Crime topic 1 = What makes a criminal?

Question 1

What does this theme aim to investigate?

Answer 1

The characteristics that contribute to becoming a criminal (delinquent behaviour, lack of empathy, impulsiveness etc)

Question 2

Key research

Answer 2

Raine

Question 3

What type of research method did Raine use?

Answer 3

Experiment

Question 4

What was the aim of Raine?

Answer 4

Investigate whether participants who were charged with murder but plead not guilty by reason of insanity would show significant dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and corpus callosum compared to control of non criminals

Question 5

What type of scan was used in Raine’s study?

Answer 5

PET scan

Question 6

Independent variable in Raine’s study

Answer 6

Whether participant was charged with murder and plead not guilty by reason of insanity (murderers) or not (controls)

Question 7

What was the dependent variable in Raine’s study and how was it operationalised?

Answer 7

Activity in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and corpus callosum in the brain by brain metabolism using a radioactive glucose tracer

Question 8

Sample of murderers in Raine’s study

Answer 8

41 murderers

Question 9

What type of experiment was Raine?

Answer 9

Quasi, naturally occurring independent variable being whether participant plead guilty by reason of insanity or not

Question 10

Control group in Raine’s study

Answer 10

Participants who were matched on age, gender and disorder and not murderers

Question 11

Experimental design of Raine

Answer 11

Matched participants design because the control group was matched to murders based on age, gender and disorder possessed

Question 12

What factors was the control group matched to in the murders group?

Answer 12

Age
Gender
Disorders: schizophrenia, brain damage, epilepsy

Question 13

List of controls in Raine’s study

Answer 13

For individual differences: using matched participants design, control group was matched to murderers on age, gender, disorder
Participants were monitored 2 weeks prior unmediated to ensure no effect of drugs
Completed same task for 32 minute period
Started the scan AFTER the task began so novelty of task isn’t shown on the scan

Question 14

What were participants in Raine’s study injected with before the procedure?

Answer 14

A glucose tracer to measure brain activity in certain areas of the brain

Question 15

What cognitive task was given to participants in Raine’s study?

Answer 15

A continuous performance task

Question 16

Continuous performance task - Raine

Answer 16

Indicate every time a 0 appeared on screen from a list of numbers that visually degraded each time: requires more effort

Question 17

How long did participants complete the continuous performance task?

Answer 17

32 minutes

Question 18

What did Raine find about the prefrontal cortex?

Answer 18

Murderers have reduced activity compared to control group

Question 19

Less activity in prefrontal cortex means….. (Raine)

Answer 19

More impulsive, loss of self control, immaturity

Question 20

What did Raine find about the amygdala?

Answer 20

More activity in right side of amygdala and less activity in left side

Question 21

What do dysfunctions in amygdala suggest (Raine)?

Answer 21

Amygdala involved in emotional responses so dysfunction = lack of fear

Question 22

What did Raine find about the corpus callosum?

Answer 22

Less activity in murderers compared to control group

Question 23

Less activity in the corpus callosum means…. (Raine)

Answer 23

Inability to see long term implications of situation

Question 24

Concurrent validity of Raine’s study

Answer 24

Inability to see long term implications of situation due to lowers activity in corpus callosum for murderers was accurate because supported by evidence in Sperry’s study

Question 25

Conclusion of Raine’s findings

Answer 25

Dysfunctions in prefrontal cortex, amygdala and corpus callosum contribute to behaviour increasing likelihood of criminal behaviour due to findings that murders had significant deficits compared to control

Question 26

Conclusions Raine made about the limitations of his study

Answer 26

Violence cannot be explained by biology alone such as deficits in the brain, evidence of neuroplasticity could mean environment affects physiology of brain causing it to change? NGRI are still responsible for actions Biological differences can’t be generalised to whole population eg non violent offenders who have these differences can’t be seen as violent

Question 27

Additional research

Answer 27

Palmer and Hollin - moral development Jahoda - self fulfilling prophecy of Ashanti names Raine Mauritius study on intervention programme + omega 3 Correlation between Smoking in pregnancy and testosterone and violence

Question 28

Palmer and Hollin sample

Answer 28

126 young male offenders from a young offender institution 332 non offenders as control group for average population (male + female)

Question 29

Research method of Palmer and Hollin

Answer 29

Self report: questionnaire given to participants

Question 30

What was in Palmer and Hollin’s questionnaire ?

Answer 30

Qs about socioeconomic status Socio moral reflection measure (questions about moral reasoning) Delinquency checklist (levels of criminal activity)

Question 31

Why include a checklist of delinquent activity in Palmer and Hollin’s survey?

Answer 31

To increase validity of study that offenders have more delinquency than control Control for delinquency of control group

Question 32

Results of Palmer and Hollins study

Answer 32

Most male offenders have lower levels of moral reasoning compared to control group, tends to be preconventional level compared to conventional level Shows criminals have deficits in moral reasoning

Question 33

Which was the Palmer and Hollin study?

Answer 33

Moral development questionnaire one

Question 34

Which was Jahodas study?

Answer 34

Self fulfilling prophecy of effect of Ashanti names on criminal activity

Question 35

What is a self fulfilling prophecy?

Answer 35

Expectations a group has about someone becomes reality Because the way the group acts towards this person (due to expectation) elicits behaviour to confirm these expectations

Question 36

Ashanti naming system background

Answer 36

Boys named after day lf week they were born which is expected to illustrate their character (astrology eg) Monday = more calm Wednesday = more aggressive

Question 37

Relationship between smoking during pregnancy

Answer 37

Leads to more testosterone exposure in the womb Correlates with: -More dominance -Lack in empathy -impulsiity Leads to increase in criminal activity/antisocial behaviour

Question 38

Raine's Mauritius Omega 3 study experimental design

Answer 38

Independent measures design, half the sample drank orange juice with omega 3 supplement Other half just drank juice (control)

Question 39

What type of study was Raine's Mauritius study?

Answer 39

A longitudinal one because children took supplement for 6 months parents reported delinquency of children after 6 months of the study ending To measure change in delinquency over time

Question 40

What is in the omega 3 supplement?

Answer 40

Fish oil

Question 41

Raine's Mauritius study aim

Answer 41

To investigate how a supplement of omega 3 reduces delinquency of children over time

Question 42

Results of Raine's Mauritius study

Answer 42

Children who took the supplement were significantly less delinquent as reported by parents compared to the control who did not take the supplement

Question 43

Biological strategies to prevent criminal behaviour

Answer 43

Ensure fetus is not exposed to cigarette smoke in utero: pregnant mothers should stop smoking/ be given nicotine patches Intervention programme in early childhood for those with conduct disorder: regular exercise + cognitive stimulation Give children supplements of omega 3

Question 44

Why does omega 3 reduce criminal behaviour?

Answer 44

regulates functioning of the gene for neurotransmitter expression so enhances brain structure to prevent impulsive and aggressive behaviour

Question 45

What was in Raines Mauritius study intervention program?

Answer 45

Balanced meals that were nutritious Physical exercise eg free play and a play gym Cognitive stimulation - toys, craft, art

Question 46

Results of Raine's Mauritius intervention

Answer 46

At age 17, those who received intervention showed significantly lower levels of conduct disorder/antisocial behaviour than control