge reproductive success/mating (challenge hypothesis)
How do cortisol levels affect violent behaviour? Is it high or low cortisol that affects it?
High cortisol affects toleration for frustration/stress, more likely to be violent to minor provactions (conduct disorder) (one study) low cortisol levels might be linked to aggressive behaviour (psychopathic offenders) (other studies)
How is the ANS Functioning connect to higher stimulation seeking or lower empathy levels?
Autonomic Nervous System: if underresponsive will have reduced reaction to environmental stimuli resulting in stimulation seeking inorder to raise serotonin levels - also linked to failure to link emotional expressions to an ANS response like normal (failure to elicit guilt) - also take risks in result from a lack of fear levels.
What are some indicators of ANS functioning?
what is Neuropsychology? And forensic neuropsychology?
- The study of the brain, its functions and it’s role in behaviours and psychological processes
-How specific brain structures generate behaviour responses to perceived environmental threats and how brain dysfunction may contribute to violent behaviour.
What is the Limbic System? And it’s function?
- A system responsible for primal emotional drives like anger, fear or hunger.
-2 major parts are the amygdala and the hippocampus - Plays role in memory, motivation, and emotional processes
What part of the brain contains the majority of cells for the central nervous system?
Cerebrum
What is the cerebral cortex and it’s function?
Thin gray outerlayer of the cerebrum, folded into many grooves and convultions
What is the cerebrums functions?
- Separated into 2 hemispheres (left and right)
What is the bundle of nerves connecting the left and right hemispheres?
Corpus Callosum
What does laterization mean?
The localization of particular processes or functions within the left and right hemispheres
What are the four lobes and their main functions
Frontal, Temporal, Pareital, and Occipital
Frontal Lobe = governs higher order thinking, decisions, and aspects of personality
what is the organic brain syndrome
a disease that can result in decerased mental functioning. Can be from head injury/trauma, degenerative diseases, strokes, infections, low levels of oxygen
What are neuropsychological tests?
Tests/tasks designed to measure cognitive functions beleived to be linked to specific brain reigions
what does brain plasicity mean?
the brains ability to change structure/function and to develop new neural connections
What is the prefrontal cortex and where is it located?
Located at the front of the frontal lobe (around your forehead); governs higher order thinking and executive control functions, and aspects of your personality
What is an emotional instability where the persons mood or emotional expression can change rapidly without warning?
Emotional liability
Executive Control Functions
Variety of higher-order cognitive skills (desicion making, planning, judgement)
Disinhibition Syndrome
lack of mental control over emotional reponses as well as an inability to consider alternate more acceptable responses.
Eposodic Dyscontrol Syndrome
recurrent uncharacteristic outbursts of uncontrollable/unprovoked rage
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
neurological disoder of uncontrollable seizures because of abnormal electrical brain activity
Amygdala
Part of the limbic system - closely related to the fight or flight response
Fight or Flight Response
automatic physiological response to threatening/dangerous environments which readies people to flee or respond to the threat with aggression
Hemispheric Asymmetry
Asymmetrical distribution (lateralization) of a particular function such as language/verbal skills to one hemisphere (typically left with criminal behaviour)
Nervous System and the different parts
network of nerve cells/neurons, tissues, and organs that regulate/coordinate bodily functions. Central system (brain and spinal cord) Peripherial system (complex nerves connecting central to rest of body) Somatic system (voluntary functions) Autonomic System (involuntary functions) Sympathetic (fight/flight) Parasympathetic (calming)
Endocrine System
hormone secreting glands into bloodstream regualting essential functions (growing, metabolism)
Neurotransmitters
chemical messengers for the nervous system through the network of neurons (Dopamine, Serotonin, and Norepinephrine most common for criminology)
Dopamine
acts like a biochemical switch activating other neurotransmitters - connected to schizophrenia (excessive amount) and to aggression
Serotonin
For mood, sleep, and appetite - lower levels is linked to personality disorders (antisocial) suicide, and mood disorders (bipolar) low levels is connected to violence
Norepinephrine
synthesized from dopaminel regulates involuntary functions like fight or flight response; increases levels is linked to agression
Behavioural Activation System
triggers an emotional response in the amygdala to activate a behaviour for a reward
Behavioural Inhibition System
triggers an emotional response in the amygdala and activates a behaviour/response for a punishment
Hormones and the 2 types pertaining to violent behaviour
chemical messengers to regulate vital bodily functions (endocrine system) - Testosterone and Cortisol related to violent behaviour
Socail Dominance
non-physical aggressive behaviour meant to try and achieve higher ranking/status in a social group
Sex Hormone (specifically pertaining to violent behaviour)
testosterone
Stress Hormones
cortisol
Challenge Hypothesis
theory - obersved relationship between testosterone and aggression - males testerone levels rise in situations that challenges reproductive sucess/mating
Psychophysiology
study of relationships with underlying physical and chemical functions living organisms and their psychological state
Peripheral vs Central Nervous Systems
Peripheral - connectes central nervous system to rest of body through millions of nerves
Central Nervous System consists of the brain and spinal cord
Somatic vs Autonomic Nervous Systems
Somatic is voluntary functions
Autonomic is involuntary functions
Sympathetic vs Parasympathetic
Sympathetic is for flight or fight response
Parasympathetic calms
Avoidance Learning
individuals learn to iniate/inhibite certain behaviours to aversive stimuli
Skin Conductance
changes in skin resistance to shocks - perspiration, ANS and emotional state
How can heart rate affect violent behaviour
low resting heart rate is connected to criminal/violent behaviour - connected to lower levels of fear - underactive ANS
What are the 7 symptoms of frontal lobe dysfunction?
personality/emotional problems (apathy or emotional liability); deficits in anticipating, planning, and sequencing; initiating behaviour, monitoring behaviour, altering or stopping behaviour, and abstract reasoning.
