3.5.5 alternative explanations of criminal behaviour

Question 1

What is an alternative explanation of criminal behaviour

Answer 1

Diathesis stress model

Question 2

What does the diathesis stress model suggest

Answer 2

a person may be born with genetic vulnerability to be a criminal (such as the MAOA-L gene) but this gene needs to be triggered by environmental factors (such as maltreatment or separation in childhood) to cause crime.

Question 3

How could IQ affect criminality

Answer 3

Lower IQ means higher chance of unemployment so higher chance of turning to crime to gain money

Question 4

Generic evaluation points for criminality

Answer 4

• Is data reliable
• Is research correlational or causational
• Are the concordance rates every 100%
• Was the research valid (humans or animals
• Are results generalisable
• Is the view over simplified (reductionist)
• are they deterministic (lead to treatment or labelling)