AC2.1 Biological Theories Of Criminality

Question 1

Definition of nature and nurture

Answer 1

Nature - our genetics we are born with such as personality traits and abilities determine our behaviour

Nurture - our environment, upbringing and life experiences determine our behaviour

Question 2

Physiology - Born criminal theory

Answer 2

• Cesare Lombroso, 1800
• criminals failed to evolve at the same pace as others
• physical characteristics (stigmata) can identify criminals
• atavistic features: large jaw, high cheekbones, long arms, shifty eyes
• atavistic features indicate biological inferiority and primitive nature, suggests they are throwbacks from early stage of evolution
• gathered data by comparing autopsies of Italian criminals and soldiers
• research was androcentric, he didn’t research women as he believed if they committed crimes they were deviant monsters

Question 3

Physiology - born criminal theory evaluation

Answer 3

Strength

• influenced creation of more biological, social and psychological theories as Lombroso’s theory wasn’t credible
• Shafer (1976) argues lombroso is a founding father of modern criminology
• lead to more credible theories being developed which are used today

Weakness

• negative attitude towards women
• thought women who offended were deviant monsters
• research was androcentric as he only studied dead Italian males
• theory isn’t credible due to bias

Question 4

Physiology - Sheldon somatotype theory

Answer 4

• Endomorph - fat and soft - friendly
• Ectomorph - tall and thin - introverted
• Mesomorph - muscular and hard - aggressive
• Mesomorphs are most likely criminal (60%)

Question 5

Physiology - Sheldon somatotype theory evaluation

Question 6

Neurology - structure of the brain

Answer 6

• Frontal lobe - controls rational thought and behaviour
• Amygdala - fight or flight (fear/aggression response)
• corpsus collosum - problems with understanding consequences of behaviour
• parietal lobe - controls ability to learn
• occipital lobe - can cause hallucinations or psychosis if damaged
• hippocampus - linked to ability to learn from mistakes

Question 7

Neurology - examples of brain injury

Answer 7

Phineas Gage (1823-1860)

• survived a metal rod through the frontal lobe
• caused personality changes, became more aggressive and irrational

Charles Whitman

• developed violent irrational thoughts which lead to a college shooting
• tumor near Amygdala effected his mental state, constant response of fear/aggression

Question 8

Neurology - Professor Raine brain study

Answer 8

• compared brains of violent offenders to non offenders
• used P.E.T scanning - inject radioactive chemical into bloodstream, goes to where brain is active, scanner causes trace to glow

Question 9

Family studies

Answer 9

• Osborne and West
• compared sons of criminal and non-criminal fathers
• 13% of sons with non criminal fathers had a conviction
• 40% of sons with criminal fathers had a conviction
• suggests criminal gene is inherited

Question 10

Twin studies

Answer 10

• Christansen
  concordance rate - chance that one twin shares criminal behaviour expressed by the other
  monozygotic - 1 egg, 100% shared genes
  dizygotic - 2 eggs, 50% shared genes
• monozygotic - 35% concordance rate
• dizygotic - 13% concordance rate
• suggests gene is inherited

Supported by Dalgard and Kringlen - MZ 26% and DZ 15%

Question 11

Adoption studies

Answer 11

• compare similarities in behaviour between adoptees and biological offspring
• if child is similar to adopted parents - environment has bigger effect
• if child is similar to biological parents - gene has bigger effect

Question 12

Biological mothers

Answer 12

• Crowe
• if adoptees biological mother had a conviction, they had 50% chance of having a conviction
• if adoptees biological mother didn’t have a conviction, they had 5% chance

Question 13

Biological and adopted fathers

Answer 13

Mednick
- both not convicted - 10%
- biological Father convicted - 21%
- adopted Father convicted - 11%
- both convicted - 36%

Study supports theory that criminal gene is inherited

Question 14

Genetic theory evaluations

Answer 14

Strengths

• takes environment into account
  -adoption studies shows behaviour isn’t influenced by environment
  -e.g adopted father 11%, biological father 21%
• evidence that a criminal gene is inherited
  -twin studies show MZ has 35% but DZ has 13%
  -supported by Dalgard and Kringlen - MZ 26% DZ 15%

Weakness

• doesn’t take social learning into account
  -family studies shows 40% of sons with criminal fathers get convicted, but 13% with non-criminal fathers get convincted
  -criminality may be because of modelling and environment
• criminal gene can’t be scientifically proved
  -no evidence
  -relys on the studies