Biopsychosocial Criminology and Psychology
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Biopsychosocial criminology and psychology is a multidisciplinary perspective that attempts to understand criminal behavior (and related outcomes, like antisocial behavior and its consequences) by considering the interactions between biological (e.g., genetics, hormones, physiology, brain structure/functioning), psychological, and sociological factors.
Read more about the Psychophys, Brain & Virtual Reality Lab
Contact:
Sofi Oskarsson, Sofi.Oskarsson@oru.se
Catherine Tuvblad, Catherine.Tuvblad@oru.se
News and events
Seminar
Jonas Persson, Professor of Psychology, Örebro University
The IDA-program - past, present and future
April 16th at 11:00 am via Zoom: https://oru-se.zoom.us/j/7833649804
Jonas will give a short history of the IDA-program, talk about past data collections, available data and ongoing recently finished data-collections within the program.
Lower autonomic arousal as a risk factor for criminal offending and unintentional injuries among female conscripts
Oskarsson, S., Andersson, A., Bertoldi, B.M., Latvala, A., Kuja-Halkola, R., Evans, B., Raine, A., Patrick, C.J., Larsson, H., Tuvblad, C. (2024).
Lower resting heart rate has been linked to higher risk of being convicted of a crime and experiencing unintentional injuries. While previous research has mostly focused on men, our study aimed to explore whether these associations also apply to women. We analyzed data from Swedish women born between 1958 and 1994 who underwent conscription, including measurements of resting heart rate and systolic blood pressure. By examining records from the National Crime Register, which entails convictions from Swedish district courts, we found that women with lower resting heart rates were more likely to be convicted of crimes and suffer unintentional injuries. Additionally, women with lower systolic blood pressure were at greater risk of violent criminal convictions. These associations pave the way for innovative strategies predicting crime risk among women.
Read full article at PLOS ONE.
Seminar
Eric Pakulak, Psykologiska institutionen, Stockholms Universitet
Neuroplasticity and social justice: development of a family-based training program for at-risk preschoolers
March 19th at 11:00 am via Zoom: https://oru-se.zoom.us/j/7833649804
I will discuss a line of research from my former lab in the US in which we developed and tested a two-generation program for at-risk preschoolers and their parents. This program was developed in collaboration with educators and was based on research on associations between early experiences associated with poverty and differences in brain structure and function, in particular for regulatory systems that are both sensitive to chronic stress and important for school readiness and academic achievement. The intervention targets attention, parenting, family stress, and self-regulation, and was found to reduce parenting stress and improve child behavior, cognition, and brain function for attention in families living in poverty. I will conclude with a discussion of current cultural adaptation projects, including a proposal to adapt and implement the program in Sweden.