Purpose of the Dissertation Theoretical Framework

The main purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between neurobiological factors and prisoners' response to a cognitive skills training program. Two research questions were formulated. The first question was as follows: What is the predictive value of neurobiological factors in relation to the outcome of a cognitive skills program for adult prisoners? Investigation of this relationship might provide more insight into who is able to benefit from therapy and who is not. The second question was the following: Do prisoners' neurobiological factors change in response to a cognitive skills training program? Studying this issue might provide more insight into why intervention is effective in reducing antisocial behavior. In addition, knowledge retrieved from investigating these two questions was used to reflect on how neurobiological measures might have an added value in the field of criminology in general. First, this final chapter provides a heuristic model in which the central questions of the dissertation will be presented. Second, the main findings per chapter will be briefly described, after which results from the empirical studies will be discussed with respect to the proposed heuristic model and existing literature. Finally, this chapter discusses study limitations, implications for correctional rehabilitation and suggestions for future research. Worldwide, few researchers have attempted to capture the relationship between neurobiological factors and antisocial behavior in a theoretical framework. Adrian Raine (2002b) was one of the first to develop a heuristic model on the key influences of genes and environment and how these factors give rise to social and biological risk factors for the development of antisocial behavior. In addition, Ward and Beech (2006) proposed an integrated model on the influences of biological functioning and social learning on the development of sexual offending. In 2007, Van Goozen and colleagues developed a more extended theoretical model on the direct and indirect pathways through which family factors (including early childhood adversity and genetic factors) affect biological, cognitive, and emotional mechanisms, which predispose an individual to the development of antisocial behavior problems. Furthermore, Vaske and colleagues (2011) proposed a biosocial theory of offender rehabilitation. Until today, their publication is the first, and in all probability the only one that has attempted to capture the relationship between effective offender rehabilitation and the structure and functioning of the brain in a heuristic model. Currently, existing models on the relationship between neurobiological factors and criminal behavior are fairly general and highly explorative. This …