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Article: BRAIN INJURIES CAN AFFECT MORAL BEHAVIOR.(FRONT)
- Article from:
- The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)
- Article date:
- October 20, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 The Virginian Pilot-Ledger Star. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of the Dialog Corporation by Gale Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: FROM WIRE REPORTS
Scientists have identified rare cases in which injuries to the brain in infancy prevented people from learning normal rules of social and moral behavior in childhood and adolescence. When the infants reached adulthood, they showed no guilt or remorse for bad behavior and seemed destined never to get along socially.
The finding raises important questions about the biological origins of human empathy and is likely to be fodder for creative defense lawyers who may argue that clients who have committed antisocial acts are not responsible for their behavior because a brain injury prevented their normal socialization.
The ...