Tobias, who is 19 years old, was recently arrested for an unprovoked, violent assault outside a nightclub. His family has a long history of aggressive behavior: his biological father, whom Tobias has never met, is currently serving a life sentence for violent manslaughter, and his identical twin brother was recently convicted of grievous bodily harm (GBH).
At age 11, Tobias was diagnosed with a brain tumor in his amygdala region, which was partially resected but left some permanent tissue damage. Since the surgery, neuropsychological reports indicate he has an impaired ability to process fear in others and exhibits sudden, volatile emotional outbursts.
Discuss biological explanations of offending behaviour, with reference to Tobias's case.
120 exam-style questions on Edexcel A Level Psychology Content, covering Biological explanations of crime, Social explanations of crime, Cognitive and ethical interview techniques, Psychological formulation of offending, Cognitive-behavioural treatment for offenders, Biological treatment for offenders, Factors influencing eye-witness testimony, Factors influencing jury decision-making, Individual differences, and Developmental psychology. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.