Aggression And Violent Behavior Paper

Aggression and Violent Behavior 18 (2013) 605–610

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Aggression and Violent Behavior

Ethical, legal and social issues surrounding research on genetic contributions to anti-social behavior
Colleen M. Berryessa, Nicole A. Martinez-Martin, Megan A. Allyse ⁎
Stanford University, Center for Biomedical Ethics, United States

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Article history:
Received 26 March 2013
Received in revised form 27 June 2013
Accepted 16 July 2013
Available online 22 July 2013

Scientific study of genetic contributions to chronic antisocial behavior has stemmed from many lines of research in recent years. Genetic research involving twin, family, and adoption studies
Although there have been some efforts to educate judges on scientific evidence since Daubert, such as conferences, programs and pamphlets, these resources are not extraordinarily exhaustive and most judges are still under qualified to understand the validity and importance of bioscientific research on antisocial behavior in court.
This becomes additionally complicated when a psychiatrist or scientist gives expert testimony on behavioral evidence in court, such as testimony claiming a defendant 's genetic or biological predisposition to specific types of antisocial behavior, to a judge or jury who, trusting those labeled “experts,” might take opinions expressed in expert testimony at face value or as fact without knowing the scientific reliability the testimony. Several studies (Ivković & Hans, 2003;
Raitz, Greene, Goodman, & Loftus, 1990; Vidmar & Diamond, 2001) have shown that jurors are very influenced and persuaded by expert testimony on scientific evidence, even if they do not fully comprehend it. Juries are thus very likely to put too much weight on behavioral genetic evidence when trying to understand a defendant
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