General evaluation of the Neural/hormonal mechanisms explanation

Question 1

Negative - Biologically reductionist
(Reduce behaviours to biological make-up)

Answer 1

Biological focuses can lead to effective biological interventions to reduce aggression like testosterone reduction and serotonin increase.

But it is unlikely that it is a full explanation for aggressive behaviour.

May be biological vulnerabilities but whether acting on these impulses or not may be environmental.

Example - Social learning theory

Question 2

Negative - Biologically deterministic
(Suggesting someone (will) be aggressive due to biological anatomy).

Answer 2

implications for the Criminal/justice system.

May use testosterone/neural abnormalities as mitigating factors in violent crimes.

Assumes they are determined to become violent due to their biology.

Question 3

Negative - Socially sensitive research

Answer 3

This area of research may have negative implications for the people being studied.

If aggressive criminality is found to be linked to limbic abnormalities/predictive vulnerability to committing violent crime.

It could lead to suspicion/discrimination against people with abnormalities before they have committed a crime.

Question 4

Positive - Research studies support - highly controlled methods.

Answer 4

Use careful objective biological measurements like fMRI’s.

Reduce potential for bias so likely to be high in internal validity.

Question 5

What can these evaluation points also be used for?

Answer 5

Genetic explanation.
(Example - GXE interaction)
Gene X environment interaction.