Biological Explaiantions Of Offending Behaviour

Question 1

What was the Italian criminologist called

Answer 1

Lombroso.

Question 2

What idea did Lombrosos work centre around

Answer 2

The idea that criminals had distinguishing physical features.

Question 3

What did Lombroso call these distinguishing features

Answer 3

‘Atavistic’ features

Question 4

How many dead and alive Italian criminals did he take measurements from

Answer 4

4000 alive criminals
The skulls of almost 400 dead criminals.

Question 5

What were the 4 examples of atavistic features identified by Lombroso

Answer 5

1. Heavy brow
2. Large string jaw
3. Large ears
4. Extra nipples, extra fingers or toes

Question 6

Why did Lombroso say the criminals were not to blame for their activities?

Answer 6

Their behaviour was said to be determined by their physiology.

Question 7

A03: considered in its historical context to show how influential it is.
Explain
Lombroso

Answer 7

Helps to bring an explanation for criminality
Shows that it is not down to spirits and devils like it was seen to be. Religious.
It also acts as a catalyst for scientific research

Question 8

A03: no control group
Explain
Lombroso

Answer 8

Means that it is hard to draw conclusions and state the feature is distinguishing.
Cannot compare with non-criminal controls.
Only male criminals were studied- not female.

Question 9

A03: may have included people with learning difficulties.
Explain.
Lombroso

Answer 9

Issue
Can skew the measurements.
Some leaning difficulties can have an effect on physical appearance.

Question 10

What does the concordance rate of twin studies show

Answer 10

That offending behaviour can be heritable.

Question 11

What concordance rate was there in identical twins (MZ) compared to non-identical twins (DZ). Study set out by Christiansen

Answer 11

35% compared to 13%

Question 12

Family studies: how many males from how many families were studied

Answer 12

411 males from over 400 families

Question 13

What did the family studies show? (%)

Answer 13

75% of convicted fathers and convicted mothers had a convicted child.

Question 14

Adoption studies: what was the behaviour of an individual compared with?

Answer 14

Their birth and adopted parents.

Question 15

What does it mean if their behaviour is similar to their adopted parents?
(Adoption study)

Answer 15

Environmental factors in play

Question 16

What does it mean if an individual’s behaviour is closer linked to their biological parent?
(Adoption studies)

Answer 16

There is a possible genetic influence.

Question 17

A meta-analysis of how many twin and adoption studies was conducted to estimate how much environmental and genetic influences have an impact on antisocial behaviour?

Answer 17

51

Question 18

How is genetics as an explanation problematic?

Answer 18

There is not a ‘criminal gene’

Question 19

What are the 3 types of studies to show that there may be a genetic transmission of criminal behaviour?

Answer 19

Twin
Adoption
Family

Question 20

A03: the stress of adoption. Explain
Studies

Answer 20

This could account for offending behaviour.
Stress prior to birth can affect the development of the foetus.
Stress of adoption can also influence offending behaviour.
We can never be sure.

Question 21

A03: higher concordance rate in twins. Explain + and -
Studies

Answer 21

Means they are more genetically similar.
This suggests there may be a genetic transmission

However, identical twins are treated more similarly, meaning they are ore likely to have a higher concordance rate.