Forensic Psychology - Biological Explanation Flashcards
Neural Explanations
What is Lombroso’s theory?
Developed by Lombroso - proposed that criminals are biologically different from modern humans.
- Argued criminals have more in common w/ evolutionary ancestors than normal humans
What is an atavism?
This is when an ancestral genetic trait that has disappeared reappears
What is atavistic form?
The idea that criminality represents the behaviours of earlier, more savage, pre-human species, such as Neanderthals.
What distinctive features does Lombroso outline about criminals?
Further distinctions?
- Heavy brow
- Strong jaw
- Extra fingers/toes/nipples
Murderers - curly hair, bloodshot eyes
Sex offenders - swollen, fleshy lips
Strength of Atavistic Form - Historical Influence
P: Although it is widely dismissed by modern scientists, it played an important role in advancing criminology and scientific explanations of crim. behaviour.
E: Prior to him, explanations = religious or moralistic
E: Shifted the discussion towards more scientific explanations
L: paved the way for more scientific explanations such as genetic factors
Weakness of atavistic form - methodological concerns
P: A key flaw is that his approach was that he did not use a criminal control group to compare to his measurements of criminals.
E: Without comparing features of criminals against non criminals, it is impossible to say whether criminals do or don’t have distinctive features
L: Explanation lacks validity as it doesn’t actually show anything - there’s no way to check
Weakness of atavistic form - Alternative explanations
P: If criminals do have distinctive features, there might be other causal reasons for this besides having evolutionary primitive biology.
E: For example is ‘ugly’, this could cause people to treat them badly and this could cause others to treat them badly and this could cause engagement in crim. behaviour
E: The link between physical appearance and criminal behaviour = result of environment not biology.
