Classic Study: Raine Flashcards
What was the aim of Raines Classic Study?
To investigate if brain functioning is different in violent offenders who pleaded NGRI (not guilty for reasons of insanity) for murder compared to non-violent individuals.
What was the sample of Raines Classic study?
Two groups: 41 murderers and 41 non-murderers.
There was 39 males and 2 females- 6 of the participants had Schizophrenia
The murderers were assessed for the defence of NGRI compared to the control group (non-violent)
What was the design of Raines Classic study?
Matched pairs- the participants were matched based on sex, age and ethnicity
Describe the procedure of Raines Classic Study. (4 marks)
Raines study aimed to investigate if brain functioning is different in violent criminals who had pleaded NGRI for murder compared to non-violent individuals. He recruited two groups of participants, of whom 41 were murderers and 41 non murderers. Both groups were matched based on their sex, age and ethnicity as well as 6 participants who were matched as they had Schizophrenia. However, all the other participants were free from psychiatric illness after a psychiatric interview has been conducted. All participants were then injected with a radioactive tracer and were then asked to complete a continuous task for 32 minutes where they had to identify a target on a screen. Following on from this, a PET scan was carried out immediately.
What were the results of Raines Classic study?
Murderers had a
Lower Glucose Metabolism Activity in:
-the lateral and medial prefrontal area
-Corpus Callosum (left amygdala) and medial temporal lobe
Higher Glucose Metabolism Activity in:
-occupital lobe
-Right amygdala, right medial temporal lobe and thalamus (hormone communication centre)
What was the conclusion drawn from Raines Classic study?
Murderers pleading NGRI have different brain activity from people who are not violent. However, it is not dysfunctional in a single area, it is the impairment of interacting brain areas that can increase an individuals likelihood of becoming aggressive.
Evaluate Raines Classic Study (8 marks)
Generalisability - Weakness
41 criminals who were convicted of either murder or manslaughter. This means that aggression may be different because there is the criticism of intent.
Also, violent criminals have individual differences which could be an issue when generalising findings
Reliability- Strength
Standardised procedure for all participants
Participants had an interview to test for psychiatric illness
A radioactive tracer was injected, they then carried out a continuous task for 32 minutes and a PET scan was immediately conducted after.
This minimises the number of anomalies that could occur due to confounding factors.
Application- Strength and Weakness
Shows that brain functioning differs between violent offenders
Results show an overactivity in some areas like amygdala and under activity in prefrontal areas
Therefore, this can be used to identify the risk that an individual is aggressive or violent.
However, the PET scans were undertaken after the violent event so there may be differences caused due to aggression such as environmental.
Validity- Strength and Weakness
Results lack ecological and internal validity
Research is correlational- there is a link between aggression and brain function.
But the aggressive event had already occurred (therefore it is difficult to pinpoint whether brain dysfunction was the cause of this violence)
Ethics- Strength and Weakness
Ethical unless coerced to participate
Socially sensitive- takes away the responsibility from the criminal reducing free will, therefore there is an impact on victims families
There is also the idea of whether the individual has the capacity to participate
