Brain Correlates of White Collar Crime

• In Event: Structural Brain Imaging Correlates of Crime

Abstract

There has been significant research on neurocognitive, psychological, genetic, and biological processes linked to the etiology of blue-collar crime, but little research on white-collar crimes and less research on the brain basis of white-collar crime. The limited research thus far indicates that white-collar criminals exhibit better executive functioning as well as increased electrodermal orienting, arousal, and cortical gray matter thickness in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, somatosensory cortex, and the temporal-parietal junction compared with criminal controls, suggesting white-collar criminals have enhanced cognitive and attentional functioning compared with blue-collar offenders. Thus, indicators previously associated with blue-collar criminality may not hold for white-collar criminality. This represents a significant lacuna in our knowledge that is sorely in need of address.
This study aims to add to the limited literature on the brain basis of white-collar crime. Participants (156 men) were recruited from temporary employment agencies in the greater Los Angeles area. Skin conductance and heart rate were measured during a social stress task. Structural brain imaging was conducted. Blue- and white-collar crimes were assessed using a self-report crime questionnaire constituting a 50-item adult extension of the National Youth Survey. Results for differences in various brain region volumes will be presented.

Authors

• Shichun Ling, University of Pennsylvania

• Adrian Raine, University of Pennsylvania

• William Laufer, University of Pennsylvania

• Robert Schug, California State University, Long Beach

• Yaling Yang, Children's Hospital Los Angeles / University of Southern California