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CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION
INHERITED CRIMINALITY AO1
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Inherited criminality theory
Biological
explanation of criminal behaviour where one or more
genes
make individuals prone to criminal behaviour
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Twin
study
Compare
MZ
twins to
DZ
twins
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Raine
et al (1993) found
52
% concordance for MZ twins compared with 21% for DZ twins
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The shared criminality in twins was higher in MZ twins who share 100% of their
genes
than in DZ twins who share fewer
genes
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Sons of criminal fathers
40
% have had criminal convictions, compared to
13
% of sons with non-criminal fathers
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Genes
seem to have some sort of influence on criminality, as the fathers are more likely to influence criminality/criminal behaviours in their
sons
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MAOA (
MonoAmineOxidase
A)
Gene
Can be implicated with
aggression
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Mice that possess the
MAOA
genes are really
aggressive
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MAOA genes
Express themselves by enzymes breaking down
neurotransmitters
(dopamine,
serotonin
and norepinephrine)
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MAOA gene variations in humans
Low-activity
form (MAOA-L) produces
less
of the enzyme
High-activity
form (MAOA-H) produces
more
of the enzyme
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Studies have found a correlation between the
low-activity
form of MAOA (MAOA-L) and
aggression
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Brunner (1993) found the 5 related men had excess amounts of
monoamines
in their systems due to
MAOA
deficiency and low levels of the MAOA gene
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The men with the
MAOA
deficiency showed
aggressive
behaviour when under threat, frightened, angry or frustrated, and also had borderline mental retardation
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MAOA-L
Only leads to
aggressive
behaviour if the person has been
abused
as a child
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Possessing the shortened version of the
MAOA
gene does not automatically make you a
fighter
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There has been an association between one variant of the
5-HTTLPR
gene and
violent
behaviour
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There are links between the NOS1 gene and
aggression
in animals, which led to investigating links between the
NOS1 gene
and impulsivity in humans
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