Criminal Behaviour

Criminal Behaviour

1. Biological Theory

   • Heritability
     • A proportiion of behaviour that is due to genetic factors
   • Brain dysfunction
     • Pre frontal cortex
       • Under developed in some criminals. Where the fear of ASB is conditioned
     • Temporal lobe
       • Language learning emotions and memory. Slower in aggressive psychopaths 
     • Limbic system
       • aggressive and sexual behaviour. Increased activity in criminals 
     • corpus callosum
       • bridge between the rational side and irrational side . Murders can have a less active corpus callosum
   • Physical features
     • Hairy
     • High forehead
     • Glassy eyes
     • High cheek bones
     • Large protruding ears
   • criminal personality

2. fails to account for nature

3. brian dysfunction only evident in some criminals

4. can run families

5. one gene cannot be responsible for diverse crimes i.e.. rape / financial fraud

6. Social Learning Theory

   • Vicarious re enforcement
     • behaviour that is strengthened by seeing rewards recived by another for similar behaviours 
   • imitation of role models
   • Nuture

7. Mednick et Al

   • to test if criminal behaviour is linked to nature or nurture
     • Denmark 1400 adopted male criminals. Compared criminal records of biological and adoptive parents
       • neither bio / adoptive = 13.5%
       • only adoptive = 14.7%
       • only bio = 20%
       • both = 24%
       • strong genetic component. Did not totally rule out effect of environment
         • convictions may not be accurate
         • contamination effect
         • androcentic / gender and cultural bias

8. applications = age restrictions and strong prison sentences / early intervention through education