BIOLOGICAL THEORIES (AC2 + 3) Flashcards
describe one physiological theory of criminality (lombroso)
Cesare Lombroso
- argued that the criminal is a separate species, a species that is between modern and primitive humans.
- the theory links physical characteristics to criminal behaviour. he argued the physical shape of the head and face determined the “born criminal”. he claimed that criminality was heritable.
- criminals had “atavistic” (primitive) features that were throwbacks or biological characteristics from an earlier stage of human development that manifested as a tendency to commit crimes.
- such features included low sloping foreheads, large jaws or forward projection of the jaw, receding chins, twisted nose, long arms relative to lower limbs, excessive cheekbones, large chin and lips, large monkey-like ears, and excessive wrinkles on the skin.
describe one physiological theory of criminality (sheldon’s somatotypes)
William Sheldon
- introduced the idea of different somatotypes or body shapes.
- as a result of a meticulous examination of photographs showing the front, side and back view of 4,000 scantily clothed men, Sheldon put forward that there were three fundamental body types or somatotypes.
- endomorph (fat and soft) tend to be sociable and relaxed.
- ectomorph (thin and fragile) are introverted and restrained.
- mesomorph (muscular and hard) tend to be aggressive and adventurous.
- Sheldon found that many criminals prone to committing violent and aggressive acts were mesomorphic, and they were least likely to be ectomorphic.
- he used a sample of photographs of college students and delinquents rated on a scale of 1(low) to 7 (high) on their resemblance to mesomorphy. the results showed that the delinquents had a higher average mesomorphy rating than the college students (4.6–3.8).
evaluate the effectiveness of lombroso’s theory in explaining criminality (strengths)
- when criminals are sentenced for crimes, the less attractive individuals are more likely to be considered guilty - 50% more so than attractive people (Bath Spa University, 2007).
- Garland (1994) argued that Lombroso was responsible for giving criminology a scientific credibility.
- helps to focus on crime prevention rather than punishment
evaluate the effectiveness of lombroso’s theory in explaining criminality (weaknesses)
- Lombroso did not compare his results to a control group of non-criminals. therefore, as he did not have a comparison control group, the findings cannot be viewed as support for his claims.
- Goring (1913) made a study of the physical features of thousands of english prisoners, and found none of the distinctive facial characteristics noted by Lombroso.
- this theory is also extremely deterministic.
- it does not take into account social or economic factors.
- Charles Goring (1913) used a non-criminal control group and found no significant differences in terms of behaviour.
evaluate the effectiveness of sheldon’s theory in explaining criminality (weaknesses)
- this theory only focused on criminals. just because many criminals are mesomorphs, it does not mean that all mesomorphs are criminals.
- the theory could not really explain how ectomorphs and endomorphs can also be criminals.
- the theory does not take into account that people’s somatotype is not fixed. people’s bodies change throughout their lives, and an individual may be all three types at some point in their lives. - Sheldon does not detail whether this would lead to changes in personality and criminal behaviour
evaluate the effectiveness of sheldon’s theory in explaining criminality (strengths)
- a number of other studies have confirmed that there is a small association between body build and criminality (Putwain & Sammons, 2002).
- a good-sized sample (200) was used and, importantly, Sheldon had a control condition of non-offenders (students) to which he could compare his results.
- even though there could be issues surrounding the reliability of Sheldon’s study, other researchers have found results that seem to support, at least in part, his initial theory.
- Glueck & Glueck (1956) found that in a sample of delinquents, 60% were mesomorphs while in a non-delinquent sample only 31% were.
explain one genetic theory of criminality (XYY theory)
- this theory suggests that criminality can be attributed to a chromosomal abnormality.
- chromosomes are structures in cell nuclei that contain our genes. usually each person has 46 chromosomes. sex is determined by the pattern of the person’s sex chromosomes: XX in a woman and XY in a man.
- there is a genetic condition in which a male has an extra male (Y) chromosome, giving a total of 47 chromosomes. Such a condition occurs in 1 in 1,000 male births.
- Jacobs (1965) suggested that men with the XYY syndrome were more aggressive than normal ‘XY’ men.
- XYY men are over-represented in the prison population with 15 per 1,000 in the male prison population.
explain one genetic theory of criminality (twin & adoption studies)
- such studies support the contention that a heritable trait may increase the risk of criminal behaviour.
twin studies:
- identical twins are from one egg and known as monozygotic (MZ) and share 100% of their DNA. dizygotic (DZ) twins are non-identical and are from two separate eggs. they share 50% of their DNA. where twins share characteristics or act in a similar way, this is said to be a concordance rate.
- twin studies have taken place and there is evidence to suggest genetics or nature may play a role in criminality.
- the concordance rate in regards to criminality is greater with MZ twins.
- Lang: study of 30 pairs of twins found that while 10 of the 13 MZ twins studied had served time in prison, the concordance rate for DZ twins was 2 of the 17 twins studied.
- research by Christiansen (1977) found that criminality concordance rates for MZ twins was 35% and for DZ twins it was 13%
- the underlying principle of such studies in explaining criminal behaviour is the comparison of criminals with both their biological and adoptive parents.
- If, in criminal behaviour, the child is more similar to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents, with whom they share the same environment, a genetic basis of criminality may be suggested.
- Mednick (1987) looked at court convictions in a small country and found 14 000 adoptees amongst them.
- the criminal records of their biological and adoptive parents were then investigated.
- many of the adoptees had biological parents who were criminals (and there was a particularly strong relationship for sons and fathers,
evaluate the effectiveness of XXY theory in explaining criminality (strengths)
- A study by Jacobs (1965) found that a significant number of men in prison had XYY sex chromosomes instead of the usual XY.
- ## Adler (2007) indicated that it is possible that aggressive and violent behaviour is at least partly determined by genetic factors.
evaluate the effectiveness of XXY theory in explaining criminality (weaknesses)
- studies have found that genetic abnormalities are widespread throughout the general population and therefore do not explain aggression.
- focusing too heavily on genetics ignores the behaviourist approach.
- Theilgaard (1984) researched the traits of XYY men compared to XY men, he found the characteristic of aggression was not associated with the XYY men
- XXY men fit the stereotype of violent offenders, labelling theory
- this syndrome is too rare to explain the large scale of crime
evaluate the effectiveness of adoption studies in explaining criminality (strengths)
- as adopted children are exposed to a different environment to their biological family, it is easier to separate genetic and environmental factors.
- studies have concluded that there is a correlation between adopted children and their biological parents
evaluate the effectiveness of adoption studies in explaining criminality (weaknesses)
- the age of adoption may mean the adopted children have already been influenced by either their natural parents or their foster environment.
- information about a biological family is not always available.
- the adoption process is not always random, as often children are placed with parents similar to their biological families.
evaluate the effectiveness of twin studies in explaining criminality (strengths)
- Christiansen (1977) supports the view that criminality has a genetic component.
- the results of twin studies have helped in the prevention of vulnerable disorders.
evaluate the effectiveness of twin studies in explaining criminality (weaknesses)
- early twin studies, such as that of Lange (1929), were inadequately controlled and lacked validity as to whether the twins were DZ or MZ, which was based on appearance and not DNA.
- the small sample involved in twin studies may not be representative of the general population.
- if twins are brought up in the same environment, criminality could just as easily be related to nurture as to genetics
explain one biological theory of criminality (brain injuries)
- brain injuries can change personality
- pre-frontal lobe of brain is responsible for personality, so if this is damaged a person may become more criminal, personality has changed
- loss of self control
Example - Phineas Gage: - personality changes significantly after a major brain injury, his pre-frontal lobe was significantly damaged
- he became very aggressive
study:
- McIsaac (2016) found that ppl with head injuries are 2x as likely to end up in prison (0.5% comapred to 0.2%)
