They started with:
The Court’s Brain:
Neuroscience and Judicial Decision Making in Criminal Sentencing
The article had the following excerpts"
INCREASED AMYGDALA ACTIVATION BASED ON AFROCENTRIC FACIAL FEATURES
The affect of race on the brain is potentiated by the level of “typically” African or “typically” Caucasian facial features. The more African a person’s face appears, the higher the level of fear; and the more Caucasian a person’s face appears, the lower the level of fear. Research revealed that there was increased amygdala activation in subjects who viewed faces with more pronounced Afrocentric facial features.
They also read the following texts this week:
INCREASED AMYGDALA ACTIVATION BASED ON AFROCENTRIC FACIAL
FEATURES
The affect of race on the brain is
potentiated by the level of “typically” African or “typically” Caucasian facial
features. The more African a person’s face appears, the higher the level of
fear; and the more Caucasian a person’s face appears, the lower the level of
fear.
Research revealed that there was
increased amygdala activation in subjects who viewed faces with more pronounced
Afrocentric facial features.
A series of photographs of both
African-American and Caucasian faces were presented to subjects. One photograph
was an African-American male face with strong Afrocentric features (full lips,
broad nose, dark skin, and curly hair).
One photograph was a picture of an
African-American male with more Eurocentric features. Another photo was of a
Caucasian male with more Afrocentric features. And the final photograph was of
a Caucasian person with more Eurocentric features.
The amygdala activation was highest for the African-American male face with the Afrocentric features.
INSULA ACTIVATION
In addition to stronger amygdala activation for African American faces, studies also demonstrate a stronger insula reaction among some Caucasian people for African-American faces.
The insula has been typically associated with aversion, revulsion, or disgust; for example, it is the part of the brain that activates when we smell rotting garbage.
In the study, the subjects viewed faces of African-Americans and Caucasians while undergoing fMRI scans. The insula reaction was significant when the subjects saw the faces of individuals from a different race.
Notably, criminal-law scholars and economists have cited revulsion as a component of the motivation for incapacitation.
Someone whose crime is repulsive to a judge will be a prime candidate for removal from society, and for longer periods of time. If a defendant’s appearance or identity creates an aversion or repulsion response, this may enhance the adverse response to the crime.
The prospect of sending someone back into society who creates the same reaction in a judge as the smell of rotten garbage is likely to be avoided.
If the revulsion reaction is potentiated by race, the African-American defendant may receive a longer term in prison.
Lyrics Effect on the Brain and Behavior
Music plays an important role in the
socialization of children and adolescents. Listening
to popular music is considered by society to be a part of growing up. Music provides entertainment and distraction
from problems and serves as a way to relieve tension and boredom. Some studies
have reported that adolescents use popular music to deal with loneliness and to
take control of their emotional status or mood. Music also can provide a
background for romance and serve as the basis for establishing relationships in
diverse settings. Adolescents use music in their process of identity formation,4–11 and their music preference provides them a
means to achieve group identity and integration into the youth culture. Some
authors have suggested that popular music provides adolescents with the means
to resolve unconscious conflicts related to their particular developmental
stage and that their music preference might reflect the level of turmoil
of this stage.
Adolescents' choice of music and their reactions
to and interpretations of it vary with age, culture, and ethnicity. Research
has shown that there also is a difference in these variables between the
genders. Female adolescents are more likely than male adolescents to use music
to reflect their emotional state, in particular when feeling lonely or “down.”
Male adolescents, on the other hand, are more likely to use music as a
stimulant, as a way to “boost” their energy level, or to create a more positive
image of themselves.
Research on popular music has explored several
areas such as its effects on schoolwork, social interactions, mood and affect, and
particularly behavior.Several theories have been developed to explain the
relationship between music and behavior, and a number of studies have
demonstrated that there is a relationship between music and emotions,
regardless of age.
Although the emotional response to music depends
on the way it is presented, it is also true that it is closely related to the
age of the listener and the experiences or preconceived ideas they bring to the
music. The effect that popular music has on children's and adolescents'
behavior and emotions is of paramount concern. There is particular concern
related to the lyrics of some genres of music and their effect on children and
adolescents.
Lyrics have become more explicit in their
references to drugs, sex, and violence over the years. Forty-two percent of the
songs on CDs contained very explicit sexual content. Lyrics of some music
genres, such as rock, heavy metal, and rap have been found to revolve around
topics such as sexual promiscuity, death, homicide, suicide, and substance
abuse.
Most recently, some rap music has been
characterized by the presence of explicit sexual language in its lyrics as well
as messages of violence, racism, homophobia, and hatred toward women. Drug,
tobacco, and alcohol use also tend to be glorified in these songs.
Some have argued that children and adolescents
use music only for entertainment, that little or no attention is paid to the
words, and if any attention is given, understanding tends to be limited and
related to the experiences lived by the listener. However, other studies have
demonstrated the contrary. Approximately 17% of male adolescents and 25% of
female adolescents expressed that they liked their favorite songs specifically
because the lyrics were a reflection of their feelings.
Regarding the effects of popular music on
behavior, several studies have demonstrated that preference for certain types
of music could be correlated or associated with certain behaviors, such as the
association of drug and alcohol use with “rave” music or electronic music dance
events. The best predictor of risk in adolescents related to music is their
self-report of negative feelings or emotions when listening to any type of
music.
Violent song lyrics may lead to violent
behavior
Violent song lyrics increase negative emotions and thoughts that
can lead to aggression, according to a study published in the May issue of
the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
(Vol. 84, No. 5).
Researchers from Iowa State University and the Texas Department of Human Services found that aggressive music lyrics increase aggressive thoughts and feelings, which might perpetuate aggressive behavior and have long-term effects, such as influencing listeners' perceptions of society and contributing to the development of aggressive personalities.
"This [study] provides the first clean demonstration of
violent lyric effects," says lead author Craig Anderson, PhD, of Iowa
State University.
In five experiments, Anderson and his colleagues asked more than
500 college students to listen to such violent songs as "Shoot 'Em
Up" by Cypress Hill and "Hit 'Em Hard" by Run DMC, and such
nonviolent songs as "Finger Lickin' Good" by the Beastie Boys and
"Love vs. Loneliness" by the Suicidal Tendencies. Researchers also
included the lyrics of humorous violent and nonviolent songs like "A Boy
Named Sue" by Johnny Cash and "Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh" by
Allan Sherman.
After listening to the songs, the students performed various
word-association tasks to test whether they linked more non-aggressive words
with aggressive words or filled incomplete words with vowels to make aggressive
words. They also reported their feelings of hostility as measured by the State
Hostility Scale, ranking sentences based on their emotions after hearing the
songs.
The results indicate a relationship between violent song lyrics
and increased aggressive thoughts and feelings of hostility. Humorous violent
songs also increased aggression levels, relative to humorous nonviolent songs,
according to Anderson. The findings held even after the researchers controlled
for the listeners' gender and personality differences, as well as their
reactions to the different performing artists and musical styles.
While more research on effects of violent lyrics must be done,
says Anderson, yet another type of entertainment media, when referring to
violence, "now has been demonstrated to have some negative effects."
--A. PALMER
The young males wrote about the theory of the amygdala, brain sentencing, the human brain and decision-making, and fearing the amygdala. See their writings below:
Days
6 and 7 Writings
IBJ10
The
Theory of The Amygdala & Decision Making
The
article states that “Just after the parole board enjoyed a food break, a
prisoner’s chance of parole to its highest point of 65 percent.” It also states
that “A prisoner’s fate is irrevocably intertwined with the judge’s neural
networks, which operate according to biological needs.” I feel that this is
very accurate because this has to do with the Amygdala, which is the part of
the brain that has to do with fear and decision making. Scientists called the
Amygdala the “Seat of fear”. I think that drug addiction plays a major part in
the anatomy of the Amygdala. The article states that “The problem with drug
addiction lies in the brains, it’s plausible that the solutions lie there too.”
I feel that drug addiction clouds decision making because people are always
chasing that “high”. Addicts are willing to literally anything to get the
feeling of euphoria that the drug of choice gives them. I witnessed this
first-hand with the local addicts in my neighborhood.
The Theory of Hypothalamus
I
agree with the article that states that the Hypothalamus controls how you feel
during a song. For example, a person could be listening to “Who Run It” by the
artist G Herbo and be amped up and hyper. Whereas if a person listens to
“Through Da Storm” by the artist Polo G, they would feel the complete opposite
emotions of when that person was listening to the G Herbo song. The article
says “ The hypothalamus maintains the body’s status quo, links the endocrine
and nervous systems, and produces and release essential hormone and chemicals
that regulate thirst, appetite, sleep, mood, heart rate, body temperature,
metabolism, growth, and sex drive – to name just a few.” I feel that certain
music could affect the decision-making and behaviors of a human. I also feel
that certain music that affects adolescents could differ.
IBR1
Amygdala
Amygdala
affects me on my appearance because when I go outside people might look at me
as a different person cause of my skin color or just cause I’m a young male
coming from a broken down community and them labeling us as threats with my
hair and tattoos, pants sagging with a yellow shirt and black pants and some
and some white and red 13s And me coming from a broken down community I would
be titled as a gangbanger and a young man with no Future.
The
amygdala has to do something with your brain and how you thing about people and
their appearance and where they are coming from and what’s going on with them
and see where they are coming from before you start judging them by their cover
instead of talking to them and getting to know them more and see that they are
not monster and that they are human just like everyone on this earth.
in
addition to stronger amygdala activation for African American faces, studies
also a stronger insula reaction among some Caucasian people for African-
American faces.
Music and Lyrics
Music
affects me because every time I’m drunk or high I got to do something that’s
dumb like go outside and break the laws and then I get arrested and end up in
jail or might end up dead. It affects me on my emotions because I might feel
mad or sad at the time and it makes me fall asleep or it makes me go and do
something dumb in the streets or I just go outside too play in the park and
have fun with my friends and enjoy are self instead of doing something silly in
the streets.
Some
have argued that children and adolescents use music only for entertainment,
that little or no attention is paid to words, and if any attention is given,
understanding tends to be limited and related to the experiences lived by the
listener. However, other studies have demonstrated the contrary. Approximately
17% of male adolescents and 25% of females adolescents expressed that they
liked their favorite song specifically because the lyrics were a reflection of
their feelings.
IBK10
The Human Brain And
Decision Making
Sometimes you’re more capable of
good decision making, and other times your natural parliament will come out
with a vote you later regret. The state of your body states which can change
hour to hour. Its mostly about hunger. Knowing yourself is only part of the battle
you also have to know that the outcome of your battles will not be the same
every time. Valuations change as circumstances change. A prisoners fate is
irrevocably intertwined with judge’s neural networks, which operate according
to biological needs. Our decisions are equally influenced when it comes to how
we act with our romantic partners. Amygdala is a small green piece in our brain
that controls decision making. A better understanding of decision making opens
your mind to better social policy. For example all humans struggles in our own
way with impulse control. Humans can end up slaves from craving of our
impulses. Craving brings me to talk about war on drugs. Drug addiction is an
old problem for society, leading to crime, diminished productivity, mental
illness, disease transmission and more common to a burgeoning prison
population. Every year the US spends 20 billon on war and drugs globally
the total is over 100 billion. But the
investment hasn’t worked. I think that drug addiction is about poverty and peer
pressure. Because of the problem with drug addiction lies in the brain it’s
plausible that solutions lie there too.
Amygdala & Music
Music can control your fear, make you ready to fight and
increase pleasure. When you feel shivers go down your spine, the amygdala is
activated. Music plays an important role in the socialization of children and
adolescents. Listening to popular music is considered by society to be a part
of growing up. Music provides entertainment and distractions from problems and
serves as a way to relieve tension and boredom. Popular music also provides people
with the means to resolve unconscious conflicts related to their particular developmental stage and
that their music preference might reflect the level of turmoil of this stage. I
believe music has a lot to do with age, culture, and last but not least your
gender. Females use music to reflect their emotional state for example like
when they are feeling down or feeling lonely. For me I like to listen to music
that explains what I’m going through. That’s why I believe music bond with our
brains because mostly likely the person can relate to what is being said.
IBK8510
Rage
of Life
Life.
Rage Anger – that consumes
Waking
up angry
Thinking
about the past
Waking.
Working. Having fun
Living
life
Your
dream goals
Family
Loving
your own
Power
like a tune
Calling
Names – Niggers
Out
of rage. Out of anger
The
real effect on life and love ones
I
like this!
I
Make Poems
Dreams
that come to life
Never
thought of
Passion
that dissolves to power and love
Poems
– never knew, like an open wound
My
first poem was a dream to be found
Whole
lot of love
Amazing
Exotic
Concept
My
art book
Art
Therapy
My
Art Book
Decisions
Making
in your brain
Why
because somebody
Tells
you something
Emotions
of Your Brain
This
poem is about music and lyrics that make you angry or emotional, sad,
deliberated. Sometimes you be confused because music is powerful that lead to
bad behavior.
Calm
music calms you down. Relaxed. You feel happy, and joyful. You feel uplifted.
Love, power, and something you never expected.
IBJ23
Fearing the
Amygdala
You’re
more capable of good decision making, and other times your neutral parliament
will come out with a vote you later regret. It’s because the outcome depends on
many changing factors about the state of your body, states which can change
hour to hour. Research revealed that there was increased amygdala activation in
subjects who viewed faces with more pronounced Afrocentric facial features. The
amygdala activation was highest for the African American male face with the
Afrocentric features. In addition to stronger amygdala activation for African
American faces, studies also demonstrate a stronger insula reaction among some
Caucasian people for African American faces. In the study, the subjects viewed
faces of African Americans and Caucasians while undergoing fMRI scans. The
insula reaction was significant when the subjects saw the faces of individuals
from a different race. Criminal law scholars and economists have cited
revulsion as a component of the motivation for incapacitation. If the revulsion
reaction is potentiated by race, the African American defendant may receive a
longer term in prison.
IBK3
Decision making
The
Amygdala is a small green piece in your brain that controls your decisions.
Studies in 2011 analyzed that a thousand rulings from judges, found that hunger
was a big factor. Just after the parole board had enjoyed a food break, a
prisoner’s chance of parole rose to its highest point of 65 percent. The prisoner
seen towards the end of a session had the lowest chances: just a 20 percent
likelihood of a favorable outcome. A prisoner’s fate is irrevocably intertwined
with the judge’s neural networks, which operate according to biological needs.
Choices are made through amygdala, for example if I had to choice between a
payday day or a snicker the decision making goes through the amygdala. Emotions
also alter how you feel which also goes through the amygdala, when people feel
a certain way about something they sway towards what they feel the most.
IBE12
BRAIN SENTENCING
I read about decisioning making in the
brain if a judge does not eat before court they will have a different result as
if they had eating something before court. I agree based off what I learned
about the brain a hungry person may have a different outcome such as,
aggression, attitudes and more. According to the passage it states that one
prisoner comes before the board at 11:27 am. His crime is fraud and he’s
serving 30 months. Another prisoner appears at 1:15 pm. He had committed the
same crime, for which he had been given the same sentence. The first prisoner
is denied parole, the second prisoner is granted parole. That is because the
judge did not have lunch for the first session but he had eating for the second
session.
IBE7
Mind games
A
decision I made I wish I can change is taking things from people that work hard
for what they earn it made me think like what if this was my mother and someone
took anything from her I will be mad because she work hard for things she
earned but your mind tell you do one thing but instead you going to do
something else u gone regret so don’t always go with your mind sometimes
IBD5
untitled
A
decision I made that im proud of is going to barber college because I want to
learn how to do something important I start cutting hair while I was in jail
and when I did it for the first time I was scared and I was sweating that’s the
affect of the amygdala in different
untitled
Yes,
because they put violent thoughts in your head. And depending on the genre of
music it change your mood like drill songs and love songs. All of the music
trigger different parts of your brain. Amygdala is your emotions and when you
hear different things it gets to your amygdala and triggers different emotions.
IBJ18
Title:
HEAR ME OUT
Seen
My daddy dead
It
messed up my Amygdala
If
you aint talking money
I
don’t wanna hear ya
Seen
a shoot out on cottage
Stuck
in my Cerebellum
When
the police came
I
tried to run but then surrendered
Run
up on him
face
shot I’ll do it man
load
the clip and cock it back
its
in my Putamen
laid
down Came home
they
like you the man
and
everything I did before
I’ll
do Again
Shordy
looking thick
She
all up in my hypothalamus
Chose
the street route
Guess
I shudda went to coolege
If
I pull the trigger on a glizzy
You
Can’t Stop it
Red
beam on his body
Imma
Spot him drop him
Ian
running Script
I’m
tryna tell you bout my brain
If
I lose this pending case
Den
Imma go insane
Tryna
run my check up
Ion
want the fame
He
got lost up in the mix
He
don’t really Bang
IBD10
Mind playing tricks on you
I feel that the article we read
today was a important article to read and write about. Its interesting how the
brain works and the Amygdala really works because I see how when I go to court
and the judges probably feel like we are a threat when really their mind are
playing tricks. It should be a law that the judges should eat something before a
case because it may help. The other thing is like that interest me is why do
the law let judges make big decisions playing with people life based off hunger
they knew amygdala could be stopped based of if they eat one thing. A big issue
with amygdala and the brain, they should have been found a solution. D.Jackson
IBD1
10/3/19
I
Agree with what the article is saying because sometimes violent music will have
us young kids thinking that’s everything the world is about and possible hype
us up to do what kids see in music videos so I agree but I also think it’s how
a certain person may think or how they are personally and what they think
personally and its really just on the mood and the tone of a song then another
big part is drugs when us young kids do drugs and listen to violent music it
makes us think about what we see and how we should be doing the same but in
reality those rappers who make violent songs are they really doing what they
talk about or live that life we think they may live some yes and most no.
Amygdale-
It triggers emotions and what we may feel inside such as actions that occur in
music videos it may make us think that we should do what there doing in violent
songs or in videos such as Krazy k lick back in the video they are showing guns
and talking about how they robbed certain people but those people aint get they
lick back or there payback.
IBS19
Take
it how you want to take anything you receive from others in this world we live
in today but the best outlook to see something as you would want it to be seen
is by first stimulating your mind into a positive outlook for yourself. Have yourself settled mentally and physically
be ready to handle situations presented as accordingly ready to take charge as
a human with morals instead of basing life and your actions off of hatred or
lack of self-knowledge. Having a simple
conversation with someone can turn out into a great result for yourself instead
of taking something somebody said negative towards you take it lightly and
become much stronger in your mind the aftermath of that situation will be much
accepted by you before it hits anybody else’s vision of you.
The Art of Music
Music leads you to many
different emotions people have throughout the universe because we all have the
same feelings. With the technology we
are blessed to have right now we are able to listen to others thoughts and
relate with a mental state level being able to feel the vibe. People can’t really live without music
therefore music can be described as a drug we need it to do whatever is taking
place within the moment we are in. Being
able to create your own music opens a door for yourself and for others because
with your own life story to tell you can lead others to do something creative
with their selves. Music is a mind
grabbing force which lets you notice things you’ve felt before or never really
payed attention to helps you lead yourself to a higher mental state opening
roads for you. It also does control your
fear for most situations you are in perhaps you feel like you aren’t being
appreciated by others you can hear that one song being able to tie it back to
that particular situation and managing your fear and turning it into a
delightful aftermath. For a music artist
it takes the truth behind your life story in order to be able to deliver to the
universe without true situations, vibrations, and maybe even just in general
thoughts you will never grab the attention from others or more importantly
yourself.
A powerful song that was
created by an induvial on this earth is XXXTENTACION I SPOKE TO THE DEVIL IN
MIAMI
The reason this song impacted
me because I was once was lost like he was couldn’t find true value into myself
nor a god that can help me achieve more within my growth mindset and me really
valuing the one lord that comes into my life to help me better myself. XXXTENTACION played a part within my choices
in life with the facts he was giving me prior to the thoughts I was already
thinking and speaking into the universe way before. Satan is my only father I am a child of the
Devil and I as a human, spirit being is comfortable with the decision I have
made for myself. I found myself more
accepted than I seen myself once before took the time out to repent and better
my circumstances and have token the route since a kid to be known for my
real-life stories I HAVE READY to publish to the world showing people my love
for my only lord Satan that has saved me from the terror and lead me to the
light of beauty.
