Walter Gramajo

Professor: Jackie
English: 101
10/13/2015
Nature VS. Nurture

I will be discussing in my essay in full detail and credited research, the

role of naturalization, biosocial, psychological theories and its effect on the
human behavior as far when aggression takes over on the individual. I will
also be bringing up the nurture side of aggression and how the environment
also has its key influences on the person, especially when it comes to
aggression and being able to control ones behavior, determining on the
primary agents of socialization, as far as family and its role in teaching
respect, morals, values, and social norms. I will be taking the position on the
nurture side for I am majoring in Sociology, so I am determined to put in
practice my arguing skills and how well I am able to defend the knowledge
behind behavioral science and its major roles on the individual. I am
interested in this topic for many reasons, the most prominent reason would
be for many get stigmatized for living in lower economic communities and
their race that is ascribed in birth. I want to be able to defend the people by
bringing justification or at least empathy to the reader so that they may
understand the individual on a profound level.
Seeds of Sin, I read about how consecutive murderers behave and why
they act upon deviant behaviors. To begin with research from James Q
Wilson, he proposes that males are biologically and naturally more
aggressive than females. This is due to masculine mannerisms, in other
words, the males role to show his physical strength, dominance and being
sensation seekers all corresponding to anti-social behaviors in regards of the
androgen trait, higher levels are associated with people seeking excess
stimulation and willing to tolerate pain and emotions in their hunger for
thrills. In reference to aggravated serial killers and criminals, according to
the psychology approach, it is due to different symptoms they have
malfunctioning within them, whether its in the frontal part of the brain or
elsewhere. They all have their own controls and regulations to their behavior.
Let me get into detail I as I inform you about the Monoamine gene. This
is a gene, an enzyme that in a way neutralizes or blocks many
neurotransmitters from being regularly active. When this gene has a very low

count of enzymes, it can affect many cognitive functions, as well for

attention and impulsive controls. This has major effects on the dopamine,
norepinephrine and serotonin. This specific enzyme plays a key role in why
many individuals behave the way they do, such as, not always functioning
normally or having disorders such as ADHD, Alcoholism, drug abuse, being
impulsive and having a low IQ. When one is to put these symptoms together
we can empathize on the mind of a succeeding murderer and his account of
aggression for the disproportionate amount of male aggression and violence,
which is in fact already in his nature to be aggressive, varying from the diets,
and testosterone levels which play an important role in the roles a male. It is
said that men who behave aggressively, might be suffering from these
symptoms and is very likely to be aggressive and misplacing his anger,
especially those who are already suffering from an injury in the pre-frontal
cortex which alternates theyre decision making. So in conclusion, the people
who have low amounts of MAOA, makes them lack functions in the pre frontal
cortex, this making them vulnerable in making poor decisions as it is. They
are most likely the ones to snap in a burst of outrage and fury and not be
able to control their rage and angrily emotions due to that specific enzyme
that is altering their mood and combusting into an explosive rage in which
leads to diabolical events of violence or maybe even significant crime. (pg.51
(Rane. A (2013). The anatomy of Violence: the biological roots of crime. New
york) 56% in the Maori and 77% in the Chinese and 34% in whites.
Its said that the people who have this problem are born with it, in
which some may have inherited criminal tendencies, others may suffer from
nervous system problems as I just summarized, and as well for their blood
chemistry disorder that heightens their anti-social activity. Often these
individuals are the ones to have their feelings easily hurt and disrupted so by
this they have a weak, feeble, prone state of mind when it comes to
overcoming and regulating their emotions. If they are not able to regulate
their emotions with others this then leads up to the idea of them to be
socially excluded and not being able to fit in with society, in which in
sociology we are taught that we all crave the sense of belonging, so due to
their irregular issues in which they lack to control they are excluded from
society.
According to the biological trait theory of neurophysiological conditions
of crime, its proven that no matter how many neurotransmitters one may
have, even if one or many of them are changed and affected, this can
significantly impact the influence on how great change can occur in your
cognition, emotions and behavior. When this occurs, most likely you will be

suffering from aggressive thoughts, feelings, and as well for the aggressive
change of acts in your behavior. When people suffer from these symptoms,
usually their brain is not entirely working properly with the neurotransmitters
that abide within the brain. The dopamine in their brain is not well focused
on and functioning properly when it has the MAOA gene. For example people
like this possibly find pleasure in causing harm to others or find pleasure in
being ferocious on their daily routines. Second, when it comes down to
serotonin, this is the gene that stabilizes ones mood and if one is already
having low amounts of, then one is most likely to have no control over their
aggression and are prone to being way out of control, even if the situation is
a minor one with someone just accidently getting in your way. For example,
just getting cut in line while one has been waiting, or a tap on the shoulder
that can significantly set you off into a raging bull.
The pre-frontal cortex has to do with the proper functioning in
someone, in order for that person to be able to fit in society. It basically
summarizes up that the pre-frontal cortex is the front part of the brain. Here
is where all the process happens such as decision making and as well for
thinking of wise choices which falls into rational choice theory, and also its
role on emotional regulation. I like to say if ones already thinking in a deviant
manner, one should be able to already have regulated themselves, prior to
the decision one were to be making, whether it was a bad or good
thought/decision.
Many who suffer from injuries in the prefrontal cortex, can be awful and
tragic, when that person has already thought of a decision they are most
likely to abide and stick with their thoughts and decisions, even if the
consequences can be rewarding or punishment such as for jail time or even
death (costs and benefits)- Cesare Beccaria. They have an inability to
regulate their decisions and process of thoughts themselves. When it comes
to this case, I like to say that they lack in having empathy for others, or in
other words having a functioning super ego or conscience, following the
norms and morals we as humans accept to symbolically keep order in society
for we to behave properly and mannerly with one another. For example, we
all know that killing is bad, well as I assume everyone accepts, so why would
one take action into doing such a horrifying act. Plourd discovered that his
client had suffered a head injury from a crowbar at the age of 20, by all
accounts Bustamantes personality changed radically afterward,
transforming him from a well regulated individual into a recklessly impulsive
and emotionally labile renegade. (pg. 69) (Rane. A (2013). The anatomy of
Violence: the biological roots of crime. New York). Many who suffer from an

injury like this turn into criminals just because of their inability of selfregulating when it comes to bad decision, usually being a crime, if they cant
stop themselves then who will. Once the law stops them it has already been
too late, by then whatever grievous plan they had, has already been
attempted and worst of all, accomplished.
In seeds of crime I discovered that many brain structures play a role
into criminal behavior like one being the amygdala, this specific function,
which boosts up our emotions, and which sensors the person to either have
some predatory or affective attack on someone or even going to the
extremes to harming themselves. The Hippocampus and pre-frontal is
located in the front and also the center part of the brain, starting from ones
fore head to the middle part segment. When a person lacks too much of
neurotransmitters or suffers an injury in this particular part of the brain, they
fail to understand that their actions can harm others, and unknowingly feel
no emotion or regret once they have done so. They absolutely feel no
remorse after killing or doing an evil act of wickedness, if they dont
understand these norms and morals that society has constructed, then how
is theyre memory going to contribute to ones doing and controlling, if being
a well behaved member of society was never embedded and internalized
within them. This is the brain structure that regulates ones aggression and
allows one to control ones emotions. Without it one is a ticking time bomb.
(Pg. 78) The Thalamus is practically a relay station between the motional
limbic areas and the regulatory cortical areas. The murderers of this
category have a proper working functional pre-frontal cortex. The only
difference every so often is that their emotions play the major role in their
influences of theirs murders and crimes. These are the type of serial killers
and criminals that can plan a kill in total perfection, organized crime and
have it go there way just like the government has it running today. For
example, like Jeffrey Dahmer and Charles Manson, which in some cases and
situations they continued to massacre many after long periods of time. This
is possible for them because their thinking regulates them to the prior
exterior of not getting prosecuted and convicted. They have learned to
conquer their ability to do it right and flawlessly or not do it all. These are the
real serial killers and criminals that are very prominently intelligent and well
prepared for manipulating others, these are the type of people one should
fear, just because they can regulate their emotions and act just like you and
I, until theyre final moment of murdering their victim making them a
prearranged, flawless murderer and/or criminal.

As I came to an understanding, when a person is being referred to as a

psychopath, its due to the inability or failure of having a working functional
amygdala. The amygdala is just like ones conscience or morality that follows
up the norms that society has contributed over the years. Without one, one
is careless about the harm one can bring to others, one feels no pain, no
remorse nor pity. Its like if righteousness did not exist for these individuals,
they feel no emotion when it comes to doing such devilish acts. They
proceed with their future days and life as if not a darn thing has happened.
Just knowing that there are people out there doing bloodbaths, raping,
thieving, and actually doing massacres in a chaotic not even imaginable
ways, only adds on to the anomie of society. Just because a person is a
psychopath, dont think that person is illiterate and ignorant, or that one
shall be able to distinguish them from others. Matter of fact, they are people
just like you and I. They just have a missing screw or screws
(neurotransmitters/enzymes) in some parts of their brain structure. This
concluding that some individuals are prone to criminal behavior due to their
traits and psychological characteristics that follow them through generations,
this being the nature of psychology and biological traits.
As for the aspects of the environment and the roles that are structured
on behalf of societys constructed prominent agents of socialization and
norms, these institutions keep the individual stratified and limited to the
resources available upon them. This is what prominently contributes to the
social norms of society that we as a society put symbolic meaning and
correspond too. Family is one of the most important elements to socializing
the children at a very young age, in which determines how the individual will
turn out to be when that individual grows older or reaches a certain age. One
can make a prediction if that person is being raised with a family of haven,
fulfilment and love from their mothers and fathers or even providers, one
may be able to assume that there shouldnt be a reason why that person
should act in a deviant manner or behavior. The way one has been nurtured
and controlled by the parent, one can determine the childs outcome of the
future on how the individual will socialize within society. If the child or
individual had a brain injury but was still being watched and regulated by
their significant ones, they would have learned and adapted to the change,
Therefore to their situation and just live on to be as normal as any other
person can intend to be, according to society. Our environment as far as
seeing low economic deteriorated neighborhoods, many kids who live in
these areas grow up feeling despair and alienated. Its a sense of belonging
that a child desires, so in many cases young adults and children join gangs to

enhance their promises to economic rewards and status achievements, a

stratified society in which is created by the unequal distribution of wealth,
power, and prestige or better known as social disorganization.
Many of these children and young adults are engaged into criminal
behavior and easily gullible and convinced to be deviant, for they are prone
to many strains that fall into categories such as their culture being a
subculture and having to assimilate to expectations of society, this having
those individuals in a siege mentality where there only remedy relies on
collective efficacy. We must empathize and come to a profound
understanding that these individuals are constantly being bombarded by the
media which upholds their image and how society perceives them, by linking
specific materials in which that low economic person can simply just not
obtain, due to their lack of resources and there desiring of goods and
services, in which many wish they had. These are what sociologist refer to
criminal behavior patterns for these social forces begin to affect people at a
very young age and remain influencing them throughout their lives. Those
who are exposed to a continual stream of violence in deteriorated
neighborhoods are more prone to persists their criminal behaviors and
careers.
This falls into the social disorganization theory where communities are
unable to provide essential services to their residents, such as lack of
resources for education, health care, and proper housing disregarding
hazardous chemicals that are crucial to the health. This all brings strain to
the person making the individual more prone to engage in a criminal
behavior, for one has tried to cope with repetitive feeling of anger,
frustration and resentment. They have to seek alternatives, either accept
their condition and become conformists according to sociologist and their
strain theory, or either become and innovationist in which one achieves
success by violence, theft, or drug trafficking. One can see that everything
around us plays its part within our brain development and behavior, its a
conflict and contradiction when it comes to the understanding the nature Vs.
nurture argument, but at the end I believe both produce really significant
roles in ones development, but it takes the elder, the wiser fellow, to help
sustain and influence the new upcoming generation of babys to play their
part and reinforce good behavior and good conditioning, as for being a
decent individual with good morals according to society.
For the preceding scenario professor Psych and Professor Socio, finally
ran into each other while dining in a diner, in which they recognized each

other as one can see a propellant of fire burn through their eyes as if hatred
was being accumulated inside within them. They ignored each other for the
sake of keeping peace and avoiding any conflict. As Professor Socio was
exiting the diner has disruptively passed by professor Psych and made a
remark saying sociology was better and more prestigious and psychology
was lame and limited, and so professor Psych immediately threw his piece of
whole wheat bread at the back of his head in which professor Socio turned
around and started burning up with rage as he ragingly ran towards
professor psych exclaiming Guerra (War) on nature to be continued.

Work Cited
(pg.51 (Rane. A (2013). The anatomy of Violence: the biological roots of
crime. New york)

(pg. 69) (Rane. A (2013). The anatomy of Violence: the biological roots of
crime. New York).
-Larry J. Siegel Criminology eleventh edition, Theories, Patterns, and
Typologies. (Textbook)
-Chapters 5 Trait Theory, Pgs. 142,156,161,166, Chapters 6 Social Structure
Theory, Pgs. 187, 189, 192, 200, 212;