Diathesis stress model

Question 1

What does the diathesis stress model suggest ?

Answer 1

• suggests that a tendency towards criminal behaviour stems from a combination of a genetic predisposition and a biological or psychological trigger

Question 2

what does epigenetics suggest ?

Answer 2

• suggests that genes are switched on or off by epigenomes
• which in turn have been affected by environmental factors

Question 3

Research to support diathesis stress model

Answer 3

Caspi et al
- longitudinal study on 1000 people
- assessed them at age 26 for antisocial behaviour

Question 4

findings of Caspi et al ?

Answer 4

• found that 12% with abnormalities on MAOA genes were maltreated as children and were responsible for 44% of violent crimes

Question 5

what factors are included in the neural explanation ?

Answer 5

• prefrontal cortex
• assymetric lymbic system
• neurotransmitters

Question 6

what is the prefrontal cortex responsible for ?

Answer 6

• emotions and morals

Question 7

what kind of individuals show reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex ?

Answer 7

• people with antisocial personality disorder

Question 8

neural explanations
Raine study findings

Answer 8

• found an 11% reduction in the volume of grey matter in the prefrontal cortex of people with APD compared to control groups

Question 9

what is the assymetric lymbic system responsible for ? and what is it regarded as and where is it found ?

Answer 9

• emotions and motivation
• central part of the brain and regarded as the primitive area centre where emotions are modulated

Question 10

what can be argued abut the assymetric lymbic system ?

Answer 10

• can be argued to be implicated in offending behaviour
• this is the case for criminal psychopaths and APD

Question 11

what is psychopathy ?

Answer 11

• a personality disorder with no clear cause

Question 12

what do psychopaths seem to have problems with ?

Answer 12

• problems processing emotions and empathy

Question 13

what is the neural explanation regarding neurotransmitters ?

Answer 13

• neurotransmitter levels may be different in criminals compared to non-criminals

Question 14

what are the levels of the neurotransmitters in criminals ?

Answer 14

• low seretonin
• high dopamine
• high + low noradrenaline

Question 15

low seretonin link to criminal behaviour ?

Answer 15

• regulates mood + impulse control
• means that in low levels there will be more impulsivity
• so a person with low levels can impulsively react and not hold back in a situation

Question 16

high dopamine link to criminal behaviour ?

Answer 16

• link to addiction + substance abuse which makes crimes more likely
• dopaminergic activity in the limbic system means that pleasure is experienced so a crime may trigger feelings of pleasure

Question 17

noradrenaline high + low link to criminal behaviour ?

Answer 17

• part of the flight or fight response and helps to respond in a threatening situation
• research shows that high levels are linked to violence and aggression so some crimes may be due to the chemical imbalance

Question 18

mirror neurones
- keysers study

Answer 18

• only when criminals were asked to empathise with others did their empathy reactions activate

Question 19

what does keysers study suggest about mirror neurones ?

Answer 19

• suggests criminals do experience empathy, although it is not an automatic response
• so these mirror neurones fire in response to the actions of others