Criminological: Biological Explanations Of Crime (Amygdala) Flashcards
Where is the amygdala located and what is it responsible for?
The temporal lobe.
Controls how we react to threatening situations and our perception of emotions by receiving info from thalamus and deciding whether to fight or flight.
How does the prefrontal cortex aid the amygdala?
Deciding how best to respond to a situation and storing the response as memory.
If the situation were to reoccur then the response would be reproduced without logical thought from the prefrontal cortex.
How might the prefrontal cortex regulating the amygdala explain criminality?
Damage to the amygdala may lead to wrong perceptions of stimuli leading to the wrong reaction being produced.
Damage to the PFC means it cannot regulate emotions with logical reasonings.
= Lead to violent crimes
What are the gender differences of the amygdala?
No gender differences
But it’s been theorised that girls are more empathetic and so differences emotionally may be found in the amygdala.
What is the supporting evidence of the amygdala explanation of crime?
Raine et al
Murderers had different brain activity than the control group.
More activity in the right amygdala and less in the left.
What is the application of the amygdala as an explanation of crime?
Identifying potential criminals:
Amygdalotomies can be used to reduce aggression and treatment can be given to criminals to rehab or prevent them committing further crime.
What is the Different Theory of the amygdala explanation of crime?
Social learning theory:
Aggression can be learnt through observing role models as being aggressive.
= a more holistic approach is needed to understand criminality.
What is the opposing evidence of the amygdala as an explanation of criminality?
PET scans:
Images taken relative to the canthomeatal line which varies between individuals
= Lower Internal Validity
