Forensic Psychology- Biological Explanations of Offending Behaviour

Question 1

What did Lombroso propose?

Answer 1

The atavistic form

Question 2

What is the atavistic form?

Answer 2

Criminals have primitive features compared to non-criminals

Question 3

What are some features included in the atavistic form?

Answer 3

Drooping eyelids, large ears, lobeless ears, high defined cheekbones, a flat nose

Question 4

What are the two candidate genes associated with offending?

Answer 4

MAOA and CDH13

Question 5

What does MAOA do?

Answer 5

Regulates serotonin in the brain and has been linked to aggression

Question 6

What does CDH13 do?

Answer 6

Has been linked to substance abuse and ADHD

Question 7

What are the three genetic explanations for offending?

Answer 7

Twin and adoption studies, candidate genes, diathesis-stress model

Question 8

What percentages did Christiansen find in his twin study?

Answer 8

35% concordance for MZ twins and 13% concordance for DZ twins

Question 9

What are the two neural explanations for offending?

Answer 9

Prefrontal cortex and mirror neurons

Question 10

Who researched the prefrontal cortex?

Answer 10

Raine

Question 11

What difference was found in the prefrontal cortex in APD individuals?

Answer 11

11% reduction in grey matter

Question 12

What are mirror neurons?

Answer 12

Offenders can express empathy but only when asked