Video Channel 
DropBox -
A new study shows that children around age 3 who do not show common fear responses to loud and unpleasant sounds have a higher chance of committing crimes as adults. Around 1,800 children born in 1969-1970 on the island of Mauritius were used as studies for over 20 years. The children were tested to measure their level of "fear conditioning," or fear of consequences. The reason was to see if the children would connect unpleasant sounds and experiences with fear and be less likely to commit criminal acts because they think that they would get punishments for those acts.
A lie detector that measured skin activity like sweat secretion, which is part of the fear reflex, was used to test the children's responses to loud noises. After a 20-year check-up, 137 of the children were found to have at least one criminal conviction, and 300 had none.
These results suggest that children with behavioral problems and psychopaths might both be affected in the amygdala, the part of the brain that is responsible for directing fear of consequences. However, researchers warn against believing the results too much, because these findings do not offer a biological way to identify future criminals.
Source: American Journal of Psychiatry, published online November 16, 2009.| Related Articles |
| Related News |
The Coming Neurological Epidemic |