biological theories - evaluation

Question 1

PHYSIOLOGICAL- LOMBROSO
strength - studying crime

Answer 1

• first person to study crime scientifically
• objective measurements
• previously crime seen as a moral or religious issue

Question 2

PHYSIOLOGICAL- LOMBROSO
strength - butcher and taylor (2007)

Answer 2

less attractive individuals are more likely to be considered criminals

Question 3

PHYSIOLOGICAL- LOMBROSO
strength - research

Answer 3

-showed the importance of examining clinical and historical records of criminals

Question 4

PHYSIOLOGICAL- LOMBROSO
weakness - failed

Answer 4

• Failed to compare his findings on prisoners with a control group of non-criminals
  

Question 5

PHYSIOLOGICAL- LOMBROSO
weakness - not everyone

Answer 5

• With atavistic features is a criminal and not all criminals have them

Question 6

PHYSIOLOGICAL- LOMBROSO
weakness - scientific racism

Answer 6

• DeLisi (2012)
• indicated many of the atavistic features defined are specific to African descents

Question 7

PHYSIOLOGICAL- SHELDON
strength - other studies

Answer 7

• Confirmed that there is a small association between bodily build and criminality
• Putwain and Sammons (2002)

Question 8

PHYSIOLOGICAL- SHELDON
strength - sample

Answer 8

• used a good size sample (200)
• and control group of non-offenders (students)

Question 9

PHYSIOLOGICAL- SHELDON
strength - gluek and gluek (1956)

Answer 9

• sample of delinquents , 60% were mesomorphs
• non - delinquents, only 31%

Question 10

PHYSIOLOGICAL- SHELDON
weakness - not explain

Answer 10

• how ectomorph and endomorphs could also be criminal

Question 11

PHYSIOLOGICAL- SHELDON
weakness - fixed

Answer 11

• doesn’t take into account that someone’s ‘somatotype’ isn’t fixed

Question 12

PHYSIOLOGICAL- SHELDON
weakness - develop

Answer 12

• may develop a mesomorphic build as a result of needing one to be physically tough to succeed
• criminality causes somatotypes instead