evaluating Raine study

• Methodology and procedures
• strength is the amount of control researchers had over the procedure
• matched pairs design was used, control group can be matched to those in experimental group on certain characteristics
• example, participants were matched on age and sex. 6 schizophrenic in experimental and 6 in control group
• strength as it prevents these acting as confounding variables and having effect on results, researchers can be more confident that differences in brain function of the IV. improves internal validity
• a limitation is the lack of control over the independence variable
• the research made use of a quasi-experiment IV was already there and not manipulated
• example, the IV was criminal status. criminals had already achieved the criminal status before the experiment was conducted
• limitation because casual conclusions can not be drawn and also some people may misinterpret the findings and assume that criminal behaviour is predetermined
• ethical issues & social implications
• strength is that we know certain brain structures can lead to violent behaviour
• we know that certain brain structures can lead to violent behaviour. the possibility of developing treatments for violent people
• example, drugs could be used to alter the functioning of the brain structures thereby reducing a person’s possibly of committing violent crimes
• strength because it creates a possibility of reducing possibility of committing violent crimes
• limitation of this study is the associated ethical issues
• For example, experimental group in the study were all prisoners who were pleading NGRI
• The fact that they all had some form of mental impairment might have meant that they were not of ‘sound mind’ to provide valid consent
• as the participants were prisoners they have felt that they did not have the right to withdraw from the study which presents additional ethical concerns regarding the rights of the participants in this piece of research
• alternative evidence
• One strength of this study is that the findings are supported by evidence from subsequent research.
• For example, Yang and Raine (2009) carried out a meta-analysis of 43 brain imaging studies and concluded that there was significantly reduced prefrontal activity in antisocial and/or violent individuals.
• The large sample in this study helps to add validity to the support provided for Raine’s research.
• limitation is brain activity is only a predisposing factor for behaviour.
• For example, an American neuroscientist found that he had the brain characteristics of a violent criminal – but he wasn’t one.
• He suggested that his positive experiences during childhood meant that his potentially criminal tendencies were not triggered.
• This is a diathesis stress model which is where biological predispositions are only manifested if stressors trigger it e.g. a difficult childhood.