Crime Topic 1 Q1

Question 1

Raine aim

Answer 1

To research brain dysfunction in murderers pleading not guilty by reason of insanity

Question 2

Hypothesis

Answer 2

Brain dysfunction will be in the prefrontal cortex, angular gyros, amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus and corpus collosum= localised and not in other areas.

Question 3

Method

Answer 3

Quasi Experiment, IV= murderer or not. DV= brain activity on PET Scan

Question 4

Design

Answer 4

Matched pairs design- matched on age & gender plus 6 schizophrenic matched to 6 schizophrenic not.

Question 5

Sample

Answer 5

Opportunity (41), 39 men and 2 women. All murderers pleading not guilty by reason of insanity. They were medication free for 2 weeks= urine test

Question 6

Materials

Answer 6

Thermoplastic head holder to keep head still for scan, CPT (continuous performance task) to search for objects on screen. PET Scan & glucose injection to show brain activity

Question 7

Procedure

Answer 7

Ethics committee form completed, pps practice CPT 10 mins, then glucose injection (FDG) 30 seconds after the real CPT starts so novelty of the task isn’t picked up on the scan. PET Scan 32 mins after the injection; 10 slices (pictures) at 10mm intervals of cortical & sub-cortical brain areas.

Question 8

Results

Answer 8

1- Lower brain activity in murderers: Prefrontal Cortex, left angular gyros & corpus collosum. Also, in the amygdala, thalamus & hippocampus
(Left hemisphere) all already linked to violence, plus high activity in the right hemisphere= not previously linked to violence.
2- No differences in other areas not already linked to violence, no ethic differences, no differences within murderers head injured or not

Question 9

Conclusion (1)

Answer 9

Brain functioning is different in murderers. Not one area but a disruption to a network of interacting brain mechanisms that predisposes a person to violence but doesn’t cause it e.g low activity in the prefrontal cortex means less self control= aggression.

Question 10

Conclusion (2)

Answer 10

Raine also warns: biological factors alone don’t cause violence, situational factors do too. Also, violence may cause brain dysfunction not vice versa

Question 11

Conclusion (3)

Answer 11

PET Scans can’t diagnose violence & murderers pleading not guilty by reason of insanity may still be responsible. Also, these results don’t explain all violence, only criminal