Biological explanation Flashcards
what does Lombroso’s 1876 theory suggest
that criminality is inherited and that someone “born criminal” could be identified by the way they look
what do the atavistic characteristics include
large jaw, low sloping foreheads, high cheekbones, prominent in appearance.
what was Lombroso’s study
383 dead Italian criminals and 3839 living ones he found 40% of them had atavistic characteristics
evaluation point about women
He concluded women with tattoos are criminals however you are not born with tattoos
not supporting his hypothesis
evaluation reliability
He championed the use of scientific method by using an evidence based approach to research, doing hundreds of observations and measurements
evaluation disadvantage
lombroso did not have a control group of non criminals, so those characteristics are common in the general population
what did Goring 1913 find
evidence that criminals tended to have lower than average intelligence. But this may mean crime is due to lack of education rather than biological factors
what does Goring theory suggest about Lombroso’s theory
lacks temoral validity
what did Eberhardt 2006 found
found that stereotypically black looking men were much more likely to get death penalty in the USA
criticism of Lombroso theory
physical differences result of poverty, poor diet, illness or disease
