Forensic Psychology - 5. Biological Explanations: 3. Neural Explanations Flashcards
What does the neural explanation explain?
Explains how structures of the brain may be different in criminals
Example of how differences in neurotransmitter levels can make someone more drawn to criminality
High levels of noradrenaline have been linked to violent behaviour
Which psychology is associated with the neural explanation?
Adrian Raine
What had most criminals in Raine’s studies been diagnosed with?
Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD)
What did Raine discover about the brains of people with APD?
They have reduced brain activity in the prefrontal cortex
What is the prefrontal cortex responsible for?
The regulation of emotions and behaviour
Characteristics of individuals with APD?
They find it difficult to control their impulses and don’t suffer from guilt or remorse
What did Raine et al measure in their 2000 study for the neural explanation of crime?
The volume of the prefrontal grey and white matter in the brains of 21 people with ADP and 21 people without it measured using an MRI
How did Raine et al measure the autonomic activity of his 42 participants?
Measured autonomic activity through the measuring of their heart rate and skin concordance (associated with fight or flight) while they were put in a stressful situation
Results of Raine et al’s study
A reduced amount of grey matter (11%) was found in the prefrontal area for the APD group in comparison to the control group
Autonomic activity
Fight or flight response
Other than a reduction of grey matter, what did the APD group in Raine et al’s study show?
A reduced autonomic response during the stressful situation in comparison to the control group
Positive evaluation of Raine et al’s study
Supports the neural explanation as it shows that some individuals commit violent crimes due to neural conditions
Positive evaluation of the neural explanation
Scientific and objective
Negative evaluation of the neural explanation: nature vs. nurture
Having different brain activity doesn’t necessarily cause criminal behaviour. There are a number of other factors (E.g. environmental factors) which may increase the chance of criminal behaviour (is crime a result of nature of nurture?)
