Raine Et Al: Brain Abnormalities (Biological)

Question 1

PPs?

Answer 1

• 41 Californians (39M, 2F)
• charged with murder but pleading not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI)
• avg age 34.3

Question 2

Examples of disorders PPs had?

Answer 2

• 6 schizophrenic
• 23 head injury
• 3 drug abuse

Question 3

Controls?

Answer 3

• matched for age and sex
• schizophrenics matched with non-murderous schizophrenics
• control group screened for physical+mental health
• no medication for 2 weeks

Question 4

PET process?

Answer 4

• injection with glucose tracer
• 32 mins of target recognition task
• NGRI/controls brain function compared

Question 5

Results?

Answer 5

Dysfunction in:
•limbic system (asymmetry)= lack of fear emotion
•pre-frontal= lack of decision making
•corpus callosum= lack of long-term perspective+making balanced decisions

Question 6

Strengths?

Answer 6

• objective= valid+supports psychology as a science
• uses controls= increases reliability
• significant amount of NGRI= reliable

Question 7

Weaknesses?

Answer 7

• ethnocentric= all from California, low population v
• reductionist as ignores external factors
• unethical as no medication for 2 weeks

Question 8

Aim?

Answer 8

To investigate the brain abnormalities of murderers using PET scans