Biological Explanations: Atavistic Form Flashcards
Cesare Lombroso date
1876
who was Cesare Lombroso?
an Italian Physician
what did Cesare Lombroso propose?
criminals were ‘genetic throwbacks’ to a primitive sub-species who were biologically different from non-criminals
if criminals are a sub-species, they have an
atavistic form
Cesare Lombroso’s theory of the atavistic form
laid the foundations for modern offender profiling
offenders were seen by Lombroso as
lacking evolutionary development
criminals savage and untamed nature meant that they would
find it impossible to adjust to civilized society and would inevitably turn to crime
Lombroso saw criminal behavior a an
innate tendency
because Lombroso though that criminal behavior was an innate tendency, he proposed a new perspective that
the criminal was not at fault - in this ways, his ideas were revolutionary
Lombroso argued the criminal sub-type could be identified by being in possession of
psychological makers
these atavistic characteristics are
biologically determined
these characteristics are mainly features of the
head and face that make criminals physically different from the rest of us
characteristics of the skull
A narrow, sloping brow.
A strong, prominant jaw.
High cheekbones.
Facial asymmetry.
other physical features include
dark skin and the existence of extra toes, nipples or fingers
besides physical traits, Lombroso suggested there were other aspects of the atavistic form including
Insensitivity to pain.
Use of criminal slang
Tattoos.
Unemployment.
Lombroso suggested that particular physiological markers were linked to
a particular type of crime
murderers were described to have
Bloodshot eyes.
Curly hair.
Long ears.
sexual deviants were described as having
glinting eyes with swollen and fleshy lips
Lombroso meticulously examined the facial and cranial features of
383 dead criminals and 2829 living ones
from Lombroso’s research, he proposed
the atavistic form
Lombroso concluded that 40% of criminal acts could be accounted for by people with
atavistic characteristics
Lombroso is hailed as the
father of modern criminology
Lombroso shifted the emphasis in research away from
moralistic discourse to scientific discourse
thanks to Lombroso saying that people with certian characteristics were more likely to commit a crime, he began
modern criminal profiling
by starting modern criminal profiling, Lombroso
made a huge contribution to the science of criminology
many of the atavistic features that Lombroso are most likely to be found in
people of an African descent
Lombroso’s description of atavistic form being ‘uncivilized, primitive and savage’ would fit in
with the racial beliefs of the time
Lombroso’s intentions are unclear but its obvious that there are
racial undertones within his work which overshadows it
Goring date
2013
Goring compared
3000 criminals and 3000 non-criminals
what did Goring conclude?
there’s no evidence that offenders are a distinct group with unusual physical characteristics
what did Goring suggest?
people that commit crimes tend to have a lower then average IQ which offers limited support for a criminal sub-species
Goring’s research does question
Lombroso’s theory
unlike Goring, Lombroso didn’t
compare his sample to a non-criminal control group
If Lombroso had compared his sample to a non-criminal sample
the idea of atavistic form may not have been published
Lombroso’s research also failed to account other variables
many of the criminals he studied had a history of psychological disorders which may have been confounding variables
the evidence that atavistic form is based on has
serious flaws
even if criminals had features described in atavistic form
this doesn’t mean that this is the cause of their offending
facial and cranial differences may be influenced by other factors
poverty or a poor diet
Lombroso’s later work stated that
criminals could be made as well as born
