Psychology
Raine et al 1997
"Raine et al 1997" is a landmark study that investigated the relationship between brain abnormalities and violent behavior. The researchers used brain imaging techniques to examine the prefrontal cortex and found differences in individuals with antisocial personality disorder. The study provided important insights into the biological basis of criminal behavior and has influenced subsequent research in the field of forensic psychology.
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3 Key excerpts on "Raine et al 1997"
- Maaike Cima(Author)
- 2016(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version 5 (DSM-5), as a specifier to conduct disorder, termed ‘limited prosocial emotions’ (mostly focusing on callous-unemotional traits), will likely stimulate such subtyping practices both in research and clinical practice. Notably, though, we believe that neurobiological differences among ED juveniles are likely to be captured best by a multidimensional operationalisation of psychopathic traits, a notion that is clearly at odds with the simplistic notion of adequate versus ‘limited prosocial emotions’ embraced by DSM-5. As such, we applaud the inclusion of this specifier, but (1) emphasise that its clinical validity still requires rigorous validation (e.g. Colins & Vermeiren, 2013) and (2) suggest that it may need refining in future versions of the DSM to take into account the multidimensionality of the psychopathy construct and/or further subtyping based on within-trait heterogeneity with respect to callous-unemotional traits (e.g. Fanti, Demetriou, & Kimonis, 2013; Kimonis, Fanti, Isoma, & Donoghue, 2013). Finally, there are indications for the effects of early childhood experiences on neurobiological atypicalities, which in turn may confer vulnerability to internalising and externalising psychopathology, warranting not only primary prevention and early detection of family violence at the societal level, but also environmental enrichment programmes which have been shown to reduce antisocial outcomes in the general population (Raine, Mellingen, Liu, Venables, & Mednick, 2003) and may do so in at-risk samples.Concluding remarksThe suggestions made above exemplify several of the potential uses of biological studies in ED juveniles. In a general sense, we have argued that such studies carry the promise of (1) more specific diagnostics, (2) targeted personalised interventions and development of new interventions, (3) enhanced risk assessment and (4) treatment evaluation (Popma & Raine, 2006). While most lay readers will applaud the clinical use of neurobiological measures, their use in forensic risk assessment and criminal law are not regarded without scepticism. Again, development in the field of neurobiological research on ED juveniles is paralleled by those in the field of neurobiological research on typical adolescence. In an excellent review, Steinberg (2009) ruminates on the validity of using the latter neuroscientific evidence to inform public policy, and finally decides:
eBook - ePub- David A. Crighton, Graham J. Towl, David A. Crighton, Graham J. Towl(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Wiley-Blackwell(Publisher)
2003 ).As developmental theories may be ideal for informing future intervention and public policy directions (Brennan et al., 2003 ), criminal justice systems in general and forensic psychology in particular stand to benefit tremendously from their application. Moreover, neurobiological research—with its extensive contributions to criminological study dating back more than a century (i.e., Lombroso, 1876 )—has offered a unique understanding of the aetiological mechanisms underlying antisocial behaviour and provided a sizeable evidence base for developmental criminological perspectives. This chapter will serve as an integrative review of findings from key areas of neurobiological research on antisocial behaviour, with particular focus upon developmental perspectives and associated theories. Additionally, it will provide an overview of current and potential application of this research within forensic arenas—which may be of value in informing clinical practitioners.GENETICS
Genetic predispositions towards antisocial behaviour provide an ideal starting point for a discussion of developmental neurobiological crime research. Twin studies, adoptive studies, studies in twins reared apart and molecular genetic studies have provided substantial evidence for genetic influences on antisocial and aggressive behaviour (Popma and Raine, 2006 ); though published estimates of heritability vary widely among studies (Waldman and Rhee, 2006 ), the genetic contribution is thought overall to be 40–50% (Moffitt, 2005 ). Variability may be due in part to the use of a variety of semi‐overlapping phenotypes (i.e., the detectable expression of an individual’s genotype interacting with their environment; Walsh and Ellis, 2007 )—including dimensional personality traits (e.g., impulsivity and aggressiveness), psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., antisocial personality disorder [ASPD], conduct disorder [CD]) and behaviour (e.g., crime and delinquency) related to antisociality—which are considered less than ideal (Goldman and Ducci, 2007 ). Some genetic determinants of antisociality are common to other externalising disorders (i.e., the aforementioned disorders, along with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], alcoholism and other addictions; Goldman and Ducci, 2007 ) and may be explained by intermediate endophenotypic expressions (Waldman and Rhee, 2006 ). Additionally, several monoamine neurotransmitter genes have demonstrated a genetic association with antisocial behaviour (Goldman and Ducci, 2007 ), including those coding for precursor, receptor, transporter, metabolite or conversion elements in the serotonin and catecholamine (i.e., dopamine and norepinephrine) neurotransmitter systems (e.g., 5‐hydroxytryptamine receptor 1B, tryptophan hydroxylase, 5‐hydroxytryptamine transporter, monoamine oxidase A [MAOA] and catechol‐O‐methyltransferase; Goldman and Ducci, 2007 ; Waldman and Rhee, 2006 )—systems thought to modulate aggressive and impulsive behaviour. None of these candidate genes, however, accounts for a large amount of phenotypic variance in antisociality (Goldman and Ducci, 2007
- Anthony Walsh, Kevin M. Beaver, Kevin M. Beaver(Authors)
- 2016(Publication Date)
- Routledge(Publisher)
However, findings to date are still a long way from elucidating the complicated interactional processes of the brain and environment as they relate to outcomes of criminal behavior. One specific goal for future studies will be to determine more specifically which brain morphological/functional factors play an important role in this biosocial interactive process of leading to criminal behavior. Another goal will be to determine whether particular social risk factors interact with particular brain predispositions to produce criminal outcomes (e.g., environmental stress may be more likely to trigger criminal behavior if a biological predisposition of amygdala deficits is present that lower the person’s ability to handle stressful events). Future developmental studies with more sophisticated assessments on the environment and the brain will provide invaluable information for understanding the etiological equation of criminal behavior. Psychophysiology Although an extensive body of research has been built up on the psychophysiological basis of antisocial and criminal behavior (see reviews by Lorber, 2004 ; Patrick, 2008), relatively fewer studies have been conducted to examine the possible interaction effects with psychosocial variables. Most psychophysiological research in the biosocial studies has focused on autonomic nervous system functioning at a baseline level or in response to external stimuli using measures such as skin conductance activity and heart rate. Skin conductance is usually measured from electrodes placed on the fingers or palm of the hand and is controlled exclusively by the sympathetic nervous system. Skin conductance activity captures small fluctuations in the electrical activity of the skin, with enhanced conductivity (i.e., activity) elicited by increased sweating
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