Biological explanations of crime and anti-social
behaviour Exam Questions and Answers
1. Describe what criminological psychology is. correct answer: Refers to the
application of psychological knowl- edge to understand crime behaviour. Looking at what causes
an individual to commit crime, how crime is analysed and how a case is put together.
2. Define crime correct answer: An act or omission of an act that is against the law.
3. Define anti-social behaviour correct answer: Behaviour that attects other people
negatively.
4. What does a forensic psychologist do? correct answer: Assess competence of criminal
and if they can stand trial, carry out treatments or interventions with criminals, be an expert witness,
help develop profiles of criminals.
5. What is recidivism? correct answer: Persistent reottending
6. What is a CBO? correct answer: Criminal behaviour order- for more minor behaviour
7. What is a key issue and debate in crime? correct answer: Culture and
gender
8. What does the biological approach to crime assume? correct answer:
Assumes that there are innate factors within an individual that predispose them to engage
in such behaviours.
9. What are the four biological explanations for crime? correct answer: Brain
injury, amygdala and aggres- sion, XYY syndrome, personality.
10. What are brain injuries as an explanation? correct answer: Brain injury is
any impact on the brains structure that can attect its functionality, they are either Acquired
traumatic brain injury (ABI) or non-traumatic- from an illness. They are studied by neuroscientists
through scans.
11. What is the function of the pre frontal cortex and the
consequences of
impairment? correct answer: Higher order decision making and regulation of fight or flight, also
personality and memory- impairment can mean poor judgment, poor impulse, personality changes=
some could lead to crime.
12. What is an example of a case study for a brain damaged patient?
correct answer: Phineas Gage, suttered an ABI and attected his personality became more
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, irritable, vulgar and rude.
13. Give a strength and a weakness of using case studies? correct
answer: More detailed and in depth so researchers can understand more about a specific
topic. However unique case and therefore his behaviour can't be generalised to all people with brain
injuries.
14. What is a piece of more recent research into brain injuries and
crime? Give
the conclusions and applications of the study. correct answer: Williams (2010)
link head injuries and anti-social acts. 60% 196 had received some from brain injury. Was
suggested these injuries attected development and greater risk-taking behaviour. Biological research
may lead to new ways to assess criminal culpability and to help people who have committed crimes and
argue a more rehabilitative approach might be appropriate rather than punishment- links with Raine's
study.
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15
behaviour Exam Questions and Answers
1. Describe what criminological psychology is. correct answer: Refers to the
application of psychological knowl- edge to understand crime behaviour. Looking at what causes
an individual to commit crime, how crime is analysed and how a case is put together.
2. Define crime correct answer: An act or omission of an act that is against the law.
3. Define anti-social behaviour correct answer: Behaviour that attects other people
negatively.
4. What does a forensic psychologist do? correct answer: Assess competence of criminal
and if they can stand trial, carry out treatments or interventions with criminals, be an expert witness,
help develop profiles of criminals.
5. What is recidivism? correct answer: Persistent reottending
6. What is a CBO? correct answer: Criminal behaviour order- for more minor behaviour
7. What is a key issue and debate in crime? correct answer: Culture and
gender
8. What does the biological approach to crime assume? correct answer:
Assumes that there are innate factors within an individual that predispose them to engage
in such behaviours.
9. What are the four biological explanations for crime? correct answer: Brain
injury, amygdala and aggres- sion, XYY syndrome, personality.
10. What are brain injuries as an explanation? correct answer: Brain injury is
any impact on the brains structure that can attect its functionality, they are either Acquired
traumatic brain injury (ABI) or non-traumatic- from an illness. They are studied by neuroscientists
through scans.
11. What is the function of the pre frontal cortex and the
consequences of
impairment? correct answer: Higher order decision making and regulation of fight or flight, also
personality and memory- impairment can mean poor judgment, poor impulse, personality changes=
some could lead to crime.
12. What is an example of a case study for a brain damaged patient?
correct answer: Phineas Gage, suttered an ABI and attected his personality became more
1/
15
, irritable, vulgar and rude.
13. Give a strength and a weakness of using case studies? correct
answer: More detailed and in depth so researchers can understand more about a specific
topic. However unique case and therefore his behaviour can't be generalised to all people with brain
injuries.
14. What is a piece of more recent research into brain injuries and
crime? Give
the conclusions and applications of the study. correct answer: Williams (2010)
link head injuries and anti-social acts. 60% 196 had received some from brain injury. Was
suggested these injuries attected development and greater risk-taking behaviour. Biological research
may lead to new ways to assess criminal culpability and to help people who have committed crimes and
argue a more rehabilitative approach might be appropriate rather than punishment- links with Raine's
study.
2/
15
