biological explanation: historical approach (atavistic form)(Lombroso)

Question 1

AO1: atavistic

Answer 1

• tendency to revert to an ancestral type
• idea that offenders possess similar characteristics to lower primates
• could explain their criminality as they are unable to conform to the rules of modern society

Question 2

AO1: atavistic form

Answer 2

criminals: high cheekbones
murderers: curly hair
sexual deviants: swollen, fleshy lips
fraudsters: thin lips

Question 3

AO1: biological approach

Answer 3

Lombroso believed offenders lacked evolutionary development. Therefore crime is a natural tendency rooted in some peoples genes (it is innate). Therefore, offenders are not to blame for their actions

Question 4

AO1: Lombroso’s research

Answer 4

studied the facia and cranial features of over 4000 Italian convicts, both living and dead. Concluded that 40% of criminal acts are committed by people with atavistic characteristics

Question 5

AO3: strength- was the beginning of bringing science to the study of crime

Answer 5

P: was the beginning of bringing science to the study of crime
E: He is credited as shifting the emphasis in crime research away from moralistic discourse towards a more scientific position
E: suggests he made a major contribution to the science of criminology
HOWEVER, his views were racists and supported the eugenics movement

Question 6

AO3: limitation- contradictory evidence

Answer 6

P: evidence that contradicts the link between atavism and crime
E: conducted comparison between 30 offenders and non-offenders, concluded there was no evidence to support that there was anything atypical about offenders
L: challenges Lombroso’s idea
HOWEVER, studies show that offenders who had facial disfigurements who had plastic surgery, were less likely to offend

Question 7

AO3: limitation- low population validity

Answer 7

P: his research has low population validity
E: Lombroso only studied Italian convicts
E: this is ethnocentric and beta bias
L: findings cannot be applied to the target population

Question 8

AO3: limitation- research was poorly controlled

Answer 8

P: Lombroso’s research was poorly controlled
E: failed to control important variables
E: didn’t compare offenders to control group
L: doesn’t meet modern scientific standards