Criminal Behaviour Biological explanation: Role of the Amygdala

Role of the Amygdala

• Another possible explanation for criminal behaviour is the influence of the brain and nervous system, mostly applicable to crimes featuring AGGRESSION.
• Research focuses on the role of the Amygdala; it has been associated with "Fear Conditioning".
• As children learning to inhibit our aggressive and antisocial behaviour through fear conditioning; i.e learning to associate the emotion 'Angry' with certain punishments or other negative outcomes. Example: child knows not to hit another child because the teacher might otherwise shout at them.
• It's the Amygdala that is involved in processing fear; 'dysfunction' of amygdala means child cannot identify social cues that indicate threat, i.e child should be scared and therefore not act in aggressive manner.
• Example; may NOT associate angry faces with fear and may NOT associate prison with fear. Therefore may be more likely to commit aggressive crimes.
• Dysfunction of the amygdala = fear conditioning disrupted: Individual likely to seem fearless, overly aggressive and antisocial.
• Eysenck suggested individuals with intact fear conditioning develop a conscience that deters them from antisocial and aggressive behaviour.

What is a psychopath?

• A form of anti-social personality disorder.
• Are manipulative, emotionless, cunning, deceitful and show lack of empathy.
• Research shown that amygdala dysfunction