Objective self-awareness theory and violence: A brain network perspective

Developments in the field of neuroscience are offering new ways to consider social problems such as criminal violence. There is evidence that violence is linked to neurological features in three interconnected brain networks including the salience network (SN), the Executive control Network (ECN), and the default mode network (DMN) including a dysfunctional salience network activation, weaken functional connectivity within the DMN, and between DMN and ECN. Previous studies suggest that these large-scale brain networks are associated with predictors of violence such as psychopathy, aggression, violent criminality, exposure to violence and a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. Moreover, evidence suggest that self-regulation failure is a key feature associated with predictors of violence. Research findings also suggest that features associated with these three networks are tied to Objective Self-awareness Theory (OST). OST states that violence and other types of self-regulation failure can be linked to a negative self-evaluation and a loss of objective self-awareness. Future research directions and implications of brain networks, OST and violence are discussed.