EVALUATION OF RAINE ET AL
Evaluating the methodological issues:
Validity:
• The research used the quasi-experimental method as Raine did not manipulate the
independent variable as to whether the participants were an NGRI murder or not.
• The problem with quasi experiments is that participants are not randomly allocated to
conditions and therefore we cannot draw conclusions about causality.
• Other variables like early life experiences may vary and lead to someone becoming a
murderer.
• Therefore, the results are limited in their validity.
Reliability:
• The PET measures of the brain taken by Raine showed high external reliability as the PET
scanner has a standardized procedure in taking scans.
• This would suggest that there would be high level of consistency of the brain scans of the
NGRIs and the control group.
• However, it could be argued that the results from the PET scans could be interpreted
differently thus reducing their reliability.
Sampling Bias:
• It could be argued that the murderers who pleaded NGRI were not representative of all
violent murderers or indeed all examples of aggressive behavior.
• The study can only draw conclusions about this kind of violent offender- namely an individual
with some recognized form of mental impairment.
Ethnocentrism:
• The understanding of family relationships is particular to a western perspective and thus
ethnocentric. It may be that the way in which families approach disruption in some cultures
is different from non-western cultures.
• This could be the same for collectivist and individualistic cultures where collectivist cultures
place a more positive role on family and community making them less likely to engage in
criminal behavior.
Evaluating the methodological issues:
Validity:
• The research used the quasi-experimental method as Raine did not manipulate the
independent variable as to whether the participants were an NGRI murder or not.
• The problem with quasi experiments is that participants are not randomly allocated to
conditions and therefore we cannot draw conclusions about causality.
• Other variables like early life experiences may vary and lead to someone becoming a
murderer.
• Therefore, the results are limited in their validity.
Reliability:
• The PET measures of the brain taken by Raine showed high external reliability as the PET
scanner has a standardized procedure in taking scans.
• This would suggest that there would be high level of consistency of the brain scans of the
NGRIs and the control group.
• However, it could be argued that the results from the PET scans could be interpreted
differently thus reducing their reliability.
Sampling Bias:
• It could be argued that the murderers who pleaded NGRI were not representative of all
violent murderers or indeed all examples of aggressive behavior.
• The study can only draw conclusions about this kind of violent offender- namely an individual
with some recognized form of mental impairment.
Ethnocentrism:
• The understanding of family relationships is particular to a western perspective and thus
ethnocentric. It may be that the way in which families approach disruption in some cultures
is different from non-western cultures.
• This could be the same for collectivist and individualistic cultures where collectivist cultures
place a more positive role on family and community making them less likely to engage in
criminal behavior.
