This article is interesting for several reasons, not the least of which is
that it does a fairly good job of summarizing our current views on
psychopathy. One of the more fascinating questions asked is the fundamental "would you want to know?" This is sometimes balanced with the question of "should society be
warned?" After reading the article, what do you think? Would you want
to know your number? Your child's? How do you feel about the research?
Monday, February 11, 2019
Prompt for the week of February 11
An interesting article (found here) popped up in the Chronicle for higher education a few years ago. 
This article is interesting for several reasons, not the least of which is
that it does a fairly good job of summarizing our current views on
psychopathy. One of the more fascinating questions asked is the fundamental "would you want to know?" This is sometimes balanced with the question of "should society be
warned?" After reading the article, what do you think? Would you want
to know your number? Your child's? How do you feel about the research?
This article is interesting for several reasons, not the least of which is
that it does a fairly good job of summarizing our current views on
psychopathy. One of the more fascinating questions asked is the fundamental "would you want to know?" This is sometimes balanced with the question of "should society be
warned?" After reading the article, what do you think? Would you want
to know your number? Your child's? How do you feel about the research?
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This article was definitely an interesting read. Learning that in the near future a child could be given a percentage on how likely they are to become a killer/violent criminal is mind-blowing. However, making the decision to know whether you or your child could become a killer is difficult. Although it might be a difficult decision, I think I would want to know if I or my child had a high percentage. As mentioned in the article, if there were ways to prevent or treat the likelihood of someone becoming a killer, lives could be saved. However, it would be difficult to wrap your head around the fact that your child could become a violent killer, because no parent would want to believe it. I feel that this research is interesting, because they found links between violent behavior and parts of the brain being smaller, but they do mention that nurture could also affect how a child could turn out. The question of “nature vs nurture” is constantly being asked, and the answer is continuously coming out as both. Overall, this article was a good read and gave me some more incite on the topic of nature vs nurture.
ReplyDeleteYou make some very good points here. While I was writing my post, I too questioned my feelings about wanting to know or not.
DeleteThis article is eye opening on the amount of research that has been conducted determining future psychopaths. There have been numerous studies that determine factors and anatomical differences in the brain that predetermines a future psychopath. If I was a parent, I would want to know my child’s number right away. I don’t believe we should shun the children diagnosed, but I believe if parents know their child has psychopathic tendencies, they can be helped. Hopefully through a watchful eye, therapy, and plenty of mental assistance from a loving and supporting family, I believe a child could outgrow a diagnosis of future psychopathy. However, I’m not sure if adults should be able to find out on their own. For the adults truly mentally unstable, adulthood is when it’s in full force. I believe someone in charge like a guardian can help and manage the situation but as an adult they need more attention because the severity of their case would increase. This being said, it is best if parents can test their children at younger ages. This gives a larger time range to assist the child in changing their tendencies before they reach adulthood or before they take action. While some people oppose this type of research, I am a supporter. I am not saying we should send away all of the “bad seeds” but I believe we should be trying to help the children change their tendencies and give them the best chance at a normal life while potentially saving many other lives.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Raine a lot. I personally would definitely want to know my/my childrens numbers regardless if there was a tested, effective treatment. I think that this research is also very very valuable, even just from the potential it has to save lives in the future, but again, I agree with Raine that we need to do much more before we even consider trying to apply this on a large scale. There's too much risk of damage, either psychological or physical, with the relatively little we know about how biology actually affects peoples "number".
ReplyDeleteThis research is walking a very fine line between being a boon and being dystopian, it's very possible that one person could end up making a catastrophic mistake and plunging us into something not unlike 1984. With the proper precautions though, I really really believe that this could make an amazing difference in the way criminals receive care, and obviously global crime rates.
I agree with Raine that we should start having the discussion about finding out if people are prone to psychopathy and criminal activity. But on the other side of things, I can also see where people might not want to know, either about themselves or their children. If it is indeed hereditary, parents might blame themselves for their child’s outcome. I, for one, would want to know if my child is predisposed to this type of behavior so that I would be able to address the situation and use “brain protection” to help stave off the behavior. I believe that this research is a very controversial topic for the reasons stated above, but I believe it necessary for scientific development and for aid in future generations.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very interesting. I had no idea that there were studies out there like this. I still thought it was a whole mystery on who was a psychopath and who wasn't. I think my curiosity would get the best of me and I would have to know my own number. As for my kid's number I'm not really sure if I would want to know because then I would be freaking out about it the entire time. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving the child alone if I knew their number was bad. I feel like a lot of the research is reliable but it could also be looked at as correlations. I also feel like the research method where they just poke at people until they get irritated doesn't exactly mean they're going to be violent when they grow up like some people just like their personal space. Over all I find this very interesting and hopefully it will help up in the future with identifying these types of people.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete
DeleteKennedi FerriterFebruary 13, 2019 at 12:52 PM
Rylee, after reading your post, I changed my perspective if I would want to know my kid's number or not. I agree with your statement "I would be freaking out about it the entire time". I would probably be in a constant worry mode about my kid and might actually end up raising my kid differently than I normally would. Good job on your post, I wish I read this before I posted my own.
Answering the question "would you want to know?", yes I would want to know if I was a "bad seed" and if I had kids I would want to know if they were too. If I found out I was apart of the bad seed group, I would do anything and everything in my power to reverse it and same for my kids. Crime rates would go down drastically if we were able to pick out who could possibly become criminals later on in life because we would be able to find cures to help these people. Although I would want to find out my number, I can see why others might not want to know. Getting told that I have a high chance of committing crimes would be very hard to hear and even harder if I was told my kid is like that. Putting a label on someone is not right, but if telling people their number, dropped crime rate and helped them reverse this "diagnosis", I think it is totally worth it!
ReplyDeleteThis article was very interesting to read, but it kind of scared me in a way. The idea that society may be able to know if people are criminals before they become one, doesn’t that sound too good to be true? I personally would not want to know mine or my future children’s numbers. I think that since this is such a new process, it cannot be trusted completely. Also, I feel that environment plays a huge role in turning someone into a criminal, not just genetics. I believe that children are shaped by their environment (friends, parents, siblings), so the focus needs to be more on how children and adults treat each other. I disagree with Raine mostly, but I have mixed feelings about the debate. On the one hand, it would be potentially live saving to know if people will turn into criminals before they actually commit a crime or kill someone. On the other hand, I think if parents were to know their children’s numbers, they would treat them as if they were already criminals, which is not fair at all. Like was stated in the article, we cannot go around labeling children as “bad seeds” when we really do not know for sure that they will turn out to be criminals.
ReplyDeleteKayla,
DeleteI too believe that there are too many factors in play to influence whether or not someone becomes a criminal rather than just looking at genetics. I agree completely with your statement that children are shaped by multiple things in their environment such as parents, siblings, etc.. Labeling a child from a young age definitely changes the way they are looked at and treated and you made a good point that if parents already knew their child's number they would treat them like a criminal or put extra care into making sure they do not turn out to be one.
The article “Criminal Minds,” was very fascinating and in a way frightening. It is shocking to read that a child has a 75 percent chance of becoming a criminal. This percentage stems from a large amount of research done by Adrian Raine and others, giving insight to factors that may influence why someone possesses certain criminal behaviors and ways to predict them.
ReplyDeleteRaine’s interpretation was that, “Genetics and anatomy were more influential on their development than was the way the grew up” (Fischman, 2011). This was referring to a study done on murderers as compared to normal people, where they studied their brains and compared them to the way they grew up. This found that murderers who grew up in “normal” or “good” homes showed lower activity in the prefrontal cortex just as those of the murderers, when normal people did not have this feature. This study arose many more questions as to why was the brain formed the way it is but suggests that criminal behavior was related to the brain structure and not due to environment growing up.
As for my number, or whether or not I would want to know what the number of my child would be, no I would not want to know. I believe there are too many influencing factors that drives someone toward criminal behavior and placing a label or a number on someone at a young age can create an unfair image of how they are going to turn out. Some may even just adapt to society’s expectations if they are aware of this “label” instead of pursuing their own future.
Cameron I agree 100% on the skepticism of the number. Placing a criminal number on a kid will obviously have an effect on a child's environment and future. There could also be people who are more aggressive than others but they never have any criminal intentions but the number might suggest that they would. Then everyone would get afraid when they get angry and create a false identity of that person.
DeleteCameron & Brett, I'm glad I'm not the only one that was skeptical about some of the numbers given in the article. I would like to add that the article mentioned brain "plasticity" and that trauma or injury could alter brain function. I interpret that as I could walk out of campus, fall on some ice and crack my head on the cement. So even if I had a "number" prior, it could be different after recovering.
DeleteTo the three of you,
DeleteI admit that a 75% chance of being a psychopath is a daunting comment. But doesn't the fact that they don't give an AGE for the kid bother you? Age would have a huge effect. If the child is like 6 months old or 2 years old, then yes I would believe the child has a 75% chance of becoming a psychopath or criminal. I would also believe that this child has a 75% chance of becoming an oncologist, an astronaut, or a pro athlete. If the kid is that young, they're still developing their skills.
A mind-blowing article, If I were to be asked if I wanted to find out my own number, I would immediately say yes! I have always figured if a person was a psychopath it was due to some insanely messed up childhood memory. Although I don’t think I would want to know my child’s number. That to me is a very scary thought and I just wouldn’t want to think that a beautiful little angle I created is now considered a psychopath. This research could be very controversial with many for and against it. with this fascinating way to determine if a person is a psychopath, we could use it to our advantage and “fix” or “correct” those who cant stay out of trouble.
ReplyDeleteAnn,
DeleteIt's interesting to hear your opinion because while I would want to know my number I would also really like to know my child's number. The reason I would like to know my child's number is because if I knew if my child was considered a psychopath I would try to assist them through therapy and try to help them grow out of the possibility of a psychopathic diagnosis, but I completely agree that this is a very controversial topic that may concern many parents.
Honestly, I still have no idea what the first paragraph was explaining, but after reading further I now know what this is. This is almost exactly like "Minority Report" with Tom Cruise. In the movie, the cops are able to figure out when someone is going to commit a crime before it happens. Adrian Raine has a very ambitious project on his hands, and he knows how controversial it could become.
ReplyDeleteHe's quoted in the article saying he brain changes. Family and the environment may protect it and may even alter some of the physiology that we see," "Of course, all of this brings up tremendously difficult ethical questions,".
It's difficult to seek this information if it will become public to everyone. If the number was only accessible by myself, family, and whomever is running the program I wouldn't mind getting my number or anyone else's. If it became public, that number would become an identity that could cause dysfunction between friend, co-workers, and anyone. The vast number of twin tests at Indiana University make me feel like this is legit but knowing that human error can always occur keeps me skeptical that this measurement will ever be officially used.
Way to tie in media and entertainment into an article on psychopathy. I haven't seen that movie, but I do think it's interesting how often entertainment these days can integrate scientific and psychological aspects of real life.
DeleteBrett, I agree with you that if it became public knowledge then it would be something you are known for. I do not think the information should ever be public, but could be accessible to the person themselves. Personally, I would not like to know my number or my child's, but I can see how some people would want to know their risk.
DeleteThis article was an interesting read and full of very compelling evidence on psychopathy. However, trying to make the decision on whether to find out if you yourself of your child may become a killer in the future would be a hard choice to make. While I would like to find out in order to take precautionary measures in order to maybe prevent this from occurring, I think that there is also a part of me that would like to not find out. This is because learning this information about yourself or a child would be life changing and very upsetting. It would be a hard concept to come to terms with the fact that a brain scan can ultimately predict whether you or your child could become a killer. I believe this is something that no parent would want to hear. There is a chance that finding out could keep people out of trouble however, and ultimately save lives. So if parents ultimately want the best for their children, this is information they should figure out in order to ensure they take the most helpful steps in keeping their children safe, healthy, and out of trouble. There are many things parents could do if they catch it early enough that their child's number predicts they could become a killer. This includes going to therapy, being watched, and doing anything possible to remove the killer tendencies from their life. I think this research is very important. It can help many kids live the most normal lives possible and keep worry out of parents.
ReplyDeleteMaggy,
DeleteI completely agree that this would be a very difficult decision to make because of how life changing the information is. Finding out this information, if correct, could lead to finding preventative measures and ultimately save many lives. However, what if the test was wrong? Parents would send their children to therapy, watch over them very carefully, and treat them as if they are already a criminal. I think that it is unfair to the child to assume that they are a future criminal because it may be detrimental to their life.
Alivia,
DeleteThat is a very good point to bring up and something I did not consider. While the child may not grow up to become something as serious as a criminal or serial killer, based on their number they still may have other problems. While taking all of those steps may not be necessary in some cases, if signs are seen that would point parents to believe their child may grow up to be very violent I think it is important for parents to try and solve these issues early on. Either way, there is no harm in parents watching over their child and trying to keep them out of trouble if they do believe their child wont grow up to be a criminal.
The article was an interesting read. But I did find some holes in the statistics. The 75% chance of a child becoming a psychopath is alarming, yes, but I would like to know the age of the child in question. If this were something that was done at a later date when the child is hardly a child anymore but more of a young adult, then yes. I think it would be beneficial to know something like that. It would save a lot of lives in the long run, but I have another hole; after someone is given a number, what then? Are they barred from participating in certain activities? Can they not get jobs? Friendly reminder that air traffic controllers (the people in the big tower at airports who make sure landing strips are clear for planes to take off and touch down on) also exhibit signs of psychopathy. I don't mind giving or getting numbers for psychopathy, but what then? You can't have them go to a therapist twice a week; psychopaths can lie and talk their way into any situation with no problem. So I don't really see the issue in giving psychopaths numbers; I see more of an issue as to what we should do next. That's something this article did not touch base on.
ReplyDeleteAlye, I agree with you about what to do after finding out your number. What then? Would you be put in groups or would you just not interact with anyone? It gives everything except for any solutions.
DeleteThe article "Criminal Minds" brought up a topic that is rather scary and relative in the world we live in. I would definitely want to know if my children and myself had the genetic makeup associated with being a psychopath. I think it would be better to have that knowledge to try to prevent psychopathic behavior. And if not able to prevent, then at least be able to watch for bad behavior that could be warning signs. Considering that people may have the genetic make-up of a psychopath and never act on it, it wouldn't be right to classify a person as a psychopath because of their brain traits if it doesn't influence their actions. I think the research seemed well done except for they did not test for people that have these brain abnormalities that seem to be associated with psychopathic behaviors but are not criminals. The hard thing about this research is what would society do with the information that people around them have been proven to be psychopaths. As much as I think society would benefit from some kind of warning research to prevent the destruction that psychopaths cause, it would be difficult to find a way that society could function properly with the knowledge of everyone's "number" for being a psychopath.
ReplyDeleteKelsey, I agree that this article is scary but interesting. I personally would not want to know my/my child's number because I feel like people would be treated differently or think that since they are deemed to be a psychopath than they might as well act on it. I agree with you on we need to figure out a way to present this information in a way that society could function properly.
DeleteAfter reading the article I was shocked to realize genetic makeup can help determine whether someone demonstrates psychopathic behavior or not. The article made me recollect on historical perspectives of children being born with "original sin" because the article claimed some people are born with the genetic makeup to enact in psychopathic behavior but it can later change and decrease those chances whether it be by how a child is raised or some other enacting force.
ReplyDeleteI thought the research conducted was interesting and unique. Watching how kids react to certain stimuli can definitely evaluate someone's current mental state. However, I do not think the research conducted can determine the future. Predictions and assumptions may arise but in the end you never really know how someone will turn out.
I personally would not want to know my number or my child's. I think if I found out my child or myself had a potential risk of psychopathic behavior, I would dwell on it which could make matters a lot worse. Especially if I found out my child was at risk, I think I would do everything I could to prevent it rather than just being a natural loving, caring, and nurturing parent. I do not think it matters if your genetic makeup puts you at risk, rather the outcome of the person as a whole is what matters.
After reading the article and contemplating the questions I'm unsure. I would want to know my number and others' numbers if they were 100% positive. I wouldn't want to know it because what if they were wrong? What if someone had these numbers because they had certain character traits but were the exact opposite. If I had a bad number I know I would not live my life like I wanted. I would be walking around, basically tiptoeing around, so as not to do anything wrong or make someone else offended. The research is interesting but it does not really solidify anything for me. I feel like it does not give enough examples.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I am very intrigued by what Raine regarding “75% chance of being a criminal if...”, how he drew his conclusions, and the fact that he began developing these ideas while working within a prison. The question that he raises is definitely one for the books. Would you want to know? This is hard to say. Personally, being a full believer that biology plays a large role in “whether some children are devils or angels”, I am sure that I would want to be informed. I would want to know for both myself and for my child. Especially if, like he said, there may be a way to combat it by achieving a diet of omega-3 fatty acids and calcium to try to build/protect the brain cells.
ReplyDeleteThe research seems apparent and accurate, seeing that others have acquired similar findings. The most ironic statement within the whole article is when Raine says, “so we don’t want to say that biology is destiny”. Although he seems to believe that environment plays a small role, I think the rest of the article basically states that biology IS a person’s destiny. With this statement, I believe that what he is saying is that he would not want to take the chance of ruining a person’s future. With this being said, I do not think that society should be “warned”, persay that “informed” would be a better term. Seeing as Raine, and others, have proven that there is an association between brain functions and criminal behavior, this needs to be taken seriously and as a step forward in neuropsychology.
Sydney, I think it was also interesting that he developed his ideas while working within a prison. The way that he was locked in his own van from the outside with these prisoners and not able to get out if he wanted to seemed very brave to me. The reason i say he is brave is because when he is in there with them, he is purposely trying to set them off and annoy them. I was very intrigued by this article as well.
DeleteI found this article very intriguing. The idea that we are on the brink of being able to, in a way, predict the chances of a criminal personality is mind blowing. Personally, I would very much want to not only know what my child’s number is, but also my number. I say this because if my number came out to be a high percentage for a criminal personality, and I ended up typically normal then I could look at how I was brought up and how I can try to recreate that environment for my child. Some might say assigning a number to a child is unethical, but if you asked any parents that had lost a child in say one of the recent school shooting they would probably say that this is a good idea. If they would have had this technology say 10 to 15 years ago some of these school shootings could have been prevented. I think there are some ethical issues that can and should be crossed to ensure the safety of the people and this would be one of them.
ReplyDeleteI found the article "Criminal Minds" very interesting but scary at the same time. I think that it is crazy to think that tests can predict/determine if someone will grow up to be a psychopath and be violent and want to kill people. I personally would not want to know my number because I feel like if people knew their number they would just think that it would be okay to kill people instead of seeking help. I also would not want to know my child's number because I feel like it would scare me and make me treat them different which isn't fair to them. This research seems like there has been a lot of work put into it but as Raine said there needs to be more research done before they conduct these tests on a larger scale. I feel like this research could help people but it could also damage people psychologically.
ReplyDeleteLeah, I liked your discussion and how you mentioned the outcomes of numbers determining if the individual will become a psychopath/ criminal.I agree about not wanting to know a child's number because it will most likely lead to treating them differently if they had a number close to a psychopath personality. The research conducted was very interesting and eye opening. However, there should be more beneficial research conducted.
DeleteAfter reading the article Criminal Minds, It was an eye opener to me about psychopathy. The article went into depth about testing for psychopathy/ criminal behavior, regions of the brain that were smaller, and research involving psychopathy traits. One section of the article talked about testing for psychopathy/ criminal personality and finding out the likelihood of becoming one. I think this is an excellent idea due to the simple fact it can save the individual and lives if effective treatment went into consideration. I believe with the advanced technology we have, we can asses certain parts of the brain and possibly help treat the individual. I personally would not want to know the numbers of myself and my kids because I feel as I should have a very well understanding of who my child is and what he/she is capable of. If I saw some of the specific traits or was questioning the personality of my child, I would then seek help.
ReplyDeleteThis article was incredibly informative. The way that they tried associating the development of the brain and criminal behavior is so in depth. The study they did with the children from Mauritius showing that the slower the heart rate and less skin response to extreme emotional annoyance tend to have criminal records in their futures. It's incredible to me that they can figure this from such an early age. It just really proves that psychopaths are potentially formed by nature and not nurture. Raine and others were able to figure out that criminals with high test scores and academic achievement were very antisocial and have different shaped brains. All of this to me is just incredible.
ReplyDelete"Criminal minds" was definitely an eye opening read as I have never thought about how biology could have such a big, if not bigger, impact on developing psychopathic behaviors than environment and upbringing can. I, as some others have mentioned, also thought that people became psychopaths because of a bad childhood, a traumatic event, or or some other disturbing occurrence in a person's development; but the research that Raine shows in this article presents a strong argument that biology may play a bigger role than we ever imagined. I was particularly fascinated with the research that showed that if the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex (regions of the brain that deal with processing emotions and decision making respectively) did not form or grow correctly, that child will likely show more signs of aggression and psychopathy in the future. So, does a person with an underdeveloped amygdala mean they are going to be murderers? I think that we have to be careful not to take this too far, but I do believe that there is some authenticity in this research, and it will be fascinating to see if more research is done.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to whether or not I think we should ascribe these "numbers" to children to rate their overall psychotic tendencies, is a difficult question. I like the idea of having descriptions of these biological tendencies to pertain to groups of people and not individuals. Ascribing a child a "number" per se might be too detrimental to that child and his future; but if there are some factors such as the undeveloped prefrontal cortexes and amygdalae, then I think it would be helpful for parents to know this and take some necessary precautions.
I enjoyed reading this article and It was interesting to learn how they think the brain shape has a effect on whatever you are a psychopath or not. However, I don't think based on the shape of the brain will determine right away if that person will be a psychopath or not. I think we also need to look into the nurture part of their life too.
ReplyDeleteOne section of the article kind stood out to me, it said "Society has always wondered about "bad seed," people who seem to be possessed by devils. But what is emerging from this research is a cluster of biological markers that plant the bad seed in the brain. More striking, they appear to predict antisocial behavior even before it happens." It is not just the "bad seed" that goes with the whole idea of being a psychopath. There is many traits that go into that.
I don't think I would want to know if my child has a marker for being a psychopath. In the article, the author state that the possibility of getting it wrong, and ruining someone's future with a undeserved "bad seed" label, is not okay. By doing that, you could take away that person's chance to have a normal future.
I understand that this kind of research can be helpful and I can see it being helpful in some areas. I just would limit this research for extreme cases and not be open to the general public.
This article was very interesting. It's amazing but scary to think that in the near future you could receive a number determining how likely you are to become a criminal. The question asked was "Would you want to know your number, and your child's number?" My answer would be a yes, and the reason why is because if there is any chance that my child or myself could become a criminal I would want to do everything possible to get help but also make sure no one in the process was harmed. Of course the results could be scary and that's something you have to live with, but in the end it could be the best thing that could happen. It could save lives and to be that's the most important thing, just like the article said, Do you really want blood on your hands? I would also like to learn more about how they were able to connect the size of certain areas of the brain to how likely you are to become a criminal. This article was so fascinating and I would love to learn more and I would love to do more research about it.
ReplyDeleteThis article is very interesting to me. I don't think I've ever heard of anything like this. It's fascinating to know there are studies out there that allow you to really dig deep into brain development. It's also kind of scary in a way. Knowing that your kid could grow up to be a psychopath is not a great feeling. This article mentions how the brain development has a huge part in who your child will grow up to be.
ReplyDeleteI personally would want to know so if the odds were damaging to my Child's well being. I would also want to know if I could prevent it in any way. Maybe another factor of the development comes from how you raise your children and the environment they are in. I feel the research was studied in the right direction. Starting the study at birth is probably the best way to fully understand that persons specific development.
This article was well written and very interesting. Both side of the experiment were well discussed. However, I personally would not want to know my number. I think that with that kind of information it could really impact decisions you make about your life that you normally would not. The same goes for my child. I wouldn’t want to know because it could make me view my child in a way that was never intended. I think that whether or not you are a “bad seed” depends on a lot more than genetic factors. Where you grow up, who you love with and even where you go to school could all have an impact on whether or not you turn out to be a criminal. I do believe that this is a really important thing to be experimenting because any knowledge that can be gained on the brain and on genes is valuable. I think information like the “bad seed” number is important but it has to be shared responsibly.
ReplyDeleteKaty,
DeleteI think the fact that you wouldn't want to know is very interesting. I totally understand where you are coming from though. Viewing yoursel, child, or anyone that has had this done would make me look at them in a different way. I think it would be very interesting to have these scans done to just see. It would change your life. I would personally find out for myslef, for my children not so much.
Rae Tiner
The ability to identify traits in a person that could lead to being violent is a powerful tool. If such a trait is identified at an early age, something could be done to hopefully stop the person from acting on those thoughts. Psychopathy is such a hard concept to grasp because it is so out of touch with what the average person thinks. A person knowing their own number would be beneficial in some ways but detrimental in others. A person that has high psychopathy tendencies might think that it is acceptable to act out because they were born that way. I would like to know my own child’s numbers, if they were high, I would try to monitor them to see if they were acting in violent ways. Hopefully the actions could be stopped before they escalated.
ReplyDeleteThis article really made me think about whether or not I would want to know if me or my child were likely to become a criminal. This is a very difficult question to answer for many people. Obtaining this information could help lower crime rates by finding out earlier so you could take precautionary measures. This could also lead to the prevention and treatment of future psychopaths. But would finding out if you or your child is likely to become a psychopath help the situation? Or would it just scare people and make parents treat their children as if they are already criminals? Until the research is proven to be completely accurate, I would not want to know my number or my child’s number. What if the test was wrong? Parents would send their children to therapy and take any preventative measures they could, which could be detrimental to the child’s life. Personally, finding out this information would only scare me and might change the way I chose to parent my children. I believe that this is an important research topic and should be further looked into. However, until it is proven completely true, I don’t think that adults nor children should be assumed to be a future criminal.
ReplyDeleteI thought this article was very thought-provoking and interesting. After reading it, I think that it is crazy that brain damage to certain parts of the brain, a different shapes or sizes to certain parts of the brain, or lower activity in certain parts of the brain could predict future criminal/bad behavior. Although it would be scary to find out that my children or myself had these qualities, I think I would want to know whether or not we would have the number. Knowing as soon as possible could help families prevent any possibilities of bad events from happening in the future. Finding out people have these numbers ahead of time could be helpful because it might be easier to for them to outgrow them. I do believe that this kind of research is not always going to be 100% accurate, because not everyone with brain damage or lower activity in their brain is going to end up being a criminal. However, I do think that looking at one’s brain activity does help determine their mental state. I enjoyed reading this article.
ReplyDeleteThis article was extremely compelling to me because I have always looked at violent offenders or watched documentaries of violent offenders and wondered what went wrong? What happened to these people to make them who they are today? I expected these behaviors to be connected slightly to abnormal brain development, but I expected it to be more so connected to how one was raised and the environment they were subjected to. A girl I attended school with has a little boy that has concerning behaviors. He has a poor mouth, can be extremely disrespectful to both guests and his own mother, and sometimes has aggressive outbursts. Prior to reading this article I had concerns of what may come of this boy in the future and now I am even more intrigued to know what his number might be. I absolutely respect the notion of not labeling someone as a 'bad seed', but I also agree with Raine's statement regarding the fact we could be ignoring an approach that has the potential to save people's lives. If it were up to me, as a new coming mother, I think I would want to know the numbers. After reading the article, I feel that they have found enough evidence to support the theory as to why criminals behave the way they do to an extent. Personally, I don't see any harm in making these tests apart of a regular physical- such as during a doctors visit. That way if something appeared concerning it would be documented and safety measure could be implemented if need be.
ReplyDeleteI think it is fascinating how Raine and so many others have conducted their research on the subject of biological psychopathy. However, their studies concerning twins are the most interesting to me. I heard a couple years ago on “Criminal Minds” that it was possible to identify psychopaths through a brain scan and I did not think very much of it. With this evidence and research to back it up, on the other hand, it is very compelling information. Would I want to know if I were a psychopath? Yes. Honestly, I think it would be cool to know that information about myself. I would probably think to myself on a daily basis, “These guys don’t know I’m a psycho.” Would I want to know if my child were a psychopath, though? Probably not. I think I would choose to be selfish and hope a situation like “We Need to Talk About Kevin” would not take place. This research is very interesting; however, I agree with Fontaine and Raine that the “bad seed” mark should not be placed on any child in case a mistake had been made.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the research is very interesting, yet I believe that when you start to label a child a psychopath they have no where to go but downhill. Would I want to know if my child was a psychopath, I would have to say no, because you would never look at them the same. The child would not have a chance. They would never be given a normal life because they were labeled a psychopath and therefore treated differently from that point forward. If you do not know then you still have the chance to raise them the way you normally would have and I truly believe that maybe you can make a difference and change that child's destiny.
ReplyDeleteI found the article to be very intriguing. The idea that you can predict if a child will develop into a future criminal is a touchy subject. It presents information that could be potentially very helpful but can also label someone as something they aren’t. Adrian Raine’s research showing a child has a 75% chance of becoming a criminal in life based off emotions or lack of is compelling to say the least. Although this information may be accurate I don’t think that a person should be labeled as a criminal before they are. If anything, I think this research would be great in future investigations of crime. This information could be potentially used to create a data base that could be used to find suspects for a crime. Of course, this is all hypothetical and would need to be further researched on a larger population.
ReplyDeleteThis topic is always an interesting one to cover. At first, I thought that I would want to know if my child could experience these very violet thoughts and behaviors. As I thought more about it, I started to feel as if it would be a bad idea to know. I feel as though I wouldn't want to know if my child was capable of such things.
ReplyDeleteAt this point I would not be able to choose. I would however argue that nature and nurture will come into play as the child grows up. There is always a natural chance that someone can become a psychopath, but the way they were raised can "outshine" that trait.
I enjoyed reading this article and thought it was very interesting. It's crazy that a brain scan can predict the future. I think I would want to know if my children or myself would be at risk so it can be prevented, although it might be hard to hear; no one wants to hear that they, or someone they know could potentially be a criminal. I had no idea that this was a thing and that a brain scan can predict that; it is kind of hard to believe but could also potentially be a useful tool for children at risk.
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ReplyDeleteThis article was a very interesting read, I really enjoyed it. I find a huge interest in the way that peoples minds work, why they do the certain things that they do. The question that always come to my mind when I read, watch, or hear anything about a crime that is brutal is why? What is their motive? I think that it is amazing that a brain scan can detect these things. A brain scan could determine whether or not you or your child could become a criminal. I think that is very cool. Would I want to know? Yes, I would love to know. I think it is a great thing to take preventable measures to try and curb a crime and making a criminal. I also think that it would be unbearable knowing that my child could be the next serial killer on the block.
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