Module 2: Evoltion and Biological Theories of Crime

Question 1

Natural Selection

Answer 1

Evolution of plants, organisms, and species that evolved over time gradually in response to the environment.

Question 2

What are the three components of natural selection?

Answer 2

Genetic transmission of material, reproductive success, selection pressures.

Question 3

Genetic Transmission of Material

Answer 3

Adaptation that appears randomly in an organism’s genetic makeup is called a mutation.

Question 4

Reproductive Success

Answer 4

How good an organism is at having children and keeping them alive so the offspring procreate and pass the successful adaptation in to the next gene pool.

of surviving descendants who themselves go on to reproduce.

They have to survive their environment to reproduce.

Question 5

Selection Pressures

Answer 5

Environmental pressures found within niches that determine whether or not a random mutation gives an organism a reproductive edge.

Characteristics of the environment, predators, food shortages, & mate scarcities.

Question 6

Successful Adaptations

Answer 6

Characters of an organism that enhanced reproductive success in the ancestral environment.

Question 7

Evolutionary Forensic Psychology

Answer 7

Hypothesizes that recurring ancestral selection pressures that caused conflicts led to the development of evolved psychological mechanisms that manifest as crime/antisocial behaviour only when certain environmental cues are present.

The behaviours that were once linked with successful adaptations are now labelled as ‘crimes’.

The evolved psychological mechanisms exist within us, but they’re only going to manifest themselves under certain environmental situations.

Question 8

Parent-Offspring Paradigm

Answer 8

Obtaining the concordance rate between adoptive parents and their adopted children.

Question 9

MAOA

Answer 9

Monoamine oxidase.

Low activity of this gene is linked with aggression (especially when paired with childhood maltreatment).

Responsible for metabolizing norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine.

Question 10

Norepinephrine

Answer 10

Associated with fight or flight.

Question 11

Serotonin

Answer 11

Associated with mood regulation and behavioural inhibitions.

Question 12

Dopamine

Answer 12

Pleasure center of the brain.

Question 13

Neurotransmitters

Answer 13

Chemical messengers of the nervous system operating in the brain.

• Serotonin is studied the most*
• Lower levels of it are linked with aggression*

Question 14

Hormones

Answer 14

Messengers of the endocrine system.

• Testosterone is studied the most*
• Higher levels of testosterone evidence a small correlation with aggression*

Question 15

Fearlessness Theory

Answer 15

Some individuals do not experience elevated heart rate or sweaty palms when stressed, thus are more likely to take risks like crime.

Question 16

Stimulation-Seeking Theory

Answer 16

Chronic state of low arousal is unpleasant: risk-taking alleviates this.

Question 17

Working Hypothesis

Answer 17

Structural or functional damage to the prefrontal cortex is responsible for:

• Emotional regulation
• Decision making
• Impulse control
• Cognitive Flexibility

Question 18

Neuroimaging studies

Answer 18

Structure (reduced grey matter, tumors, lesions)

Function (blood flow, glucose metabolism)

Question 19

Determinism

Answer 19

If we are hard-wired this way, there is nothing we can do.

Question 20

Naturalistic fallacy

Answer 20

If science says so, then it must be morally right.

Question 21

Environmental Cues

Answer 21

These dictate our behaviours.

It could include resource scarcities (unemployment, poverty, food, shelter, and money). As well as mate scarcities.

If your outlook for the future, your life, and your longevity is bleak, it will elevate the probability that you’re going to take more risks.

Question 22

Shared Environment

Answer 22

These are the factors that people have in common (the environmental factors).

According to research, 16% of the variance in criminal conduct is due to what people experience together in their home life.