Biological theories of criminality: brain injuries and disorders and biochemical explanations

Question 1

What is EEG?

Answer 1

Electroencephalogram – measures brain activity

Question 2

What is testosterone?

Answer 2

Male sex hormone linked to aggression, murder and rape

Question 3

What is PMT?

Answer 3

Pre-menstrual tension – fluctuation in female sex hormones

Question 4

What is PND?

Answer 4

Post-natal depression – used as defence in infanticide

Question 5

What is lactation?

Answer 5

Breast-feeding. Used as defence in female crimes

Question 6

What is hypoglycaemia?

Answer 6

Low blood-sugar. Linked to aggression and alcohol abuse

Question 7

What is the key idea of injuries relating to brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 7

Brian injury can change personality and are more common in prisoners

Question 8

What is the case study of injuries relating to brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 8

Phineas Gage- metal rod through the brain. Survived but personality changed

Question 9

What is the key idea of disorders relating to brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 9

Some brain diseases have been linked with criminal or anti-social behaviour. Dementia, Encephalitis Lethargica’ brain tumours, Huntington’s chorea

Question 10

What are EEG readings relating to brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 10

Some studies show abnormal EEG readings in psychopathic criminals

Question 11

What is one strength of brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 11

A few extreme cases do show brain injury leads to changes in behaviour including criminality

Question 12

What is a second strength of brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 12

Some correlation between abnormal EEG readings and psychopathy

Question 13

What is a third strength of brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 13

Prisoners are more likely than non-prisoners to have a brain injury

Question 14

What is one limitation of brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 14

Crimes caused by brain injury or disease are rare. Original personality more important

Question 15

What is a second limitation of brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 15

Abnormal EEG not necessarily the cause and not found in all psychopaths

Question 16

What is a third limitation of brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 16

Prisoner’s higher likelihood of brain injury may be affect of criminality not cause – e.g. getting into fights

Question 17

What is the key idea of biochemical explanations?

Answer 17

Biochemical substances and processes linked to criminality

Question 18

What are male sex hormones relating to biochemical explanations?

Answer 18

Ellis and Coontz: testosterone peaks puberty to early 20s – same as criminality

Question 19

What are female sex hormones relating to biochemical explanations?

Answer 19

PMT, PND, Lactation all used as defence in court – affected mood/self-control

Question 20

What is blood sugar relating to biochemical explanations?

Answer 20

Hypoglycaemia linked to aggression

Question 21

What is substance abuse relating to biochemical explanations?

Answer 21

Prescription and illegal drugs and alcohol linked to crime. Can lead to increased aggression

Question 22

What are other substances relating to biochemical explanations?

Answer 22

Lead, tartrazine linked to hyperactivity. Vit B deficiency linked to erratic behaviour

Question 23

What is one strength of biochemical explanations?

Answer 23

Biochemical factors recognised by the courts

Question 24

What is a second strength of biochemical explanations?

Answer 24

Sex hormones, alcohol, drugs all known to affect mood/behaviour

Question 25

What is one limitation of biochemical explanations?

Answer 25

Biochemical processes may need an environmental trigger too

Question 26

What is a second limitation of biochemical explanations?

Answer 26

Some studies find testosterone not linked to physical aggression

Question 27

What is a third limitation of biochemical explanations?

Answer 27

Infanticide may be caused by isolation rather than hormones

Question 28

What is one general criticism about biological theories?

Answer 28

Environmental factors - biology may give potentially criminal characteristics but need environmental trigger too

Question 29

What is a second general criticism about biological theories?

Answer 29

Sample bias - only studying criminals means we don’t know about those who got away – can’t generalise

Question 30

What is a third general criticism about biological theories?

Answer 30

Gender bias - most biological research only tells us about male criminality

Question 31

What is a fourth general criticism about biological theories?

Answer 31

Crime is a social construct - biological theories look for universal explanations, but crime varies over time, place and culture