Biological Influences on Criminal Behavior: A Study in Psychology
Added on 2019-09-23
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Running head: PSYCHOLOGY 1Psychology NameAcademic InstitutionWORKSHEET 1:
PSYCHOLOGY 21.Identify and briefly summarize the topic related to psychology that you will study. The topic that will be studied as related to psychology is the biological influences on criminal behavior. Some of the influences may be attributed to genetic factors. In other instances,there may be traits that are inherited which are not entirely due to specific genes. It has also been determined that some criminals have developed genetic mutations during the time of conception while still in utero which can be attributed to criminal behavior as well. However, while these implications have been proven, there are also environmental aspects to take into consideration as well. Many researchers have argued that the major biological influences on a criminal may have to do with the way that he or she is brought up. Since these factors are not considered inherited, there has been a plethora of controversy surrounding these claims (Ellis, 2015). 2. Summarize at least two articles that you might use in the literature review section of the introduction that are relevant to the topic you want to research. List the APA reference citation followed by the summary. The two articles that will be utilized in the literature review are as follows:Ellis, Lee (2005) A Theory Explaining Biological Correlates of Criminality. European Journal of Criminology 2 (3):287-351 This article delves into one specific theory that helps researchers to understand the biological implications of criminal behavior. Variables that are assessed include gender, age, race and social status. Moreover, there is a thorough assessment regarding the types of behaviors that are often seen from criminals. For example, there are crude behaviors and there are sophisticated behaviors. From the article, the researchers are able to determine if there are any underlying biological factors that can be taken into consideration. As a whole, the theory is used to predict a plethora of variables that are linked to behavior and despite growing evidence of the literature that exists; there is still a need to analyze the issue in depth. Sterzer, P. (2009). Born to be a criminal? What to make of early biological risk factors for
PSYCHOLOGY 3criminal behavior. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 167(1), 1-3. This article assesses the neurobiological implications of the factors that are associated with criminal behavior. The researchers have tested that there were certain people that have been born with abnormal fears that grow up to be criminals. Moreover, it is also indicated that there are certain neutral stimuli that are associated with the behaviors that many criminals take part in. As a whole, certain neuroimaging studies are analyzed in order to determine if brain function is directly related to criminal behavior. Even from early childhood, there are factors that should be assessed in the future. 3.Discuss the bias and limitations present in the articles. Support your discussion withspecific examples from the articles. Article 1: In this article, there is an extensive discussion about evolutionary behavior which doesnot correlate well with criminal behavior. Moreover, the variables such as testosterone and mesomorphy are not directly correlated either. Article 2: In this article, there is an emphasis on social learning which does not necessarily delve into biological implications. However, antisocial behavior is determined to be a trigger of criminal behavior. 4.Discuss other factors that might impact the credibility of those articles. You might look at how the research methods used influenced results, or you might look at the setting of the research. Anything in the article that might impact the outcome of the research could be discussed here.a.Explain how the bias and limitations may inform or influence your research. The bias and limitations that were previously discussed may lead to a study that sways away from the topic that was currently defined. Even though there are some researchers who claim that environmental factors are correlated with biological factors, this is not the case in each
PSYCHOLOGY 4occurrence. Even though there is an allowance to have extensive information, there is still a chance that the research can be swayed in another direction. b.Summarize the research design and methods described in these articles. Article 1: This article is qualitative and it is known to be grounded theory research in which there is a use of existing documentation and interviews that are utilized in order to build upon a theory that has been stated already. The data is collected through different coding techniques and there are an array of different themes that are presented. Moreover, the sample size is quite large compared to most qualitative studies due to the fact that the author has taken time to collect information from platforms that already exist. As a whole, grounded theory studies are beneficial because they play a role in helping researchers to make informed decisions about certain issues. Article 2: This article is an exploratory case study in which the researcher has utilized data from a variety of different sources. Specifically, the author looked at results from different neuroimaging studies to determine if there are any biological implications that are associated with criminal behavior. c.Discuss the appropriateness of the research design and methods in these articles. Were they appropriate for the research questions and hypotheses? For both articles, the research design and methods seem to fit well. As a whole, it seemed as if both authors were trying to gather applicable data from sources that already existed so that they could determine a broader picture of the issue. For the research questions and hypotheses, both designs were appropriate because the use of qualitative studies allows the researcher to gainan in-depth understanding of a topic. With biological implications regarding criminal behavior, there is a need to critically assess each aspect so that the literature can grow in time.
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