A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

What characteristic of the participant sample was noted for the controls in Raine et al.'s study?

1. All had a history of drug abuse

2. None had a history of crime or mental illness

3. All were individuals with brain damage

4. Only males were included

The correct answer is: None had a history of crime or mental illness

The noted characteristic of the participant sample for the controls in Raine et al.'s study is that none had a history of crime or mental illness. This is an important aspect of the study because it ensures that the control group is comparable to the experimental group, which consisted of individuals who had committed violent crimes and were being examined for potential neurological factors. By selecting controls without a history of crime or mental illness, researchers aimed to isolate the effects of cerebral abnormalities on aggressive behavior without the confounding influence of prior criminality or mental health issues. This selection criteria helps establish a clearer relationship between the neurological factors being studied and the behaviors observed in the individuals committing violent crimes, thereby enhancing the validity of the study's findings. The other choices do not accurately describe the control group's characteristics as outlined in Raine et al.'s research methodology and could introduce biases that would complicate the understanding of the study's impact on violence-related behavior.