E.g., if a football comes bouncing towards me without thinking, I put out my foot to stop it or kick it back, but if its a cricket ball, I would pick it up and throw it back. The desensitization argument suggests that if children watch too much violence on TV, they will be less scared and, therefore, more open to aggressive activity. This suggests that there is an element of heritability to criminal behaviour. The dispositional approach: prisoners are aggressive people who make the prison violent. neurotransmitter activity. Research in Greece found that removing the amygdala reduced aggressive incidents by between 33% and 100%, although the sample was small 13 patients. Genetical Research on Serotonin AO1 What are biological explanations of offending behaviour? The Phineas Gage study provides evidence that brain damage may have an effect on personality, including aggression. In the 1960s, social learning theory, seen as a challenge to behaviorists, suggested children learn things even without doing them through observational learning and modeling. Animal research also raises the issue of extrapolation. ZYGOSITY OF THE TWINS STUDIED WAS DETERMINED BY MEANS OF A MODIFIED SIMILARITY TEST BASED ON A QUESTIONNAIRE. E.g. Genetic factors do not work in isolation but interact with environmental factors as well. To get resources: Lorenz also suggested that much aggression was aimed at members of the same species when competing for territory or sexual partners, but some animals are so fierce they could easily damage each other when fighting for dominance, Eg. The greater the number of people tended to correlate with the level of violence. Vicarious reinforcement : (i) Adult was rewarded, children were slightly more likely to copy; (ii) adult was punished, children were much less likely to copy. Stop procrastinating with our smart planner features. We can investigate the degree to which genes contribute to a trait or behaviour by calculating heritability estimates. Social Learning Theory challenges that approach. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. They have less sympathy for victims of violence. Individual factors [Collins 1989] make disinhibition more or less likely: Disinhibition is less likely if Strong family norms against violence or when adults discuss issues from the film with their children. A prison is a violent place because aggressive people are in there. However, this may not simply mean it looked better. Procedure: Christiansen studied 85 mz (monozygotic twins) and 147 same sex dz (dizygotic) pairs that had lived paste the age of 15. Bandura states children learn by imitation and are more likely to copy depending on the following: Bobo Doll experiments: Children copied adults. The general environment becomes dangerous and aggressive. Testosterone affects certain types of aggression in animals, such as intermale aggression as a defense response to intruders, while predatory aggression is not affected (Bermond et al., 1982). Moreover, the MAOA gene has been linked to impaired control of aggression. Aggressive Boys, violent criminals, and military offenders all had high levels of testosterone (Dabbs, 1996). When the amygdala is stimulated electrically, animals show aggressive behavior, and when its removed, they no longer show aggressive behavior. Gen. Psychiatry. Some institutions have harsh living conditions, such as prisons, army camps, and refugee camps This is less of a problem if the deprivation is for a good reason; if you were on a round the world yacht race or a mountaineering trip you have positive attitudes to keep you going. (1984) investigated the heritability of offending behaviour using an adoption study design. Much of the evidence is only correlational and may not prove causation. The number of hospitalizations in the previous 18 years was obtained through register linkage, thereby obtaining health information on 96% of the study population, including all . Murray [2007] used fMRI scans to study childrens brains when watching violent and non-violent TV programs. This may be different from the way their Grandma drives! ], Cognitive Priming: What connects to what in the brain [Berkowitz, Huesmann], Cognitive Scripts: A pattern of behavior we have ready to deal with certain situations. WHILE IT IS NOTED THAT CONCORDANCE RESULTS CAN BE NONCOMPARABLE DUE TO CHANGES IN THE PENAL CODE OVER THE YEARS, AS WELL AS IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, IT IS CONCLUDED THAT NO RADICAL CHANGES TOOK PLACE DURING THE PERIOD COVERED BY THIS STUDY IN DENMARK. The media gives aggressive behavior social approval, especially where effects on victims are minimized and appear justified. If individuals who are genetically similar in a population also share a common trait, this trait has ______ . Reactive way: The child's temperament, which develops due to genetics, can influence how others react to them. A schema is a model of what we think normally happens. Grove found significant positive correlations between genetic influences and symptoms of childhood antisocial behaviour (0.28) and adulthood antisocial behaviour (0.41). Franklin (2006): Age and overcrowding led to aggression, with younger inmates (18-30) being most aggressive in conditions of overcrowding. When you think about why people commit crimes, do you think of nature or nurture? Longitudinal Research in the Behavioral, Social and Medical Sciences, vol 2. Throughout most of evolution, there was no money, and no real property, so women were the only target of aggression. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Christiansen (Eds.) THE BASIC SAMPLE ANALYZED IN THIS STUDY COMPRISES 3,586 TWIN PAIRS BORN IN THE EASTERN HALF OF DENMARK BETWEEN 1881 AND 1910, IN WHICH BOTH TWINS WERE ALIVE AT LEAST UNTIL THE AGE OF 15 YEARS. This matters because it is difficult to apply the results beyond the family in question, since the genetic make-up is unique to them. We get aroused and excited by a film or a game, and this causes us to lose our inhibitions, acting in a more extreme manner till the excitement dies down. McCorkle (1995) In a study of 317 United States prisons, poor facilities, and overcrowding were found to influence levels of violence. 89. In 1974, Karl O. Christiansen evaluated the criminal behavior of 3,586 twin pairs born in Denmark between 1881 and 1910. Twin studies are a well-known method for identifying a genetic basis of behaviour. How can genes affect behaviour indirectly? Furthermore, the outcome of frustration can be a range of responses, e.g., anxiety, and may not always be aggression The theory is inadequate. So individuals with lower levels of cortisol are less inhibited, more inclined to take risks, and act impulsively (Raine, 2002). The twin study is a theory which made great impact and development in criminology and was studied by Karl Christiansen in 1977. Adverse childhood experiences were found to affect violence only in individuals with a shorter version of this gene (Reif et al., 2007). 35:269. You MUST revise everything because the exam board could choose any question. Christiansen (1977) examined over 3,500 twin pairs in Denmark and identified concordance rates of criminal behaviour. Sarbin, T.R and J.E. Unable to display preview. Genetics are involved in causing neural vulnerabilities to violence and aggression. Attention retention production motivation. Weakness Confounding variables in longitudinal studies Over lengthy periods of time, many sources of aggression interact with media influences such as role models; therefore, it is difficult to separate them and assess contributions to aggressive behavior It is impossible to conclude that violent media rather than confounding variables have affected aggression. Humans are certainly capable of developing new ways of expressing aggression such as cyber bullying! Social-Psychological explanations of Aggression. fitness & diet camp. In:D. Rosenthal and S.S. Kety (Eds.) In the natural world, a certain level of natural fear should make people hold back from violent situations. One strength of the genetic explanation of offending behaviour is that it is based on scientific studies and supported by empirical evidence. Lidberg et al. The researchers hypothesised that males in this family had a MAO-A enzyme deficiency due to an abnormal MAOA gene. Support for Irwin and Cressy/importation model, Men who were members of gangs before they went to prison are more likely to be involved in violent offenses whilst in prison. Google Scholar Crowe, R. 1975. To gain marks for criticizing the studys methodologies, the criticism must be contextualized: i.e., say why this is a problem in this particular study. Reductionist: Is this an over-simplification? 19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003, United States. Supports deindividuation theory. Van Goozen (1997) conducted a natural experiment on trans-gender sex-change patients. Cognitive priming is based on the idea that memory works through association. In the late 70s, Karl Christiansen launched a large-scale study of 3,586 twin pairs in Denmark. Abstract. Pp. If the role of biochemistry can be understood, it can then be treated and managed But it is unethical to give drugs to humans to alleviate aggression as it could lead to social control This could be treated more ethically through diet and exercise which acts on neural mechanisms. Kety, S.S., D. Rosenthal, P.H. Human behavior patterns are generally ascribed to an interaction of life experiences and genetic predispositions, but the importance of genetic influences in shaping conduct has often been contested. Results: found a concordance rate of 35% in MZ AND 13% in DZ. adoptees were most likely to offend if both their biological and adoptees parents had a criminal record. The aim of the study was to investigate the heritability . Grove (1990) also wanted to investigate the genetic contribution to offending behaviour. Carnagey [2007] found that experienced computer gamers show less of a reaction to a film of real-life violence. Pinker (1997) states aggression evolved in men to compete for women. Genetic explanations investigate the heritability and genetic correlates of behaviours. Delisi (2004) found that gang members were NOT more violent than other prisoners. Tel: +44 0844 800 0085. Part of Springer Nature. Displaced Aggression [Dollard 1939] You cant kick the boss, so you kick the cat. Like Lornez, Dollard thought that getting aggressive cleared the mind of frustrations [a Catharsis], and life could then go on as normal. percentages to show how many twin pairs share the behaviour under observation) can help to indicate a possible genetic tendency. Certain cues may increase the tendency towards aggression, such as seeing a weapon on the table Berkowitz used a baseball bat in experiments. Buss states human males have evolved cognitive bias towards organized aggression: E.g. Zimbardo found that ordinary students became aggressive and cruel when they took on the role of prison guard. It appeared to suggest that emotional areas of the cortex are to some extent switched off during the game, perhaps an adaptive mechanism that permits an animal to focus on survival. Bruce Johnson is an A-level psychology teacher, and head of the sixth form at Caterham High School. The appropriate conjunction between the words nature and nurture is not versus but and. West Yorkshire, Will you pass the quiz? That being said, those who had previously agreed with the concept of atavistic form, later retracted that assertion, but did go on to say that while it may not account for the whole criminal population, it could explain as much as a third of it (Lombroso-Ferrero, 1911). Fig. By studying identical twins reared apart, Grove (1990) wanted to investigate if their similarities remain even if they don't share their environment. Identify your study strength and weaknesses. Boston Spa, The experiment was in a lab which may lack ecological validity. Brunner et al.s (1993) research has been criticised for using a case study method. Neural Explanations of Offending Behaviour. Christiansen found higher concordance rates of criminal behaviour among monozygotic twin pairs compared to dizygotic twin pairs. Christensen K., Petersen I., Skytthe A., Herskind AM, McGue M., Bingley P.Comparison of academic performance of twins and singletons in adolescence: follow-up study . TABLES OF DATA AND ANALYSES ARE INCLUDED. 1971. E.g., Lack of self-control Delisi (2011); Impulsive, anti-social Wang & Diamond (2003). So you will also draw upon your knowledge of biological factors, but you MUST show a link to genetics for each one. Such a statement would seem bizarre today. Christiansen found higher concordance rates of criminal behaviour among monozygotic twin pairs compared to dizygotic twin pairs. This suggests that regardless of the changed environment, children seemed biologically predisposed to criminality. Animal studies show instinctive patterns of behavior, including aggressive behavior. Heat, Reifmann [1991]] but could also be noise or loud music. Adoption studies attempt to rule this out by looking at children who have been adopted and have therefore been raised by adopted parents where there is no genetic similarity. Hutchings, B. and S.A. Mednick. Aggression is a result of frustration. They screened 14,427 Danish adoptees to see if they had at least one court conviction and looked at whether their adoptive or biological parents also had any convictions. I am primed to respond differently to the cricket ball. Harer and Steffensmeir (1996) found that age, race, and criminal background were the only variables that affected levels of aggression. Universal: all the animals in that species use the same type of threat. Females given testosterone as adults did not react in this way, suggesting that testosterone masculinizes aggression systems in the brain at birth. Getting a tough reputation is very important in order to get respect and not be a victim. If a behaviour is more common among people with similar genes (family members) than people with less genetic similarity, it indicates the behaviour has a high heritability. Google Scholar Vger D., Leon D.Ischaemic heart disease and low birth weight: a test of the fetal-origins hypothesis from the Swedish Twin Registry. ZYGOSITY OF THE TWINS STUDIED WAS DETERMINED BY MEANS OF A MODIFIED SIMILARITY TEST BASED ON A QUESTIONNAIRE. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.npp.1301359. (2006) investigated Sry, a gene leading to the development of testes and high androgen levels in males. Creatures have evolved an instinctive response to certain signs. With these particular questions, there is a sizeable risk that people dont understand the difference between the questions and then write about the wrong thing. Giving the hormone testosterone to newborn female mice made them act like males with increased aggression when given testosterone as adults. Lange (1929) were inadequately controlled and lacked validity as to whether the twins were monozygotic or dizygotic as it was based on appearance . increases in physiological arousal; decreases in helping behavior. David Buss has identified 7 adaptations of aggression in humans: Reputation to ward off future aggression, To achieve status more allies, fewer enemies. Males receiving testosterone suppressants became less aggressive. Brunner et al. The results could be due to social learning since the twin sets and families concerned are all occupying the same environment. Zimbardos experiment strongly supports the situational approach. Adoption studies look at how similar the adoptees are to their biological versus adoptive families. Disinhibition: People are more willing to do things if they see that others are already doing them. Christiansen (Eds.) Family studies have shown a degree of heritability of offending behaviour. Jealousy has evolved as a male response to the threat of infidelity. These results indicate similarity in terms of antisocial behaviour among the twins. Blumer 1939: Circular reaction where the people add to the crowd, and the crowd fires up the people. This creates disinhibition, and individuals unconsciously feel that if they commit aggression, they will not be punished. Children may have known that the Bobo Doll was designed for punching and, therefore, more open to suggestion. Genes consist of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) strands. Milgram believed that people are loyal to the hierarchy of the organization, but sometimes the hierarchy encourages cruel behavior. Lorenz observed that most intra-species aggression consisted mainly of ritualistic signaling (e.g., displaying teeth) and rarely became physical. Less likely to be a problem if the deprivation is for a good reason, Eg. (1984) adoption study summary. So, the level of aggression will depend on the following: Real-world application to explain mass killings Staub suggests that mass killings are often rooted in the frustration caused by social and economic difficulties within a society, leading to aggression against this group Can be applied to the Germans blaming the Jews for the loss of the war and the severe economic problems following it which suggests that widespread frustration, when manipulated by a propaganda machine, can have violent consequences for a scapegoat group. Psychologists have identified certain mechanisms which explain why we learn and copy behavior: So the films dont suddenly turn a person violent, but they might slowly cause the development of anti-social attitudes. We assume that our parents will feed us and our friends will be pleased to see us because that is what normally happens. 89. The red on the competing males underbelly is the stimulus that triggers the IRM that, in turn, leads to the aggressive FAP. Brown (2001) holidaymakers became more aggressive when frustrated by delays. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6672-7_4, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-6672-7_4. What are the three ways in which genetics influence the environment? https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716205277184, Reif, A., Rsler, M., Freitag, C. et al. Karl Christiansen's (1977) found that of 3586 twins, 35% of male MZ twins; 13% of DZ twins and 21% of female MZ twins ; 8% of DZ twins committed crime (Google Books.2017).Advantages of this study is that there was a large sample of twins used compared to other twin studies. E.g., Students who play Grand Theft Auto might develop a cognitive script for what to do when traffic lights turn amber. [Mullin and Linz 1995], Children who believe their heroes are realistic, Children who believe the media reflects real life. The computer game is the worlds most effective Skinner Box.. 1977b. found that people with the low activity MAOA gene behaved aggressively in a lab-based game but only when provoked We should study aggression using a more interactionist approach. Strategies for planning and timing an attack, Deception and the ability to detect deception. The researchers hypothesised that males in this family had a, The researchers studied the cells of affected males and found negligible amounts of MAO-A activity, which indicated that the metabolism of monoamines in this population was abnormal. It was found that if a biological mother had a criminal record, 50% of the adopted children also had one by the time they were 18. Some even used the prisoners as slave labor on prison farms. The Tihonen et al. Miller. Saul Mcleod, Ph.D., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years experience of working in further and higher education. 4. Upload unlimited documents and save them online. 2. Christiansen et al (1977) 5 terms emma_reed1709 WJEC Criminology, Unit 2, Twin Studies - Biol 6 terms emily_plested Psychological Explanations: Eysenck's Theory 10 terms Images charlotte_scollon Sets found in the same folder Types of Aggression 2 terms jack_squires3 1. The MAOA gene controls dopamine and serotonin and links to aggressive behaviour. Christiansen (1977): Twin Study. Often one person or a few people will behave in a certain way that others like so they copy. Genes alone do not control aggression. Next, we will discuss studies that support genetic explanations of offending behaviour, including the Christiansen (1977 twin study) and Mednick et al. Others compete in order to get what they want. This, in turn, led the people who had been primed to act in a more aggressive manner. 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG. The twins were assessed through tests and interviews in terms of alcohol problems, drug problems and symptoms related to antisocial behaviour in childhood and adulthood. It might relate to how much the participant believed it was realistic. Christiansen (1977) Aim: To see identical twins would both become criminal Procedure: He looked into the arrest records of over 3,500 twin pairs in Denmark and identified concordance rates of criminal behaviour of monozygotic (identical) twins and dizygotic (non-identical) twins (who share 100% and 50% of their genetic make-up respectively) Christiansen (1977) examined over 3,500 twin pairs in Denmark and identified concordance rates of criminal behaviour as follows: The findings are interesting as they indicate a degree of inheritance; however, there are some key points to consider. Contagion Theory : Starting point for deindividuation, Gergen 1973: Deindividuated persons in dark areas became more affectionate. Mednick et al. Reductionist: Sees only biological factors, overlooking social issues such as de-individuation. Genes consist of DNA strands. Percentage of adoptees with prior convictions in relation to their biological or adoptive parents' criminal records. Sign up to highlight and take notes. Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying. This deprivation causes stress and frustration, which leads to an aggressive sub-culture. This suggests testosterone doesnt simply cause aggression, but it makes aggression more likely as a response to frustration. These low rates indicate that biological factors are less important than we may suspect and environmental factors are more important than we first thought. The human is conditioned to think in patterns that have been pre-programmed into the machine. Socially sensitive It suggests that aggression is somewhat excusable and out of the control of the individual committing the behavior This has important consequences within the legal system Brings into question the credibility of the theory and makes it imperative that such socially sensitive research is not released into the public domain. Explains aggression through natural selection (survival of the fittest, aggressive genes are passed on to subsequent generations as aggressive individuals more able to compete for resources). 1 - Genetic explanations of offending behaviour investigate what genes are associated with offending. Some people retreat, back down, and hide in their cells. To fulfil this aim, he conducted a study of twins who have been separated shortly after birth and grew up in different environments. Arms et al. If a whole species has a similar level of aggression, then it must have a genetic basis. They have less negative attitudes towards violence. He found that the chance of one twin engaging in criminal behavior when the other twin was criminal was 50% among the MZ twin pairs but only . Another situational argument is that the prisons themselves are dysfunctional. Banduras conclusions: Aggression is not inevitable. Case studies are uniquely specific to the small number of individuals involved and therefore lack representativeness. These may be live models, such as parents, or symbolic models, such as characters in the media. SOCIAL BACKGROUND FACTORS THAT WERE CONSIDERED INCLUDED BIRTH YEAR, BIRTH PLACE, FATHER'S SOCIAL CLASS, AND SERIOUSNESS OF CRIME. THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MZ AND DZ PAIRS AGREE WITH FINDINGS IN EARLIER TWIN STUDIES, BUT THE ABSOLUTE CONCORDANCE RATE FOR THE DANISH TWINS IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THAT FOR STUDIES CONDUCTED IN OTHER COUNTRIES. This is one of the few cases where research was actually carried out on humans. Refusal to consider genetic factors in crime has had political overtones (Haller, 1968). Holst [1954] found that instead of getting it out of the system, aggressive action could feed back to make the person angrier and increasingly more aggressive. Frustration is any event or stimulus that prevents an individual from attaining a goal and its accompanying reinforcement quality (Dollard & Miller, 1939). Findings revealed testosterone levels governed aggression. In recent years computer games have replaced film as the target of claims that children are taking on immoral attitudes and copying violence. Media violence leads to aggressive behavior by removing the anxiety about violence. Once it is out of the system, the animal is less aggressive again till the level of Action Specific Energy has built up again. This was supported by a decreased concentration of 5-HIAA (a serotonin metabolite) in the participants' urine samples. This helps us to see if there is any genetic link, in spite of the shared environment. The Limbic System (including the Hypothalamus and Amygdala) tends to act as an alarm system triggering an aggressive response to certain types of threats.