1 CRJS 4467 Contemporary Research & Theory Lecture #4 1.Course Administration textbookstextbooks essay topicsessay topics serial murder courseserial murder course

2 2. Psychophysiology and Crime skin conductance (SC) skin conductance (SC) heart rate (HR) heart rate (HR) electroencephalogram (EEG) electroencephalogram (EEG) event-related potentials (ERP) event-related potentials (ERP)

3 SC and crime SC and crime - some evidence of under-arousal in anti-social/criminal populations anti-social/criminal populations - orienting deficits in response to new stimuli - reduced response to aversive stimuli - reduced imprinting of classical conditioning - is there anything to this?

4 HR and crime HR and crime -lower resting HR and antisocial behaviour - fearlessness and stimulation seeking - psychological under-arousal

5 CNS/EEG and Crime CNS/EEG and Crime % of violent offenders have abnormal EEG’s EEG’s - brain trauma?

6 brain imaging and crime brain imaging and crime -CT and MRI scanning, also PET - evidence of a prefrontal dysfunction related to antisocial, violent behaviour related to antisocial, violent behaviour - low impulse control, lack of judgment and planning, poor cognitive functioning and planning, poor cognitive functioning

7 cognitive deficits and crime cognitive deficits and crime - IQ scoring (Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) Scale (WAIS) - evidence of lower IQ, especially verbal - some evidence cognitive deficit precedes antisocial behaviour antisocial behaviour

8 3. Biological Theories of Crime brain dysfunction (e.g. Huntington’s chorea) brain damage (e.g. brain lesions - Shawcross; ADD; FAS) epilepsy - (e.g. Lombroso - ‘non-convulsive epilepsy’ or ‘Jacksonian’) endocrine disorders (e.g. menstrual cycle, testosterone, adrenalin, steroid use) hereditary factors (chromosone, family, twins, adoption studies) neurophysiological factors (e.g. psychopathy, organic psychosis)

9 2. Biological Theories of Crime (cont’d) mental disorders alcohol and drug abuse blood sugar IQ

10 3. IQ and Criminality Kallikak study (Goddard, 1912) Kallikak study (Goddard, 1912) Goring (1912) Goring (1912) other research by Goddard other research by Goddard the Murchison study (1926) the Murchison study (1926) Sutherland (1931) Sutherland (1931)

11 3. IQ and Criminality (cont’d) Herrnstein and Murray (1994) Herrnstein and Murray (1994) å the impact of IQ on criminality, controlling for the effect of SES controlling for the effect of SES å “depraved or deprived?” å are criminals distinctive in biological or psychological ways? psychological ways? å not criminality per se, but behaviour å we appreciate that other types of behaviour (e.g. playing violin) may be inherited - why (e.g. playing violin) may be inherited - why not the tendency to other behaviours that we not the tendency to other behaviours that we find socially unacceptable, hence ‘criminal’ find socially unacceptable, hence ‘criminal’

12 3. IQ and Criminality (cont’d) å criminals average an IQ of about 92, or on average 8 points below the mean average 8 points below the mean å but how do we explain the high proportion of Blacks involved in criminal activity in the of Blacks involved in criminal activity in the states? states? å or, do the smart ones just get away with it? å issue: the use of self-report data å crime, cognitive ability, and conscience å the reason behind the increasing trend in crime in the U.S. crime in the U.S.

13 4. Sociobiology and Crime Daly and Wilson (1988) Daly and Wilson (1988) å the “Hansel and Gretel syndrome’ å maternal age and infanticide å marital status and infanticide å “at risk” children å the quantification of ‘child-specific parental love’ as a function of the child’s contribution love’ as a function of the child’s contribution to the parent’s fitness (broadly speaking) to the parent’s fitness (broadly speaking) å a child’s value increases with age å decreased parental homicide rate with increase in child’s age increase in child’s age

14 4. Sociobiology and Crime (cont’d) å note difference in parental homicide/non- parental homicide by age (p. 76) parental homicide by age (p. 76) å fathers also less likely to kill older children å but: father is an “attribution” - which can remain uncertain remain uncertain å fathers kill mostly sons (adults), versus mothers mostly daughters (adults) mothers mostly daughters (adults) å fathers exclusively killers of spouse and children together children together

15 4. Sociobiology and Crime (cont’d) å the issue of stepparents å age and abuse, death at the hands of the stepparent the stepparent å the over-arching concept of evolutionary adaptation, altruism, attachment and adaptation, altruism, attachment and love love