evaluation

• one weakness of using the role of the amygdala as an explanation of criminal behaviour is that some of the research methodologies may not be applicable to humans.
• humans - example

  Egger and Flynn's (1963) research used rats and cats to demonstrate the link between the amygdala and aggression.
• humans - explain


  it may not necessarily be the case that humans will behave in the same way - there are a range of other factors impacting on humans that would not apply to cats or rats.
• humans - link

  this is a weakness of the explanation, as the methodology used means the findings (of non-human samples) aren't generalisable to human behaviour, weakening the population validity.
• one strength is that the amygdala theory is well supported by research.
• research - example

  Raine (1997) found that murderers pleading NGRI (in comparison to a control group) had higher levels of glucose metabolism in the amygdala, as well as reduced brain activity in the limbic system.
• research - link


  this is a strength as Raine used reliable and scientific methods to suggest that the amygdala is linked to aggression, or fear response.
• one weakness with the amygdala theory is that it is reductionist.
• reductionist - explain


  by assuming that criminality is the result of amygdala dysfunction alone, we ignore the wide range of environmental and individual factors that serve to explain the complex relationship between the individual and crime.
• reductionist - explain


  for example, the impact of peer groups, socialisation and the impact of traumatic childhood experiences.
• reductionist - link

  this is a weakness as it cannot account for all types of criminal behaviour, (e.g financial crime.)

  not all criminals have dysfunction in their amygdala, and not all people with amygdala dysfunction show criminal or violent behaviour.