Criminal Psychology: Biological Explanation

Question 1

What are the three areas that we look at in the biological explanation?

Answer 1

1. Brain Injury
2. Amygdala and Aggression
3. XYY Syndrome

Question 2

Who found a link between brain injury (especially in childhood) and offending?

Answer 2

Williams et al (2010)

They studied inmates from a single UK prison, 60% recalled one or more head injuries in their youth.

Question 3

What does ABI stand for?

Answer 3

Acquired Brain Injury

Question 4

How can a person get an ABI?

Answer 4

Sporting injury
Accident

Question 5

What is the connection between ABI and offending?

Answer 5

1. The brain is not fully mature until mid-20’s. Cognitive abilities (e.g. impulse control, forward planning) are among the last functions to develop.
2. ABI can disrupt development, so the person fails to move beyond the reckless and risk-taking behaviour of childhood.
3. Brain injury may also destabilise mood, concentration and decision-making, making offending behaviour more likely.

Question 6

Who provided supporting evidence for the link between brain injury and crime?

Answer 6

Fazel et al (2011)

They studied people with brain injuries and found that 8.8% had committed a violent crime compared to 3% in a control group.

Question 7

What is a counter argument for a relationship between brain injury and offending?

Answer 7

The relationship between brain injury and offending is not necessarily causal.

People with serious head injuries are more likely to have mental illness, or be alcohol/drug abusers.

Question 8

Where is the amygdala?

Answer 8

Temporal lobe of both brain hemispheres.

Question 9

Which system of the brain is the amygdala part of?

Answer 9

Limbic system which directs how we react to threatening situations.

Question 10

What did Raine find in the NGRI murderers in relation to the amygdala?

Answer 10

There was reduced metabolic activity in several brain areas including the left amygdala.

Question 11

Who conducted a study looking at the role of abnormal amygdala functioning?

Answer 11

Gao et al (2010)

They looked at 1795 children aged 3, conditioned to fear certain sounds.

20 years later, those who went on to commit crimes were less likely to have shown a fear response to the first tone.

Abnormal amygdala functioning (lack of fear at age 3).

Question 12

Name another psychologist who investigated the amygdala and aggression?

Answer 12

Pardini et al (2014)

They conducted neuroimaging scans.

26 year old men were grouped according to whether they had normal volume or reduced volume amygdala.

Three years later, the reduced volume men were three times more likely to be aggressive, violent and show psychopathic traits.

Question 13

What is a weakness of the relationship between the amygdala and crime?

Answer 13

The amygdala does not work alone but is influenced by the OFC which is not part of the limbic system.

The OFC regulated self-control and reduced functioning is associated with increased aggression.

This suggests that the influence of the amygdala alone on aggression is difficult to disentangle.

Question 14

What is XYY syndrome?

Answer 14

When genetic males are born with an extra Y chromosome.

Question 15

Name some identifying symptoms of a person with XYY syndrome.

Answer 15

Taller than average
Have lower intelligence
Can be impulsive
May experience behavioural difficulties.

Question 16

Who reported a connection between XYY syndrome, aggression and crime?

Answer 16

Jacobs et al (1965)

They looked at male patients in a Scottish hospital.

Men with XYY chromosomal pattern were over-represented in prison populations (around 15 per 10,000).

Question 17

What is a weakness of XYY syndrome?

Answer 17

Lack of evidence, therefore not a credible explanation.

Re and Birkhoff (2015) did a meta-analysis and considered 50 years of evidence.

They concluded that there is no link between XYY and offending behaviour.

Question 18

What is the application value of the biological explanation of crime?

Answer 18

Williams et al (2010) argue for more awareness of brain injuries in the criminal justice system, including standard screening of young people when they first offend.

This shows that biological explanations may come to have an important influence of decision making during criminal trials.

Question 19

How are biological explanations of criminal behaviour linked with issues and debates?

Answer 19

Reductionist

The idea of explaining crime as the result of a single biological factor ignores the fact that offending is more likely to occur in a context of social deprivation, poor education and dysfunctional role models.