criminology Flashcards
Aggression
Feelings of anger and hostility towards someone or something, often resulting in violent actions.
Localization of Brain Function
This describes the concept of different parts of the brain having different functions.
Hormone
Secreted by the endocrine system which impact interest in sex, food, and aggression.
Testosterone
The most important male sex hormone. Both males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs during the fetal period, and the development of the male sex characteristic during puberty.
System Two is
- Slow
- Conscious
- Controlled
- Based on consequences
Neurotransmitters
A variety of neurotransmitters have been identified and associated with different behaviors
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Chemical messengers held in the end of a neuron’s axon that cross the synaptic gaps between neuron. When released by the sending neuron, they travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, thereby influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.
Cognitive Capabilities
This refers to one’s ability to perform cognitive tasks
Amygdala
The cortex within the temporal lobe
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (FMRI)
Measures the activity or function of areas of he brain when the participant is performing a task or cognitive function
Neuroplasticity
term that is used to describe the brain’s ability to change as a result of experiennce
Serotonin
Correlated with antisocial behavior including aggression and violence
Amygdala
Two lima-bean-sized neural clusters in the limbic system. This structure is involved in strong emotions like fear and aggression (it is also somewhat involved in memory formation as emotional memories are easy to remember, they are ‘seared’ into our memory by the Amygdala, this is the likely cause of phobias and certain disorders such as PTSD).
How to neurotransmitters work?
Synapse
The junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron (the tiny gap at this junction is called the synaptic gap or synaptic clef).
Reuptake
The reabsorption of excess neurotransmitters by the sending neuron
Agonist
A molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action (usually by mimicking it).
Antagonist
A molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action.
Hypothalamus
The Hypothalamus is involved in activating the flight/fight response. It sends a signal to the adrenal glands, which are small glands that sit on top of the of the kidney and triggers the release of adrenaline into out blood stream
Hippocampus
A neural center located in the limbic system; it is fundamental for the retention of long term memory and helps process the storage and formation of explicit (conscious) memories of facts and events.
*The Hippocampus working in conjunction with the Amygdala appears to have the ability to sear emotionally charged events into your memory.
Genes
The biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins.
Heritability
The proportion of variation among individuals in a group that can be attributed to genes (variation in a population due to genes). The heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.
Why may low serotonin might lead to acts of aggression or violence
- If an individual is threatened and they have low levels of serotonin, they may not be able to perform top-down control; that is to say, the lack of activity in the PFC may affect their ability to regulate the stress response as triggered by the amygala’s reactivity towards the threat. This might increase their emotional level and increase chances of a highly emotion reaction to the threat.
- The reduced activity in their PFC as a result of the low serotonin may also affect their ability to inhibit impulsive reactions and think through their actions, so if someone has a tendency towards violence they may not be able to reduce an impulsive reaction towards an individual who is threatening them.
Enzyme
An enzyme is a substance that acts as a catalyst in living organisms
Monozygotic (MZ) twins
identical twins result from a single fertilised ovum and therefore share all genes (100% genetic material in common)
Dizygotic (DZ) twins
dizygotic (DZ) or fraternal twins are the result of the implantation of two separate fertilised ova and generally share about 50% of genes and are no more alike than other siblings.
Behavior
any observable action
Evolution
The principle of evolution is based on how our genes mutate and change, with those that are advantageous being passed down through a process of natural selection.
Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy: one’s belief in one’s ability to succeed accomplishing a task
Culture of Honour
The culture of honor is a particular set of cultural values. A value is something you think is important, so a cultural value is something that a cultural group shares in their value of its importance.
-In the South in this early time there was also little law enforcement or authority, so people had to take care of themselves. This meant they were responsible
What is Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA)
Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters in the synapse
What happens if someone has a low expression variant of this MAOA (known as MAOA-L)
If they have the low expressing variant it means that there will be less MAOA produced. This can affect neurotransmitter levels (including serotonin and dopamine) which affects brain activity in important parts of the brain, like the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. This could explain how the MAOA-L affects brain activity.
