biological physiological Flashcards
what two theories are physiological biological theories of crime?
Sheldon
Lombroso
how many different body types did Sheldon identify?
3
what did Sheldon look at
body types and how they link to criminality
what 3 body types did Sheldon identify
ectomorph, endomorph, mesomorph
ectomorphic body type
fat and soft
endomorph body type
lean, skinny, tall fragile
mesomorph body type
muscular
ectomorph characteristics
fun, loving and social
endomorph characteristics
private and anxious
mesomorph characteristics
aggressive and violent
what does Sheldon say about mesomorphs
they are more likely to commit crime as they will be more aggressive with testosterone
research support Sheldon
Glueck and Glueck who found 60% of mesomorphs in a crim population and 31% in a non-crim population
limitations of Sheldon’s theory
not all mesomorphs are criminals
someone’s body type is not fixed
mesomorphs may be targeted because of the way that they looks
other body types can commit crime
what is Lombroso’s theory about?
atavistic (ancient) characteristics
what did Lombroso argue criminals are?
a throwback to an earlier stage of human evolution