Friday, September 27, 2013

Could Be A Would Be Killer (?)

The article on Adrian Raine's research was an interesting read. The question to-know or not-to-know is a big one, as either choice could produce some weird consequences. A major concern of assigning numbers would be that of a self-fulfilling prophecy, in which kids with high percentages would believe that the test's results are set in stone and themselves to be destined (as opposed to possibly, maybe, a teensy bit predisposed) to a future as a criminal, and thus behave accordingly. The tests are not entirely accurate, and as was stated in the article, brains do change throughout individuals' lifetimes. There are several other factors that may come into play, as well, indicating that a high test score may not be definitive.

On the other hand, it may be useful to identify those who may be at risk of callous/unemotional traits and/or aggressive behaviors so parents/guardians can take preventative steps while raising the child to try and mediate the antisocial behaviors, if possible.

I wouldn't want to know my own number or my child's number. That seems like potentially dangerous information, and there are somethings I'd rather not know.

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