Biological Theories and Policies Flashcards
What are the two section in biological theories
physiological and genetic
What are the two theories that are physiological
Lomborso atavistic form and sheldon somatotypes study
What are the theories that are genetic
Jacob’s XYY study, twin studies, adoption studies and family studies
What was the aim of lombroso theory
To identify distinguishing physical features among criminals, which set them apart as offenders based on biological principles
What was the method used in lombroso theory
He examined the features and measurements of nearly 4,000 criminals as well as the skulls of 400 dead criminals
What was the results of the lombroso theory
Some common findings were these features:
- sloping brows
- pronounced jaw
- large ears
- high check bones
- extra nipple,toes and fingers
- long limbs
What does atavistic mean
Primitive features
When was lombroso’s ‘atavistic form’ and what did he claim
In 1876 and claimed that criminality is inherited
What was the common features that murderers had in lombroso theory
Bloodshot eyes and curly hair
What was the common features that sex offenders had in lombroso
Has thick lips and protruding ears
What does sloping brows indicated
Low intelligence
What does ‘throwbacks’ mean
Who had biological characteristics from an earlier stage of human development
Negative ~ there is no _____ group (lombroso)
No control group
Negative ~ the study that Goring (1913) [lombroso]
He attempted to replicate lombroso’s findings by comparing a large group of offenders with a control group of non-criminals and found no significance difference
Negative ~ doesn’t take into account of what (lombroso)
Of other biological and psychological factors
Negative ~ the sample used in lombroso were what
They most likely contained a large number of people with psychological disorders and chromosomes abnormalities
Negative ~ genetically reductionist why (lombroso)
Current understanding of genetic influences on behaviours are controlled by single genes
What does reductionist mean
Breaking a complex behaviour down into simple parts/ consequences
Positive ~ what does it shifted from and to (lombroso)
Shifted the study of criminal behaviour from moral basis to a scientific one
Positive ~ what did lombroso argued (lombroso)
He argued for the interaction of biological, psychological and social factors in causing criminal behaviour
Positive ~ what was lombroso referred as (lombroso)
As the ‘father of modern criminology, shafted 1916
who was the theorist for family studies
Brunners the main one but can also used osborne and west 1982
who was the theorist for adoption studies
Crowe
what was the theorist for twin studies
Christiansen
what did lombroso believe criminal were
he argued that criminals were biologically different from non-criminals with physical primitive features
What is sheldon’s theory about
Criminal behaviour is linked to a person’s physical form, believing that body build was linked to personality and temperament
What are the three somatotypes
Ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph
What is ectomorph
Someone who is skinny, it focussed on the nervous system and the brain
What is mesomorph
Someone who is muscular, it focussed on musculature and the circulatory system.
What is endomorph
Someone who is overweight, it focused on the digestive system, particularly the stomach
What are the physical traits of endomorphs
-soft body
-underdeveloped muscles
-round shape
-over-developed digestive system
What is the personality traits of endomorph
-loves food
-tolerant
-evenness of emotions
-love of comfort
-sociable
-good humour
-need for affection
What’s the physical traits of mesomorph
-Hard,muscular body
-overly mature appearance
-rectangular shape
-thick skin
-upright posture
What’s the personality traits of mesomorph
-Adventurous
-desire for power and dominance
-Courageous
-zest for physical activity
-love risk and change
What is the physical traits of ectomorph
-thin
-flat chest
-delicate build
-young appearance
-tall
-large brain
What’s the personality traits of ectomorph
-self conscious
-prefer privacy
-Introvert
- socially anxious
-artistic
-mentally intense
-emotionally restrained
What somatotypes was most likely to be criminal
Mesomorph
What did Sheldon assess
Assess the somatotypes of samples of college students and delinquent from photographs
What emerged from the assessment Sheldon did
That the delinquents has a higher mean mesomorph rating than the college students, supporting Sheldon’s claims
What does the assessment shows with mesomorph
Mesomorph are more likely to engage in criminal activity than the other 2 types
Negative~pure somatotypes are rare (Sheldon’s)
As most people represent a blending of different types
Negative~Sutherland-Sheldon’s analysis of types of is essentially subjective
It is based on theory instead of fact
Negative~does not take account of what (Sheldon’s)
Possible psychological causes of delinquency
Negative~ignores social factors (Sheldon’s)
People react to mesomorph in ways that increase their risk of criminal behaviours
Positive~reliable (Sheldon’s)
Easy to repeat and re-evaluate
Positive~a re analysis by Harte AL(1982)[Sheldon’s]
It found that most seriously delinquent of sheldon’s sample had a mean mesomorph rating of 5, adding more support