Week 7 : Narration

Week 7 Objectives - The Narration

My persuasive argument thesis is: Brain scanning(fMRI) is an effective way to pick out criminals.

1. What do people already know about my topic?

People already know that various techniques are used when criminals get police investigation. May be some people who are interested in watching crime dramas like CSI  would have watched police using machines that observe the movement of criminal's eye or change of criminal's heart rate. Also, the lie detecting machines that people put their hands on and electrify when people lie are used commonly in many TV programs or for fun. Even though people are familiar with using fMRI for lie detecting, at least people have some interest in lie detecting methods.
 

2. What research has already been done about my topic?
http://psychcentral.com/lib/types-of-brain-imaging-techniques/0001057- it has information about various types of brain scanning

http://navercast.naver.com/contents.nhn?rid=57&contents_id=2379- it shows what kind of methods are used in interrogation to detect lie.

http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=1968069&cid=42406&categoryId=42406- the principle of fMRI
 

3. What are the implications of my argument (What if I'm right? What if I'm right and people ignore me?)

 

If my argument is right, brain scans can be used in various ways that are related to crime. First of all, it can be used as powerful evidence in trial. Actually, now, using brain scans as evidence in trial is not allowed so there is no way to know if the criminal is lying or not. But if brain scans are allowed and accepted, it can be used as powerful evidence about criminal's lie if they state falsely. Also, through some of the studies, we could know that brain scans can be used not only for lie detecting but also finding somepeople who have high possibility to reoffend. When brain scans are allowed to be used in this way, we can find some criminals that have high possibility to reoffend before they really reoffend. So, we can prevent reoffending and occurence of another crime. We can find another way to treat that criminals and it will lead to decrease of crime rate.

 

My Narration

  Like we can see throught crime dramas such as CSI, various techniques are used in interrogation to detect criminal's lie. We have to measure the physical change of criminal which is caused by tension which occur when people lie. Now, there are some people who are well-trained to observe the signs that occur when people lie such as sweating and anxious eye movement. However, there are some limitations in this method so various methods that use machines to detect lie are invented. First, there is a lie detecting technique that measure the change of heart rate.  Usually, when people hide something or get in a trouble, their heart rate goes up. By using the machine, detectives can observe the change of heart rate and get information about whether the criminal is lying or not. Also, there is another method that record the change of blood pressure, breathe and heart rate. Leonarde Keelr made his own lie detector by adding skin conduction reaction through sweat. Keeler also made standardized software for lie detecting, means to ask criminals for effective lie detecing.Thanks to his active marketing, his lie detector spread rapidly. A lawyer, John Reid invented a new way to use lie detector. His innovation was inventing and using controlled question. Controlled question has not much relationship with something that detectives really want to know but brings emotional disturbance. According to the controlled question test, if the reaction of related question is higher than the reaction of unrelated question, the criminal is lying. A psychologist, David Lykken developed guilty knowledge test. By asking questions that are related to crime but that seem only criminals know, and measuring the reaction of criminals, people test whether the criminals' reaction increase rapidly when they answer to the crime related questions.

  Like this, brain scanning is one of the techniques to detect lie. There are various types of brain scanning like EEG, measurement of the electrical activity of the brain by recording from electrodes placed on the scalp, MEG, imaging technique used to measure the magnetic fields produced by electrical activity in the brain via extremely sensitive devices known as SQUIDs and fMRI, a technique for measuring brain activity. Among those brain scanning techniques, fMRI is considered as an effective lie detector.

  When we carry out cognitive force like feeling some kind of fear, love, and astonishment our brain get active and fMRI technique meausre the brain part that is active. Most of fMRI techniques use BOLD(blood oxygenation level dependant) way, which measure the quantity of oxygen in the brain's blood vessels to find which part of our brain is revitalized. Unlike other parts, the synapse of revitalized part of brain get active and the blood rush to that part. The rushed blood brings the difference of blood oxygenation level. The fMRI technique visualize the difference of blood oxidation level. Since specific parts of the brain get active when we lie, we can use fMRI technique to observe whether criminals are lying or not. Unlike other brain scanning techniques, fMRI technique doesn't have to inject radioactive matter into the brain. Also, people can even observe fast and specific reaction changes that  occure in 1~ 2 seconds.

  If the efficiency of brain scanning(fMRI) is proved, it will be able to detect whether the criminal is lying or not. The result of fMRI can be used as powerful evidence about criminal's lie if they state falsely during statement. Also, according to some studies, brain scans can be used not only for lie detecting but also finding some people who have high possibility to reoffend. So, we can find latent reoffenders before they really reoffend and prevent reoffending and occurence of another crime. We can find another way to treat that criminals and it will lead to the decrease of crime rate.