THE CRIMINAL BRAIN

Catalog description

Prerequisite: CRIM 1100; CRIM 2114; CRIM 2140 or 2141; CRIM 2145.Open to seniors only.Cross-listed PSYC 3648.This course explores the intersection of neuroscience and social environment as it relates to criminal behavior. Students will learn about new insights into brain mechanisms that may be dysfunctional in violent offenders by studying the various functions of nerve cells, brain structures, chemical neurotransmitters, and neural circuits. Students will also read numerous studies on brain behavior as they relate to case studies of perpetrators of violent behavior, including serial and mass murderers as well as juvenile offenders. The role of neuroplasticity as a function of adapting to the environment will also be explored in conjunction with the teachings of major personality theorists. After investigating numerous research experiments, students will design their own behavioral research project in which they identify areas of the brain that are targets of their research.Faculty: J. WHITE