‘Born Bad’ Workshop My involvement with Uniview: • Free monthly teaching download available from www.uniview.co.uk e-xtension pages (link on homepage). • Collaboration on psychology productions such as PsyKits. Visit the Uniview stand at the ATP conference for: • High quality teaching resources ranging from posters, models and classroom extras to resource packs, dvds and cd-roms. • 15% off all resources purchased at the conference. www.uniview.co.uk
Transcript
‘Born Bad’ Workshop
My involvement with Uniview:
• Free monthly teaching download available from www.uniview.co.uk e-xtension pages (link on homepage).
• Collaboration on psychology productions such as PsyKits.
Visit the Uniview stand at the ATP conference for:
• High quality teaching resources ranging from posters, models and classroom extras to resource packs, dvds and cd-roms.
• 15% off all resources purchased at the conference.
Are some people biologically predisposed to become criminals?
Do psychological factors affect the incidence of criminality?
Is antisocial behaviour a product of social factors?
Biological explanations
Atavism
prominent eyebrow ridges
large ears
protruding chin
narrow sloping
brow
X
?
Facebook group: Worst Passport Photos In the Wrold
Yahoo group
Body build: somatotypes
SOMATOTYPE ACTIVITY
endomorphic fa and soft
sociable, relaxed
ectomorphicthin and fragile
introverted, restrained
mesomorphic muscular and hard
aggressive, adventurous…and criminal
William Sheldon
somatotypes
XYY
Family studies
25%
25%
50%
50%
parents
grandparents
aunts/uncles
siblings
Farrington et al (1991) 6% of families responsible for 50% of crimes
How many of the families would you expect to be responsible for half of all the crimes committed?
Here are 33 familiesHearty, the Captain; Snuffet, the Undertaker; Snoot, the First Class Passenger; Deck, the Swabhand; Stitches, the Sailmaker; Block, the Barber; Bones, the Butcher; Brush, the Artist; Wig the lawyer; Bud, the Florist; Bun, the Baker ; Bung, the Brewer; Chalk, the Teacher; Chip, the Carpenter; Constable, the Policeman; Creep, the Crook; Dose, the Doctor; Dip, the Dyer; Byte the programmer; Field, the Farmer; Flea, the vet; Green, the Greengrocer; Grits, the Grocer; Jumbo, the pilot; Mug, the Milkman; Pipe, the plumber; Sole, the Fisherman; Soot, the Sweep; Stamp, the Postman; Tape, the Tailor; Teeth, the dentist; Tuckin, the Chef; Pots, the Painter.
Here are 33 familiesHearty, the Captain; Snuffet, the Undertaker; Snoot, the First Class Passenger; Deck, the Swabhand; Stitches, the Sailmaker; Block, the Barber; Bones, the Butcher; Brush, the Artist; Wig the lawyer; Bud, the Florist; Bun, the Baker ; Bung, the Brewer; Chalk, the Teacher; Chip, the Carpenter; Constable, the Policeman; Creep, the Crook; Dose, the Doctor; Dip, the Dyer; Byte the programmer; Field, the Farmer; Flea, the vet; Green, the Greengrocer; Grits, the Grocer; Jumbo, the pilot; Mug, the Milkman; Pipe, the plumber; Sole, the Fisherman; Soot, the Sweep; Stamp, the Postman; Tape, the Tailor; Teeth, the dentist; Tuckin, the Chef; Pots, the Painter.
The Creeps and just one other…
How many of the families would you expect to be responsible for half of all the crimes committed?
Here are 33 ‘Happy Families’Hearty, the Captain; Snuffet, the Undertaker; Snoot, the First Class Passenger; Deck, the Swabhand; Stitches, the Sailmaker; Block, the Barber; Bones, the Butcher; Brush, the Artist; Wig the lawyer; Bud, the Florist; Bun, the Baker ; Bung, the Brewer; Chalk, the Teacher; Chip, the Carpenter; Constable, the Policeman; Creep, the Crook; Dose, the Doctor; Dip, the Dyer; Byte the programmer; Field, the Farmer; Flea, the vet; Green, the Greengrocer; Grits, the Grocer; Jumbo, the pilot; Mug, the Milkman; Pipe, the plumber; Sole, the Fisherman; Soot, the Sweep; Stamp, the Postman; Tape, the Tailor; Teeth, the dentist; Tuckin, the Chef; Pots, the Painter.
Here are 33 ‘Happy Families’Hearty, the Captain; Snuffet, the Undertaker; Snoot, the First Class Passenger; Deck, the Swabhand; Stitches, the Sailmaker; Block, the Barber; Bones, the Butcher; Brush, the Artist; Wig the lawyer; Bud, the Florist; Bun, the Baker ; Bung, the Brewer; Chalk, the Teacher; Chip, the Carpenter; Constable, the Policeman; Creep, the Crook; Dose, the Doctor; Dip, the Dyer; Byte the programmer; Field, the Farmer; Flea, the vet; Green, the Greengrocer; Grits, the Grocer; Jumbo, the pilot; Mug, the Milkman; Pipe, the plumber; Sole, the Fisherman; Soot, the Sweep; Stamp, the Postman; Tape, the Tailor; Teeth, the dentist; Tuckin, the Chef; Pots, the Painter.
Farrington et al (1991) 6% of families responsible for 50% of crimes
Osborn & West (1979) Only 13% of sons of non-criminal fathers had convictions, but 40% of sons of criminal fathers had convictions…
But what about the other 60%?
13% criminal sons 40% criminal sons
Non-criminal families (the Blocks, the Tapes and the Boneses)
Criminal families (the Crooks)
Twin and adoption studies
Adoption studies Mednick et al. (1987) surveyed court convictions in Denmark
which included 14,427 adoptees. The criminal records of their biological and adoptive parents showed that many of these adoptees had criminal biological parents (especially for those with chronic offender parents and for father/sons) – supporting the biological explanation (although the type of crime was unrelated).
Where there was an improvement in social conditions there was a reduction in crime – contradicting the biological explanation.
However, if the biological parents’ conviction occurred before adoption, the adoptive parents were informed. This might have had and effect…
adopted before
conviction
adopted after conviction
sons
daughters
adopted before
conviction
adopted after conviction
sons 15.6 16.1
daughters
Percentage of offspring convicted
adopted before
conviction
adopted after conviction
sons 15.6 16.1
daughters 4 4
…but we aren’t saying that environment doesn’t matter
biological parents have criminal record
adoptive parents have criminal record
% of sons with criminal record (Mednick, 1987)
% of sons with criminal record (Bohman, 1995)
no no 13.5 3
no yes 14.7 7
…but environmental and biological factors together…
biological parents have criminal record
adoptive parents have criminal record
% of sons with criminal record (Mednick, 1987)
% of sons with criminal record (Bohman, 1995)
no no 13.5 3yes no 20.0 12no yes 14.7 7yes yes 24.5 40
Genes
neurotransmission
Potentiation by nitric oxide
Nelson et al. (1995) found that male mice with the nNOS2/2 gene deleted were more aggressive than normal.
Demas et al. (1999) found that deleting eNOS2/2 eliminated aggression in male mice – even though they had extra-strong front legs!
Test yourself
Test yourself: ImpulsivenessNON-PLANNING MOTOR
IMPULSIVENESSCOGNITIVE
IMPULSIVENESSTOTAL IMPULSIVENESS PERCENTILE
35 25 22 75 85
30 23 20 70 70
27 21 18 65 50
24 19 16 60 30
21 17 14 55 15
Reif et al. (2009) impulsivity in humans is linked to NOS1. One variant in participants from psychiatric clinics (including 182 criminals) was more frequent in adults with ADHD, some personality disorders, and aggressive behaviour. In these individuals, the gene variant also reduced activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (which processes information about emotion and reward).
Impulsive behaviour and criminal behaviour appear to be linkedimpulsivity
Brains and neurotransmitters
prefrontal cortex
amygdala
hypothalamus
Psychological explanations
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Monday’s child is fair of face,Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,Saturday’s child works hard for his living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath dayIs bonny and blithe, and good and gay.
Sally Jenny Kevin
Dave Betty Belinda
Angela Mike Jade
Tracey Alan Valerie
Sandra Yasmin Karen
Monday Monday Monday
Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday Thursday Thursday
Friday Friday Friday
Saturday Saturday Saturday
Sunday Sunday Sunday
Signs of the zodiacAries 20 March – 20 April
Taurus 20 April – 21 May
Gemini 21 May – 21 June
Cancer 21 June – 22 July
Leo 22 July – 23 August
Virgo 23 August – 23 September
Libra 23 September – 23 October
Scorpio 23 October – 22 November
Sagittarius 22 November – 22 December
Capricorn 22 December – 20 January
Aquarius 20 January – 18 February
Pisces 18 February – 20 March
Jahoda (1954) boys’ names
Children in Ashanti and other Akan areas of Ghana, West Africa are given ‘soul names’ which relate to a day of the week:
Monday: KwadowoWednesday: Kwaku
mild-mannered and peace-lovingaggressive and violent
13.5% of boys referred to the courts had Wednesday as part of their name...but they were responsible for much more (22%) of the violent crimes.
Only 6.9% of juvenile delinquents were Monday boys, although Monday boys were 13% of the population
