Topic 1 - What makes a criminal ?

Question 1

Key Research

Answer 1

Raine et al (1997) - Brain abnormalities in murderers indicated by PET

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

41 Muderers / Manslaughterers
All pleading NGRI
Head injury, Schiziophrenia + Epilepsy

Question 3

Research Methods

Answer 3

Quasi Experiment
Matched Pairs - compared with a control group

Question 4

Procedure

Answer 4

P’s injected with a glucose tracer
32 minutes obversation period
Continuous Performance Task
PET Scan

Question 5

Results

Answer 5

Murderers pleading NGRI have significantly different patterns of brain function.

Reduced activity in -
Pre-frontal Cortex
Left side of the Amygdala
Corpus Callosum

Question 6

Limitations of Raine’s study

Answer 6

Violence cannot be explained by biology alone
NRGIs are still responsible for their actions
Cannot be generalised to non-violent crimes

Question 7

Palmer + Hollin - Moral Development

Answer 7

126 male offenders compared with 332 non-offenders

Compared on two measures -

1. Sociomoral Reflection - 11 questions about truth, law and justice.
2. Self-Reported Delinquency Checklist - To see if the two groups had different levels of delinquency

Male offenders were at the lowest level of moral development (ie. pre-conventional in Kohlberg’s tiers)

Question 8

Jahoda - Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Answer 8

Ashanti people name their children after the day of the week that they were born.

Monday - Placid
Wednesday - Aggressive

22% of crimes committed were by Wednesday children compared to 6.9% of Monday children

Cultural expectations alter development in order to create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question 9

Raine - Mauitius study

Answer 9

1,795 children - split into two groups (100 + 1695)

100 of the children followed a highly enriched program including high nutrition, exercise and cognitive stimulation.

At age 11, the enriched group had better attention spans and increased arousal levels

At age 17, they had lower conduct disorder, less cruel and less likely to fight.

Those who were poorly nourished before the study showed a 52.6% lower level of conduct disorder

Nutrition has a role in reducing crime

Question 10

Raine - Mauitius (Follow up)

Answer 10

100 children were selected to drink a juice drink enriched with Omega-3 (norweign smart fish) every day for 6 months.

They were compared with a control group who did not have the drink

The children drinking the Omega-3 drink were less aggressive, lower levels of delinquency and less attentiom problems

Question 11

Smoking during pregnancy

Answer 11

Smoking during pregnancy can lead to higher levels of pre-natal testosterone exposure.

This excess testosterone can be seem on newborns’ fingers (ie. if their index finger is longer than their ring finger).

The high levels of testosterone have been linked to higher levels of aggression and crime.

Question 12

Potential application - Parents preventing children becoming criminals

Answer 12

1. Don’t smoke when pregnant
2. Omega-3 Supplements
3. Nutrition + Exercise.