Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Bio Criminality
Final
93
Criminology
Undergraduate 4
12/12/2012

Additional Criminology Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
What is temperament? How does it differ from personality?
Definition
"Personality consists of the combination of temperament and learned experience."
"Temperament is a subset of personality and refers to a child's basic orientations to emotion and arousal. These shape how we respond to learning experiences."
Term
Babies perceived by their caregivers as having difficult temperaments are at higher risk of ___________ .
Definition
Child abuse
Term
What are the 9 temperamental traits as defined by Chess and Thomas (1977)?
Definition
Activity adaptability, approach/withdrawl, rhythmicity, threshold, intensity, mood, persistence, distractibility, and sensory threshold
Term
What are the three categories of temperament?
Definition
Easy, difficult, and slow to warm up
Term
Are children with a particular temperament style predestined for aggression or violence? Which of these groups is most common? least common?
Definition
No; Easy; Difficult
Term
To what does "goodness of fit" refer?
Definition
The match between a child's traits and the parenting environment
Term
How do norepinephrine levels effect acting out behaviors (screaming, biting, hitting, kicking)?
Definition
Lower levels have been correlated with more acting out behaviors
Term
Children with very high norepinephrine levels appear to be more reactive to extremely low doses of ____________ .
Definition
Stimulation
Term
“Children at greatest risk of later aggression . . begin life with ____________ .”
Definition
High degrees of irritability, are persistent, are low in their responsivity to caregiver feedback, and show marked levels of early distress to limitations
Term
A resilient child is competent and _____________ .
Definition
Confident
Term
Temperament researchers believe ________brain functions are most protective against later violent behavior. What part of the brain do these come from?
Definition
Higher cortical; frontal lobes
Term
How are hormones more like radio stations than telephone lines?
Definition
NTs are like telephone lines in that they communicate directly and exclusively to a receiver. Hormones are like radio stations: they convey messages to whomever is tuned in
Term
The main producers of hormones are ________ glands
Definition
Endocrine
Term
Describe the rape cases perpetrated by Larry Singleton. What is a possible biological explanation for his behavior?
Definition
Raped and mutilated a woman as a young adult and raped and murdered a woman at 69. He possibly had high testosterone levels.
Term
What is 'roid rage and what causes it?
Definition
Abnormally intense aggression and or violence caused by abusing steroids.
Term
In competitive events (e.g., athletic games), what happens to testosterone levels in winners? in losers?
Definition
Winners: Levels of testosterone increased significantly
Losers: Testosterone levels rose, but not as much as with the winners
Term
The 1981 case of woman in Great Britain with extensive criminal history and the 1991 W.VA. case of woman who kicked the police officer and was arrested after drunk driving were mitigating because of the ____ the women were suffering from
Definition
PMS
Term
Dhejne, et al (2011) study of effects of hormonal treatment of female to male transsexuals found that...
Definition
The subjects had a higher risk for criminal convictions and were more violent
Term
What is cortisol and how does it relate to stress?
Definition
A hormone released in response to fear or stress; It increases energy levels and allows for coping with prolonged stress
Term
What is the HPA axis and what activates it?
Definition
The hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands; stress
Term
McBurnett (2000) research on cortisol and persistent aggression showed that very aggressive boys had _____ levels of cortisol. This is theorized to explain their behavior because....
Definition
Low; the low cortisol levels make the boys less likely to fear punishment for their actions
Term
What brain region is smaller in PTSD victims? Do they have higher or lower levels of cortisol than normal before and after the traumatic event?
Definition
The hippocampus; Lower
Term
What is the significance of the Gilbertson et al, 2002 study of PTSD and the hippocampus? In the Koenigs et al (2008) study of Vietnam veterans with PTSD what was the significance of damage to the amygdala?
Definition
Those who suffered PTSD had smaller hippocampuses, as did their identical twins who did not have a traumatic experience

If there was brain damage that included the amygdala, the person did not suffer PTSD
Term
Oxytocin is known as the ____ hormone
Definition
Love
Term
Which region of the brain produces oxytocin?
Definition
The amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus, septum, nucleus accumbens, and brainstem.
Term
Feldman, et al. found that children born to mothers with postpartum depression...
Definition
May be protected from the risks of mental health problems caused by having a depressed mother if their oxytocin levels are increased
Term
What is Attention Deficit (hyperactivity) Disorder v. Oppositional Defiance Disorder v. Conduct Disorder?
Definition
ADHD is mostly manifested by a child's inability to focus or sit still, while ODD and CD show strong resistances to discipline, hostile behaviors, and troubled relationships. Note that having ADHD makes it more likely a child will develop ODD and/or CD
Term
What are the 3 types of ADD currently recognized by the medical community?
Definition
Predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive, and combined
Term
How many types of ADD does Daniel Amen claim there are? What does he mean by the ring of fire?
Definition
6, which he discovered through SPECT scans; it was a type of ADHD that is a cross between ADHD and bipolar disorder and characterized by moodiness, aggressiveness, and anger
Term
What ADHD children are at most risk for criminal behavior?
Definition
ADHD kids who also develop conduct disorder
Term
What 5 basic capacities are affected in ADD?
Definition
Planning, selectivity, resisting distraction, continuity of attention, and self-monitoring
Term
ADHD is a brain-based condition attributed to heritable genetics about _____ % of the time and to insults to the neurological system ______ % of the time.
Definition
50; 50
Term
Ritalin increases the amount of the NT _______ , helping ADHD children to focus
Definition
Dopamine
Term
What is the relationship of the diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder and Conduct Disorder (relative to each other)? How does that differ from Psychopathy?
Definition
A child is diagnosed with CD and when they are 18 are then labelled as having ASPD. They entail the same disorder and same behaviors, it just changes once the child legally becomes an adult. Psychopathy may be diagnosed as ASPD as the DSM does not currently recognize psychopathy. However, they are different (psychopaths feel no emotional empathy and cannot be treated)
Term
What are the symptoms of ADD at different life stages (early, school-age, adolescence, adulthood)?
Definition
Early: Colicky, fussy babies that are hypersensitive to sounds and have sleep problems

School-age: Inability to focus, easily distracted, restless, learning problems, poor impulse control

Adolescence: School failure, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, twice the smoking rate

Adulthood: Difficulty with interpersonal relationships, job failures, depression, and sleep problems
Term
What is the prevalence of ADD?
Definition
About 6% of the general population(about 5% of school children, although 10-15% will be diagnosed with ADD)
Term
What is the relationship of ADD to delinquency?
Definition
ADD is nine times more likely to be found in delinquents than non-delinquents
Term
What did Shaw's 2007 research on ADD and brain maturity show?
Definition
ADD children's brains have a delayed maturation (up to 3 years) and they may be able to "grow out" of the ADD
Term
2008 research on ADHD and sleep disorders (such as restless leg syndrome) showed that...
Definition
Sleep disorders can lead to ADHD-like symptoms, so a child diagnosed with ADHD might just have a sleep disorder
Term
In the "Minds to Crime" documentary, how were Cody, Lauren, and Danny treated for their behavior problems?
Definition
Cody- Ritalin and behavior modification
Lauren- Same
Danny- Biofeedback
Term
The “dangerous few” have a specific brain dysfunction in what area?
Definition
The relationship between the pre frontal cortex and limbic system
Term
[ADD X ______ Disorder] increases the chance that child will become a persistent offender
Definition
Conduct
Term
Conduct Disorder in early childhood may be a forerunner of a diagnosis of ____________ after 18 yrs of age.
Definition
Antisocial personality disorder
Term
Adrian Raine suggests the criminality of persistent offenders can be viewed as a _________ ____________
Definition
Mental illness
Term
How is psychophysiological arousal measured?
Definition
Brain wave activity, EEGs, heart rate, and Galvanic skin response
Term
Raine, et al (1993) study of 101-15 year old boys measured resting electrodermal (GSR), cardiovascular (HR), and cortical (brainwave) activity (—EEG) and discovered that those that were criminal 9 years later...
Definition
Had lower heart rates, way lower GSRs, and more theta (slow) EEG waves.
Term
An ongoing Mauritius study using the same measures Raine, et al. did (EEG, GSR) can predict future criminal behavior with _____ % accuracy in children as young as ____ years old.
Definition
75; 3
Term
What happened in the Chowchilla kidnapping? What was the latest news about the incident?
Definition
A school bus was hijacked by masked men. Some of the kids were put in an underground bunker while the younger ones were driven aimlessly for hours, then put in another bunker. They eventually escaped, and no one knows why they were taken. They were then examined for physical harm but not mental. The children still suffer from the trauma (can't sleep w/o a night light, can't ride subways, etc)
Term
Who was Dr. Lenore Terr and what did she have to do with the Chowchilla kidnapping?
Definition
Psychiatrist who heard about the kidnapping and wanted to help counsel the children. She evaluated them at 1, 4, and 5 years after the incident and found the kids were still seriously affected.
Term
1986 and 1988 studies of juvenile and adult violent offenders sentenced to death showed that they all had a history of _____
Definition
Head injury
Term
As many as 30 to 50% of individuals with a criminal history may have sustained injuries to their _____ or _____ lobes.
Definition
Frontal; temporal
Term
What is a syndrome?
Definition
Several clinically recognizable features, signs, symptoms, or characteristics that occur together. The presence of one can alert someone to the possible presence of others
Term
In the 1994 Rosenbaum, et al. study of spousal abuse, what percentage of men who beat their wives had suffered head injury?
Definition
More than 50
Term
Traumatic brain injury rates among prison inmates is ____ times higher than in the general population
Definition
7 (60% of adults had suffered one)
Term
Are increased levels of testosterone a cause or effect of aggressive behavior?
Definition
Both
Term
If the human genome were a book, how many “chapters” would it have? (and what do these “chapters” correspond with?); How many “stories” (genes) are in each “chapter?”; In this analogy, the 4 chemical bases that make up genes (i.e., guanine, cytosine, adenine, and thymine) correspond to the ________ in the book.
Definition
23 chapters; correspond with chromosomes; 30,000 stories per chapter; letters in the book
Term
Genetic influences can take which two forms?
Definition
A trait is inherited from a biological relative

A trait is due to teratogenic damage caused to the fetus’ genes
Term
What does Sarnoff Mednick believe causes schizophrenia?
Definition
Prenatal exposure to the flu virus in the second trimester
Term
Genes contribute to criminal behavior. If criminals do not inherit a “crime gene,” how is it genes are involved?
Definition
Genes load the gun, but the environment pulls the trigger
Term
Studies of Drosophila melanogaster - transplanting a single gene in males related to courtship behavior results in _______ behavior.
Definition
Homosexual
Term
Two different approaches to study genetic transmission of traits/conditions/diseases include...
Definition
Physical Appearance (e.g., Lombroso’s atavisms)

Familial Studies
Term
Allen Beck, et al (1992) study of New York state prison inmates and their families discovered that...
Definition
1/3 of the inmates had immediate family who had also done time
Term
Han Brunner found a mutation in the lines of a Dutch family for the gene that codes for the enzyme monoamine oxidase-A [MAO-A] which affects serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline levels by breaking these NTS down; The mutation is on the X chromosome (females are carriers); What was the result of this mutation?
Definition
Very violent behavior in the males (arson, rape, assault, etc)
Term
What did Lange (1929)'s twin studies show in regards to concordance rates of prisoners?
Definition
Of the prisoners with twin brothers, 77% of the identical twins had criminal brothers, but this was only true for 12% of the fraternal twins
Term
What is a concordance rate?
Definition
Frequency with which things occur together
Term
Mednick & Volavka’s review of (1929-1961) twin studies showed that...
Definition
60% of identical twins were concordant for criminal behavior versus 30% of fraternal twins
Term
Raine’s (1993) review of 13 twin studies related to criminal behavior found...
Definition
52% of identical twins were concordant for criminal behavior versus 21% of fraternal twins
Term
With regard to criminal behaviors, do biological parents have greater influence on their children than do the adoptive parents who raise them?
Definition
Yes
Term
Hutchings & Mednick’s study of the criminal behaviors of adopted Danish boys with or without adoptive and/or biological fathers who were criminal discovered...
Definition
10% of sons had a criminal record when neither father had a record, 12% of sons who's adoptive fathers had records, 22% of sons when the biological father had records, and 36% of sons when both fathers had records
Term
Is there a “crime gene?”
Definition
No.
Term
What is monoamine oxidase-A?
Definition
Enzyme that breaks down amine neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.
Term
Are men with XYY syndrome truly supermales?
Definition
No. They are only slightly taller on average but are 10-20 times more likely to commit crimes
Term
In XYY males who were criminally active, what variable did Witkin cite as most responsible for their criminal behavior? Why is an extra-Y chromosome not viable as a major “cause” of criminal behavior?
Definition
The lower IQ; Because less than .1% of the population has it
Term
When one speaks of genetic influences, this means either that a trait is inherited (i.e., is the result of an individual inheriting specific genes) OR is the result of genes altered by the _______ (such as prenatal exposure to cocaine).
Definition
Environment
Term
How does Adrian Raine suggest we redefine violent crime?
Definition
As a mental disorder
Term
People born with ___ arousal (i.e., nervous systems that are slow to reach emotional excitement) are better suited to commit crime because they can face risky situations with minimal stress.
Definition
Low
Term
Minnesota Twin Studies on aggression and impulsivity in identical twins raised together vs. raised apart showed...
Definition
The traits of aggressiveness and impulsivity correlate as strongly in twins who have been raised apart as in twins who have been raised together
Term
Sensitivity to malnutrition is particularly profound during the period of most rapid brain growth: from the _______ trimester through the ______ year after birth.
Definition
3; 2
Term
How can a diet deficient in certain proteins result in an increased tendency in an individual to behave impulsively?
Definition
It leads to shortages of tryptophan, which is essential for serotonin and dopamine. These NTs may cause aggressive boys to read an ambiguous situation as threatening, and thus act impulsively
Term
Early and continuing malnutrition combined with extreme deprivation may lead to mental _________ .
Definition
Retardation
Term
The absence of essential nutrients during gestation has similar effects as prenatal exposure to ____ or _____ (i.e., as children they are distracted and inattentive and have problems relating to others).
Definition
Alcohol; drugs
Term
Protein deficiencies linked to reactive behavior (e.g., shortage of tryptophan affects serotonin levels - may cause already aggressive children to perceive hostile intentions where _________ ).
Definition
None exist
Term
What were the findings of the Liu, Raine, Venables & Mednick (2004) study of children on Mauritius relative to externalizing behavior?
Definition
Malnutrition negatively affects brain growth, which predisposes individuals to antisocial and violent behavior
Term
The results of Moeller, et al’s studies on change of diet (ultimately to change levels of serotonin) imply that it would be unwise to include NutraSweet in the diet of aggressive or suicidal tendencies. Why?
Definition
NutraSweet is 50% phenylalanine, which is a large amino acid that can cause a traffic jam on the active transport it shares with trpytophan, thus blocking the tryptophan from coming in and turning into serotonin
Term
Why are biological (especially genetic) explanations of criminal behavior not popular among members of the general public? among most criminologists?
Definition
-It gives the perpetrator an excuse for his or her behavior
-Academic territorality (academics don't want other disciplines butting in on their field)
-Poor communication between disciplines (especially due to discrepancies in academic languages)
-And mostly fear
Term
Raine’s PET scans of impulsive killers v. predatory killers v. control subjects showed...
Definition
That impulsive killers had less brain activity in certain areas of the brain compared to the control, but predatory killers actually had MORE brain activity
Term
What did Raine, et al (1994)'s study of children born with birth complications (and) to mothers who rejected them reveal?
Definition
The children were 3 times more likely to be violent offenders
Term
Rothbart & Posner conducted temperament research on protective systems relative to aggressive behavior (that can be assessed and enhanced by parents prior to age ___) showed that 3 systems exist that effect the development of future aggressive behavior. They are...
Definition
3;

1) Fear system (as opposed to impulsive behavior and later aggressive behavior)

2) Effortful control (demonstrated by the Stroop task)

3) Affiliativeness - capacity to connect/bond with other people
Term
Children with greater inhibitory control show greater evidence of ________ development.
Definition
Conscience
Term
Temperament researchers view ________ functions in children as most protective against later violence
Definition
Fear
Term
While Jeffrey sits n death row, his sister and brother are (as of the printing of the book) _________ and ________, respectively. This demonstrates...
Definition
Awaiting her 3rd pregnancy at 17; in college and employed;

Innate vulnerabilities are compounded by negative environmental factors, which increase the risk for behavioral problems. Jeffery's brother is more resilient than he was
Term
Since competition among chess players is closer to social competition in general (than are athletic contests), what about testosterone levels of chess players?
Definition
They go up significantly during matches as well
Term
Research on ADHD and brain maturity has shown that what brain areas matured faster than normal and what area matured slower than normal?
Definition
Faster: Motor cortex
Slower: frontal cortex development
Supporting users have an ad free experience!