2.1 Biological Theories of criminality

Question 1

What are physiological theories?

Answer 1

Biological theories that claim physical features of criminals are different to those that are not.

Question 2

What’s Cesare Lombroso’s theory?

Answer 2

Cesare Lombroso created the first physiological theory (1876). He suggested that criminals are physically different to non-criminals and he spent many years developing his theory.

Question 3

What research did Lombroso carry out?

Answer 3

• Lombroso compared Italian prisoners and soldiers. He found there was a number of ‘physical defects’ that he believed where distinguishing features.
• Criminals could be identified by having large jaws, high cheek bones, long arms, flattened noses etc.

Question 4

What is atavism?

Answer 4

Lombroso saw that criminals were atavistic. Atavistic means a throwback to an earlier, primitive stage of evolution. This suggested they were pre-social, reduced sensitivity to pain and cannot control their impulses.

Question 5

What’s Sheldon’s somatotypes theory?

Answer 5

William Sheldon also believed that you could identify criminals by physical differences. His theory suggested that certain body types or somatotypes are linked to behaviour.

Question 6

What is an Endomorph?

Answer 6

• Endomorphs are rounded, tending to have fat, soft with wide hips (pear shape) and often lack muscle and tone.
• Personality: sociable, relaxed, outgoing and comfortable.

Question 7

What is an Ectomorph?

Answer 7

• Ectomorphs are thin, fragile, lacks both fat and muscle with flat chested, narrow hips and shoulders. They also have thin faces and high foreheads.
• Personality: self-conscious, emotionally restrained, inward looking, fragile and emotionally thoughtful.

Question 8

What is an Mesomorph?

Answer 8

• Mesomorph are muscular, hard bodies, have little fat, strong limbs, broad waist with narrow waists.
• Personality: adventurous, enjoy physical activity, assertive and sensation-seeking.

Question 9

Who is more likely to be a criminal?

Answer 9

Mesomorphs are more likely to engage in crimes. Move attracted to risk-taking.

Question 10

What are Genetic Theories?

Answer 10

Crime is passed down from parent to child through genes. Explains why crime often runs through families.

Question 11

What are the Twin Studies?

Answer 11

The use of identical (monozygotic) twins to test their theory of criminality as they share exactly the same genes. So, if one is a criminal, the other ought to be.

Question 12

What did the Twins Studies find?

Answer 12

Christiansen’s study of 3,586 Denmark twins.

• Found 52% concordance rate between MZ twins.
• Found 22% concordance rate between non-identical twins.

Question 13

What are Adoption Studies?

Answer 13

Comparing adopted children both to their biological parents and adopted parents. To see if crime is due to genetics or environment.

Question 14

What did the Adoption Studies find?

Answer 14

Mednick et al examined data on 14,000 adopted sons in Denmark.

• Found 20% concordance rate between birth parent with a criminal record and adopted son having a criminal record.
• Fund 14.7% concordance rate between adopted parent with a criminal record and adopted son having one.

Question 15

What is Jacob’s XYY study?

Answer 15

The study into males who have an extra Y chromosome, which is known as ‘super male syndrome’.

Question 16

What are males with XYY tend to be like?

Answer 16

• Very tall
• Well built
• Low intelligence
• More aggressive and more violent than other males.

Question 17

What did Jacob’s XYY study find?

Answer 17

Used criminals in psychiatric hospitals and found that a high proportion of inmates had XYY syndrome.

Question 18

What are Brain damage studies and why are they linked to criminality?

Answer 18

• Looking at criminals brains to see if they are different to ‘normal’ people.
• As they can change personalities and brain activity.
• Some studies have shown that prisoners are more likely to have brain injuries than non-prisoners.

Question 19

What is Raine’s (1997) study?

Answer 19

Used P.E.T scans to compare 41 American prisoners and 41 ‘normal’ people. Matched the 6 prisoners who had schizophrenics and the 23 who had brain injuries to the ‘normal’ population.

Question 20

What did the study find?

Answer 20

• Violent offenders had less activity in their frontal (self-control) and parietal (verbal ability and learning) lobe.
• Had more activity in their occipital (visual information) lobe.
• Violent offenders had more activity in their right side of the brain.

Question 21

Who is Phineas Gage?

Answer 21

• He was the man who had a railroad spike go through his skull and brain which damaged his frontal cortex.
• His personality changed and his friends realised he was more aggressive and short tempered.

Question 22

How is neurochemicals and criminality linked?

Answer 22

• Brain chemistry can be influenced by diet.

- Lower levels of serotonin are linked to higher aggression.

Question 23

What are chemicals linked to aggression?

Answer 23

Norepinephrine - associated with flight or fight.
Dopamine - role in thinking, learning, motivation, sleep, attention and feelings.
Serotonin - Impacts functions (sleep, sex drive, anger, aggression, appetite and metabolism)

Question 24

Why is Testosterone linked to criminality?

Answer 24

• Associated with increased levels of violence and aggression.

Question 25

What are Eugenics?

Answer 25

Explains behaviour through genetics.
Katz and Abel (1984) - primary characteristics identify with individual failure (feeble minded). Linked to pauperism, promiscuity and criminality.

Question 26

What are Family Studies?

Answer 26

Comparing family trees of criminals and non-criminals.

Question 27

What did Moffit and Osbourne and West find?

Answer 27

Moffit - Genes influence 40% - 50% of population variation in anti-social behaviour. Clearest way of testing for criminality is looking at the family.
Osbourne and West - Compared sons of criminals and sons of non-criminals. 13% of sons of non-criminal have a criminal record and 40% of sons of criminals have a criminal record.