Colleges Flashcards
What traits are studied in genetic research on criminal behavior?
- Criminal behavior: Arrests, convictions, cautions, or self-reported offenses.
- Dimensional personality traits: Impulsivity, aggression, hostility.
- Psychiatric diagnoses: Conduct Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Substance Use Disorder.
- Protective factors: Intelligence, empathy.
What is the heritability estimate for criminal behavior?
Research suggests a genetic contribution of 40-50% for criminal behavior (Moffitt, 2005).
What are the findings from family studies on heritability and crime?
- 40% of criminal sons have criminal fathers (Osborn & West, 1979).
- 75% of criminal parents produce criminal children (Farrington & West, 1996).
- Crime runs in families (Farrington et al., 1975; Farrington et al., 2021).
What is the key assumption in twin studies?
The equal environments assumption: Identical (MZ) twins and fraternal (DZ) twins experience equally similar environments.
What do twin studies show about heritability and antisocial behavior?
- Severe antisocial behavior is more heritable than nonsevere behavior.
- Genetic effects on antisocial behavior increase with age, while shared environmental effects decrease.
What are the main challenges of adoption studies?
- Selective placement: Matching adoptive families with biological parents.
- Late adoption: Older age at adoption may involve trauma.
- Adverse environments: Children often come from and are placed into challenging conditions.
What is the role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in crime?
The PFC is responsible for executive functions like planning and impulse control.
- Reduced grey matter and lower PFC activity are linked to antisocial and aggressive behavior.
- The PFC develops fully by age 25-30, supporting the age-crime curve.
How does the amygdala influence aggression?
- Overstimulation: Leads to violent, aggressive behavior.
- Lesions: Result in flat affect and reduced emotional responses.
What is the relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and crime?
- TBI, particularly in frontal and temporal regions, is linked to increased aggression and antisocial behavior.
- Juvenile offenders have a high prevalence of brain injury history.
What did studies by Bufkin & Lutrell (2005) find about prefrontal dysfunction and aggression?
- Lower prefrontal activity and reduced grey matter are linked to impulsive aggression.
- Excessive subcortical activity is common in individuals with intense violent behavior.
What is the significance of the limbic system in aggression?
The amygdala and hypothalamus regulate emotions, fight-or-flight responses, and aggression.
- Overstimulation causes uncontrolled violence, while lesions result in reduced emotional responses.
What ethical concerns arise in genetic research on crime?
- Labeling: Associating individuals with criminal potential based on genetics may lead to bias and discrimination.
- Determinism: Misinterpretation of genetic findings could undermine personal accountability.
How do adoption studies support heritability of criminal behavior?
- Crowe (1974): 50% of children with criminal biological mothers committed crimes by 18, compared to 5% without criminal biological mothers.
- MZ twins raised apart show genetic influences on behavior independent of shared environment.
What is the difference between Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) and Antisocial Personality Pattern (APP)?
- APD: Clinical diagnosis involving pervasive disregard for the rights of others.
- APP: Behavioral and personality traits linked to criminal conduct; does not need to reach clinical levels.
What is Social Learning Theory according to Bandura?
- New behaviors are learned through observation and imitation of others.
- Focuses on rewards and punishments others receive for their actions.
- Similarity to the observed person increases likelihood of learning.
What were the results of Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment?
- Children who observed an aggressive model were more likely to show aggression toward the doll.
- Aggression occurred whether the model was live, filmed, or cartoon.
- Punishment and reward influenced the likelihood of imitating aggression.
What are the criticisms of the Bobo Doll Experiment?
- Ecological validity: Lab settings differ from real-world experiences.
- Novelty of the doll: Children may not know what behavior is expected.
- Individual differences: Ignores temperament and personality traits.
- Ethical concerns: Would not pass modern ethical standards.
What are social scripts and schemas in social cognitive learning?
- Schemas: Rigid beliefs used to organize information.
- Scripts: Predict how situations will unfold and guide behavior.
- Shaped by experiences and exposure (e.g., media, upbringing).
What is the hostile attribution bias?
- The tendency to perceive ambiguous actions of others as hostile or threatening.
- Strongly linked to aggression, especially in young people.
What are the implications of exposure to violent video games?
- Associated with aggressive beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.
- Leads to desensitization to violence and reduced prosocial behavior.
- Protective factors, like non-violent family role models, can mitigate effects.
How does violent pornography affect behavior?
- Linked to sexual aggression, especially in individuals with preexisting deviant sexual scripts or antisocial traits.
- Exposure to violence and domination in pornography may reinforce harmful attitudes.
- Causality: Individuals with positive attitudes toward violence are more likely to seek out violent pornography.
What is the General Personality and Cognitive Social Learning (GPCSL) Theory of criminal conduct?
- Crime results from the interaction of personality traits, antisocial associates, and cognitive patterns.
- Emphasizes the role of dynamic risk factors like attitudes, self-control, and peer influence.
What is the Dark Tetrad of personality traits?
- Subclinical psychopathy
- Subclinical narcissism
- Machiavellianism
- Everyday sadism
How do antisocial associates influence behavior?
- Social exclusion may push individuals toward antisocial peers.
- Peers reinforce criminal behaviors, creating a “school of criminal behavior.”
- Group therapy in prison can inadvertently strengthen these associations.