BTEC UNIT 4 LEARNING AIM A CRIMINAL AND FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY ANSWER KEY 2024/2025.

BTEC UNIT 4 LEARNING AIM A CRIMINAL AND FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY ANSWER KEY 2024/2025. Unit 4 : Criminal and Forensic Psychology Theoretical perspectives on the approaches and explanations of criminal behaviour Learning Aim A – understand different psychological approachesto explaining criminal behaviour IntroductionBiological explanations of criminal behaviour Inherited criminality Twin studiesTwin studies can be used to show how criminality is inherited because it can be explained of the gene makeup of twins and argues that aggression, which can cause criminal behaviours, is a result of nature rather than nurture which in terms of criminality explains why identical twins may both become criminals. In the twin study it often compares the antisocial behavioural characteristics of monozygotic and dizygotic. It also compares the genetic makeup versus environment for criminal behaviour in twins. Twin studies believe that if a characteristic In Monozygotic twins is the same it’s due to genetics but if a characteristic is different, it is due to environment and the other way round for dizygotic twins. The twins study supports inherited criminality as it says that monozygotic Twins are more likely to both be criminals compared to dizygotic twins. Thisis because monozygotic twinssure the exact same genetic makeup whereas dizygotic twins share only 50% of the same gene make up. This means a set of identical twins are more likely to share a gene that makes them have a higher chance of having a criminal it or disorder that makes them likely to have a disorder that explains their criminality meaning both twins are likely to become criminals. A case study that supports that twin theory of criminality would be the Brendgen et al (2005) study that showed that identical twins aged 6 were more likely to show physical aggression compared to non-identical twins, another example of how the twin theory can be used to explain criminality would be the Kray twins. They were identical twinsthat were both criminals and this was thought to be because they were identical twins who shared the same DNA therefore, they both had certain behavioural genes that they inherited which resulted in them becoming criminals. Brendgen et al (2005) Aim- This study was aimed to investigate if aggression both social and physical in twins were due to genetics or social situations and to see if physically aggressive children were also socially aggressive through comparing monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Procedure-teachers of the 234 twins were asked to rate each child on a scale of three on six different statements: • tries to make others dislike a child • says bad things or spreads nasty rumours about another child • becomes friends with another child for revenge • gets into fights • physically attacks others, bites or kicks others • Hits, kicks or bites others These scores then get put together to produce two individual scores for social and physical. They also then asked for peer ratings in which the children had to choose three student out of their peers that fit these descriptions - • tells others not to play with a child • tells mean secrets about another child • gets into fights • hits, bites or kicks others Conclusion & results- this study found that 50 – 60% of physical aggression was actually linked to genes as it was shared more with monozygotic twins rather than dizygotic which was less. Social aggression was also said to only be accounted for by 20% genes, it was also considered that non shared environment could be influences like friends, school etc. this was more for social aggression than physical though as it made up