Explanation of crime and ASB: Biological explanation

Question 1

What are the 3 biological explanations of crime

Answer 1

XXY chromosomes
The Amygdala
Brain Injury

Question 2

How brain injury can account for offending

Answer 2

Incidents that result in brain damage like sports accidents, are called acquired brain injuries (ABIs), cause the developing brain to misfire.

Question 3

Brain injury: How can ABIs affect the developing brain

Answer 3

Disrupts development of the brain, develops until mid 20s, and affect cognitive abilities. The individual may fail to move pass reckless behaviour associated with childhood.

Question 4

Brain injuries: What are some cognitive abilities brain injury may affect the development of

Answer 4

Foward planning and impulse control

Question 5

Brain injury: key thinker

Answer 5

Williams et al (2010)

Question 6

Brain injury: what did Williams et al (2010) do

Answer 6

analysed data from 196 inmates from a single Uk prison.

Question 7

Brain injury Williams et al (2010) findings

Answer 7

60% of inmates recalled history of 1 or more brain injuries in their youth.

• This group tended to be younger when they committed first crime.
• This group spent more time in prison in last 5 years than rest of sample

Question 8

Amygdala: where is it located

Answer 8

temporal lobe in both hemispheres of the brain

Question 9

Amygdala: How does the amygdala explain agression?

Answer 9

Abnormalies in the size, structure and activity correlate with increased aggression, making criminal behaviour more likely to occur.

Question 10

Amygdala: what is a key thinker of research into the Amygdalas role into aggression

Answer 10

Adrian Raine

Question 11

Amygdala: How did Raine and his colleagues find a link between the amygdala and crime

Answer 11

Investigated fear responses of 1,795 3 year old children

• played a sound either followed by a loud unpleasant sound or silence

Question 12

Amygdala: What did Raine and his colleagues find when investigating the fear response of 1795 children

Answer 12

They found that 20 years later, the children who had comitted crimes were more likely to be the ones who didn’t show a fear response.

Question 13

Amygdala: How did Raine and his colleagues explain this behaviour

Answer 13

abnormal amygdala activity.

Question 14

XyY Syndrome: What is XYY syndrome?

Answer 14

Where 1-1000 males are born with extra female chromosome

Question 15

XXY Syndrome: What does and doesn’t it affect

Answer 15

No effect:
- Testosterone levels
- Sexual development

Affect on:
- Physical difference
- Behavioural difference

Question 16

XXY Syndrome: What are some physical and behavioural differences

Answer 16

Males with XXY chromosomes are typically taller and less intelligent, and can be more impulsive.

Question 17

What is a weakness of the Amygdala idea

Answer 17

research into the amygdala being lined with aggression shows other brain areas are implicated

Question 18

Weakness of amygdala: evidence that suggests other brain areas are implicated

Answer 18

research shows amygdala is heavily influenced by OFC (orbitofrontal cortex) which is in the frontal lobe and not the limbic system

Question 19

Weakness of amygdala: role of orbitofrontal cortex

Answer 19

regulate self control

Question 20

Weakness of amygdala: what does this evidence suggest

Answer 20

The influence of the amygdala on crime and ASB is dificult to untangle

Question 21

Strength of application

Answer 21

biological explanations can lead to new ways in assessing culpability

Question 22

Strength of application: evidence of this

Answer 22

Williams et al argued for increased awareness of brain injury in the criminal justice system, including screening of young people after their first offence

Question 23

Strength of application: what did Willaims argue

Answer 23

brain injury should be looked at the same as mental health and taken into account when sentencing.

Question 24

Stregth of application: what does this evidence suggest

Answer 24

biological explanation can have important influence over trial decision making

Question 25

Weakness of XYY syndrome

Answer 25

Lack of evidence as an explanation

Question 26

Weakness of XYY syndrome: evidence that shows this

Answer 26

Re and Birkhoff conducted a meta analysis of 50 years worht of evidence and concluded theres no link with XYY syndrome and offending

Question 27

Weakness of XYY syndrome: alternate explanation of all the people with XYY syndrome in prisons

Answer 27

social factors, XYY syndrome make it harder for men to intergrate into society and find work.

Question 28

Weakness of XYY syndrome: what does this evidence suggest

Answer 28

XYY theory is not a credible explanation of crime