Evaluating biological theories of criminality.

Question 1

Evaluating Lombroso’s theory, what are the strengths?

Answer 1

• He had created empathy for offenders
• basis of modern day profiling
• scientific study of observable features - in a controlled lab environment

Question 2

Evaluating Lombroso’s theory, what are the limitations?

Answer 2

• scientific racism - most of the atavistic features described people of African descent, work was popular with eugenicists.
• biological determinism - ignores external factors
• prejudice and stereotyping
• no control group of non-criminals - contrasting research by Goring who compared prisoners and non-offenders found no evidence of physiological differences - lacks scientific credibility

Question 3

evaluating genetic theories, what are the strengths?

Answer 3

used adoption studies - nature and nurture are separate - makes them more valid than twin studies

Question 4

evaluating genetic theories, what are the limitations?

Answer 4

• heavily relies on twin studies: environment similarities rather than genetic. Nature vs. nurture?
• genetic theories assume there is a simple cause of offending: ignores the complexity of other factors such as psychological, biological, and social factors that cause criminality.
• adoption studies- they tend to have small sample sizes so it lacks generalisability and the findings are harder to obtain.

Question 5

evaluating neural theories, what are the strengths?

Answer 5

Brower and price found a link between frontal lobe dysfunction and violent crime - strongly suggests that there is a neurological link between brain abnormality and criminality

Question 6

evaluating neural theories, what are the limitations?

Answer 6

• biological reductionism: overlooks the role of nurture and all other factors that may contribute to why someone offends
  -ethical questions: difficult to determine if it can be used as a defense case - there are other factors that lead to criminality
• all the research is carried out after the offence: can not establish cause and affect, whether it was a traumatic head injury or an illness later on

Question 7

evaluating biochemical theories, what are the strengths?

Answer 7

-can be used as a basis for crime prevention and treatment for offenders: practical application, developed drug treatments to balance serotonin and dopamine
-scientific methods and procedures: produces more valid data, we have a clearer understanding of the process that underpin criminality
- explains gender differences in offending: provides greater insight to rates of offending eg. understanding the role of testosterone in offending.

Question 8

evaluating biochemical theories, what are the limitations?

Answer 8

biological reductionism: oversimplifies the cause of offending to a simple chemical explanation, the behaviour could arise from a much more complex interaction of factors.