Biological explanations of offending: Genetic & Neural

Question 1

Basic idea

Answer 1

There is a possibility that some of the behavioural traits associated with criminality are inherited. Also, there are significant differences in the neural structure and activity of offenders.

Question 2

Christiansen (1977)

Answer 2

Studied 87 MZ and 147 DZ twins and found a concordance rate of 33% for MZ and 12% for DZ, suggesting a strong genetic component for criminal behaviour

Question 3

Tiihonen (2014)

Answer 3

carried out an analysis of 900 offenders, which discovered two genetic abnormalities that may lead to criminal behaviour.

Question 4

The MAOA gene

Answer 4

controls dopamine and serotonin therefore leads to aggression and mood imbalances. CDH13 has been linked to substance abuse and ADHD, two major predictors of criminal behaviour.
-Individuals in the study with both genes were 13 times more likely to be violent.

Question 5

Diathesis stress model

Answer 5

says that criminality is caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental/psychological triggers.

Question 6

Neural explanations

Answer 6

A lot of research into neural explanations has focused on neural causes of conditions such as anti social personality disorder, associated with lack of empathy and impulsiveness.

Question 7

The prefrontal cortex

Answer 7

is responsible for the regulation of emotional and pro-social behaviour therefore, it has been strongly linked to APD and so criminality.

Question 8

Raine et al (2000)

Answer 8

studied Californian murderers and found an 11% reduction in the volume of PFC grey matter.

Question 9

Keysers (2011)

Answer 9

found that criminals watching a film of someone in pain only felt empathy when specifically asked to, suggesting criminals’ empathy can be switched on and off (mirror neurons)

Question 10

Evaluation strength: Diathesis-stress model (Mednick et al)

Answer 10

The criminal records of 13,000 adoptees were analysed. The group most at risk of crime were those who biological and adoptive parents had convictions (24.5%)

Question 11

Evaluation weakness: problems with adoption studies

Answer 11

There are many extraneous variables, such as age of adoption, and the different levels of contact with the biological parent post-adoption.

Question 12

Evaluation weakness: twin studies

Answer 12

they typically involve small samples and the twins themselves are hard to generalise to a wider population due to extraneous variables such as similar treatment.

Question 13

Evaluation weakness: determinist

Answer 13

The notion of a ‘criminal gene’ is controversial. it raises questions of legal accountability and moral responsibility.

Question 14

Evaluation weakness: reductionist

Answer 14

they tend to reduce the complex environmental factors and upbringing of criminals down to one or two genes.