Raine Et Al 1997

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

Find the difference in brain structure for murder and non-murderers
By looking at the role of pre-frontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus and thalamus

Question 2

Dependent variable

Answer 2

Relative glucose levels

Question 3

How many offenders pleading NGRI to the crime of murder were there in the study

Answer 3

41

Question 4

How many controls were there

Answer 4

41

Question 5

How many of the NGRI were male

Answer 5

39

Question 6

How many of the NGRI were female

Answer 6

2

Question 7

How many had history of brain damage?

Answer 7

23

Question 8

How many had drug abuse

Answer 8

3

Question 9

How many were schizophrenic

Answer 9

6

Question 10

How many had epilepsy?

Answer 10

2

Question 11

How many had emotional/learning disorders

Answer 11

7

Question 12

Explain the controls (people)

Answer 12

Same age and sex
No crime or mental illness history

Question 13

Did any of the controls have schizophrenia

Answer 13

Yes 6

Question 14

Where were they tested?

Answer 14

University of California

Question 15

Explain the procedure

Answer 15

Injected with glucose tracer
Perform continuous performance task for 32 minutes
Pet scan carried out after

Question 16

How long did they do the continuous performance task for

Answer 16

32 mins

Question 17

Were they allowed to practice the CPT before the glucose tracer was injected

Answer 17

Yes, for 10 minutes

Question 18

Are any of the participants on medication?

Answer 18

No
The NGRIs were taken off medication for two weeks

Question 19

How are the pets scan results broken up?

Answer 19

Broken into boxes
So you could measure the relative amount of tracer in 4 cortical regions and the 4 subcortical regions

Question 20

What results did the NGRIs show

Answer 20

Less activity in:
Frontal sub
Pre-frontal lobe
Parietal lobe

Question 21

What does Prefrontal lobe control

Answer 21

Rational thinking
Self restraint
Memory

Question 22

What does the parietal lobe control

Answer 22

Abstract thinking
Morality
Justice

Question 23

What area was there more activity in for the NGRIs

Answer 23

Occipital lobe

Question 24

What was there an imbalance in

Answer 24

Left and right limbic system

Question 25

Which side of the limbic system was there more activity in and why?

Answer 25

Right That’s where the amygdala and thalamus are They are both linked to aggression

Question 26

What does prefrontal deficits show

Answer 26

Make someone more impulsive and emotional

Question 27

How can the deficits in the limbic system make someone more aggressive?

Answer 27

Thalamus processes information Amygdala controls urges and desires Hippocampus processes memory So deficits make it hard to learn from mistakes and understand emotions

Question 28

What does a large sample of 82 mean?

Answer 28

Anomalies should not affect data It will be representative of a wider population High generalisability

Question 29

How are NGRIs unusual offenders and how does this effect generalisability

Answer 29

Don’t remember or too confused to stand trail Not representative of typical murderers Low generalisability

Question 30

Is a pet scan a reliable brain imaging scan and how does this affect reliability

Answer 30

Yes Objective and replicable results which can be tested Increasing reliability

Question 31

What is the benefit of the continuous performance task used?

Answer 31

Standardised procedure Tested all brain activity Can be replicated High reliability

Question 32

What is the weakness in pet scanning?

Answer 32

Reliability issues in 1990s Results often unclear Introduces subjectivity and low reliability

Question 33

what type of validity does this study have and how

Answer 33

construct Raine findings tie in with findings of other brain imaging studies

Question 34

how does the study have low ecological validity

Answer 34

CPT was artificial and unconnected to violence pps were doing unusual task in an unusual state of mind

Question 35

how does the study show a reductionist view of human behaviour

Answer 35

only looks at brain activity and doesn't take into account any other factors like social/environment

Question 36

why did most of the NGRIs agree to the test

Answer 36

to help their court case

Question 37

if the NGRIs were not competent to consent who did and what problem does this arise to

Answer 37

lawyers presumptive consent

Question 38

did all controls give prior consent to be tested and used in study

Answer 38

yes

Question 39

what ethical problem does the tracer give

Answer 39

invasive medical procedure which was not necessary increases health risks of pp

Question 40

how does the study go against social responsibility of ethical research

Answer 40

conclusions are misinterpreted assumption that violence depends on brain structure - inviting people to check they don't have a "murderer's brain"