Neural explanation

• Neural explanation

  Suggests there is a neural difference in the brains of offenders compared to non-offenders.

  Much evidence had involved individuals diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder.
• Prefrontal cortex (Raine)


  Conducted studies on the APD brain.

  Reports there are several dozen brain-imaging studies that demonstrate individuals with antisocial personalities have reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex (regulates emotional behaviour)

  Found 11% reduction of volume of grey matter in prefrontal cortex of people with APD brain compared to control group.
• Mirror neurons (Keysers)

  Suggests offenders with APD can experience empathy but more sporadically.

  Keysers found that ppl with APD had an empathy reaction (controlled by mirror neurons) when they were asked to empathise.

  Suggests APD ppl have a neural 'switch'.
• Support: Brain evidence (Kandel + Freed)

  Supports link between crime and the frontal lobe.

  Reviewed evidence of frontal lobe damage and antisocial behaviour.

  People with damage showed impulsive behaviour, emotional instability and the inability to learn from mistakes.

  Frontal lobe associated with planning behaviour.

  Supports idea that brain damage may be a causal feature.
• Limitation: Intervening variables. (Farrington et al)

  Link between neural differences and APD is complex.

  Other factors may contribute.

  Farrington studied men who scored high on ADP. They had experienced risk factors in childhood.

  These early childhood experiences could've caused ADP and some neural differences associated with it.