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Question 40

Julian is 24 years old and has recently been arrested for a series of impulsive, violent assaults.

Julian was adopted as an infant. His adoptive parents recently discovered that Julian's biological father, whom Julian has never met, spent most of his adult life in prison for violent offenses. Furthermore, Julian's identical twin brother, who was raised in a different adoptive family, also has a criminal record for aggressive behavior. When Julian was 9 years old, he suffered a severe head injury in a fall, which damaged his frontal lobe. Following this incident, his teachers noticed a dramatic change in his personality: he became highly impulsive, struggled to control his anger, and frequently reacted with extreme aggression to minor playground disagreements. His adoptive parents often compared him unfavorably to his well-behaved siblings, warning neighbors that Julian was "born bad"—a label Julian eventually embraced as he grew older.

Evaluate genetic and neural explanations of offending behaviour. Refer to Julian's case in your answer.

[16]
Markscheme

Content Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Psychology
  3. /Content

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.

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