forensics: biological explanations genetic and neural explanations ao1

Question 1

Genetic explanations for crime suggests …

Answer 1

That would be offenders inherit a gene or a combo of genes that predispose them to commit a crime

Question 2

3 people who studied genetic explanations of offending behaviour

Answer 2

Christiansen 1977
Crowe 1972
tiihonen 2014

Question 3

Christiansen 1977

Answer 3

Studied 3500 twins in Denmark and found concordance rates for offending 35% MZ twins and 13% for DZ twins
suggesting beh and underlying predisposing traits are inherited

Question 4

Crowe 1972

Answer 4

Looked at adopted children whose biological mother had a criminal record
50% of the children at risk of a criminal record at age 18 compared to to 5% control group whose mother didn’t have a criminal record

Question 5

Diathesis stress model

Answer 5

Criminal beh may be geneticall/biologically pre disposed but is triggered by environmental factors
Eg being raised in a dysfunctional environment or having criminal role models

Question 6

Who founded candidate genses in offendeing and how

Answer 6

Tiihonen 2014 analysed over 800 offenders and revealed abnormalities on to genes that may be associated with violent crime
MAOA GENE
CDH13 GEENE

Question 7

MAOA gene

Answer 7

Which controls dopamine and serotonin the the brain. High levels are associated with aggressive behaviour

Question 8

CDH13 GENE

Answer 8

substance abuse and adhd

Question 9

stat to support MAOA and CDH13

Answer 9

5-10% of several violent crime in finland is attributable to MAOA CDH13 genotypes

Question 10

Neural explanation of offending beh focuses on what brain structure

Answer 10

pre frontal cortex

Question 11

Neural explanation of offending beh linked to what disorder (explain it)

Answer 11

• APD - antisocial personality disorder
• reduced emotional responses
• a lack of empathy for others
• a condition characterised by many convicted criminals

Question 12

Raine research in neural explanations

Answer 12

• Raine et al also founf an 11% reduction in vol of grey matter of the pfc in people w APD compared to controls
• Across many studies of the APD brain raine found that individuals with anti social personalities have reduced activity in pre frontal cortex - parts that regulate emotional behaviour

Question 13

What is a mirror neuron

Answer 13

• active when you do an action and also when you simply watch someone else doing the same action
• help us understand inentions and emotions of other ppl –> empathy
• these are switched on by default

Question 14

Keysers 2011 (research into mirror neurons)

Answer 14

• only when criminals were asked to empathaise did their empathy reaction activate
• pp; w adp can experience empathy sporadically and by choice
• neural diff - people w out apd have mirror neurons switched on, switched off in ppl w apd but can switch them on