Module 4:Why People Kill

Module 4: Day 1 What is murder?

A thief steal property but a killer steals lives. Perhaps that why every society has stiff penalties for unlawful killing. But what makes some deaths unlawful while others are tolerated or even sanctioned by society? Today, we explore the way that people value lives based on relatedness, age, and relationship. You will learn that the difference between killing and murder has everything to do with evolutionary biology.

Module 4: Day 2Domestic Homicides

Most murders are committed by men, and many of these murders occur inside the home. Today, we explore the factors that cause people to kill their children. You will learn that having a stepfather or a mother who is poor, young, and single puts a child at greater risk of homicide.

Module 4: Day 3Crimes of PassionMany homicides occur when men react violently to a stressful situation. Today, we explore how escalating aggression causes men to kill their spouses and other men. You will learn that testosterone puts a man at risk of escalating aggression with other men. Similarly, women are most at risk of being killed at an age when their husbands have high levels of testosterone.

until deathdo us

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Module 4: Day 4Cold-blooded Killers

Hollywood periodically stokes our fascination with serial killers, but these people are fortunately rare in society. Nevertheless, we should consider what makes them so rare as much as we should wonder what makes them behave so abnormally. Today, we explore the habits, motivations, and neurobiology of serial killers. You will learn that male and female serial killers differ in frequency, behavior, and motivation. But both kinds of serial killers have psychopathic traits that stem from altered function of the brain.

Module 4: Day 5Organized Murder

Organized crime gets a bad rap when you consider that nations can steal and kill honorably by just declaring war. This mass-killing between groups has been sanctioned by every society at one time or another. Today, we explore the frequency of war among humans and other primates. You will learn that humans are more violent that their relatives, have spread their genes and culture through war, and may be genetically programmed for prejudice against outgroups.