Classic study: Raine et al (3)

Question 1

What was the aim of Raine’s study?

Answer 1

Raine wanted to use brain scanning techniques to identify brain impairments in people charged with murder who had plead guilty by reason of insanity. He predicted they would show abnormalities in place

Question 2

Where did he predict murders would be effected in the brain?

Answer 2

He predicted they would show abnormalities in places such as the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus and thalamus.

Question 3

What was Raine’s method?

Answer 3

He looked at two groups of matched pairs. Each pair had someone charged with murder or manslaughter and a control person. He scanned their brains with PET scans.

Question 4

How do PET scans work?

Answer 4

Pet scans are invasive and inject a radioactive glucose tracer into the blood which then lights up areas of the brain with high glucose activity. They scan each 10mm slice of the brain.

Question 5

What was the sample?

Answer 5

The sample had 39 men and 2 women who had bee convicted of murder or manslaughter. A majority had brain injury. The control group matched the subjects via race, disability or age

Question 6

Findings:

Answer 6

Murderers had significantly less activity in the left cortical regions such as the amygdala and temporal lobe

Question 7

Conclusion:

Answer 7

The hypothesis was correct and the majority of murderers had less activity in the regions involved in certain emotions.

Question 8

Strengths of Raine’s study:

Answer 8

-Strict procedure and matched pairs eliminated external variables that would alter the results

Question 9

Weaknesses of Raine’s study:

Answer 9

• some were convicted of manslaughter so not murderers
• PET scans are easily misunderstood
• brain injury in some is not biological
• it was unethical as he took meds off prisoners