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Criminology > LO3 - evaluations of theories > Flashcards

LO3 - evaluations of theories Flashcards

1
Q

Freud’s psychodynamic theory strengths

A

-can be used to explain all criminal behaviour
-can treat criminals through psychoanalysis
-has been used in development of social policies

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2
Q

Freud’s psychodynamic theory weaknesses

A

-cant measure the unconscious so its subjective
-the theory would predict that children without same sex parents are more likely to commit crimes which isn’t true

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3
Q

Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory strengths

A

practical application - greater stability in childcare practises and longer visiting time with parents

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4
Q

Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory weaknesses

A

-retrospective recall might be inaccurate as they’re asked to recall events that happened in childhood so memory may be affected
-may have investigator effects as he designed and conducted the interviews himself so may have researcher bias

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5
Q

SLT strengths

A

-scientific as Bandura’s study was a lab study to high internal validity
-explains criminal behaviour outside of genetic link

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6
Q

SLT weaknesses

A

-children may have been attracted to attacking the doll as that is its nature (hit it and it comes back up)
-opportunistic crimes can’t be explained by SLT as it has to be thought about
-too deterministic and ignores free will

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7
Q

Sutherlands differential association theory strengths

A

-explains why prisons are universities of crime
-explains high rate of re-offending
-can be applied to any type of crime

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8
Q

Sutherlands differential association theory weaknesses

A

-doesn’t explain why people who are exposed to criminality don’t commit crime
-focuses on petty crimes - ignores crimes such as WCC
-socially sensitive and could lead to stereotyping e.g if family are criminals they may be labelled

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9
Q

Eysenck’s personality theory strengths

A

-says the tendencies can be found in childhood which means we can prevent it
-offers practical measures for tackling criminality

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10
Q

Eysenck’s personality theory weaknesses

A

-got his results from a questionnaire meaning people could lie so its low in validity
-doesn’t clearly state what’s meant by psychopathy
-research doesnt support arguments for all 3 traits as offenders score high on psychoticism ands neuroticism but extroversion is mixed
-responses can vary depending on mood and peoples views can change over time
-unrepresentative sample - studied people with similar personalities

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11
Q

Lombroso’s atavistic form strengths

A

-most of the criminals he studied in prison had the characteristics
-made the study of criminality more scientific
-starting point of modern criminology

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12
Q

Lombroso’s atavistic form weaknesses

A

-ignores women
-not everyone with the features are criminals
-didnt compare his findings to non-criminals

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13
Q

Sheldon’s somatotypes strengths

A

-studied a large group size so generalisable
-Hartl et al found a mesomorphic rating of 5 out of the most seriously delinquent in his sample

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14
Q

Sheldon’s somatotypes weaknesses

A

-ignores women
-more than 3 body types
-not all mesomorphs are criminals
-body types may change

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15
Q

Twin studies strengths

A

-if MZ rate is higher than DZ then it proves that there is some cause of genetic

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16
Q

Twin studies weaknesses

A

-if not 100% concordance rate then its not fully genetics
-much of research was flawed

17
Q

Adoption studies strengths

A

-research evidence from Crowe who found 50% of children with a criminal mother had a criminal record by 18

18
Q

Adoption studies weaknesses

A

-may not be criminality that’s inherited but other factors e.g alcoholism
-many children art adopted at birth so could’ve been affected by adoption centre

19
Q

XYY strengths

A

-1 in 1000 in general population but 15 in 1000 in prison - shows some correlation
-easy to test

20
Q

XYY weaknesses

A

-not all criminals have XYY
-ignores women
-may be learning difficulties associated with XYY not the actual condition

21
Q

Brain trauma strengths

A
  • scientifically proven by Phineas Gage who’s personality completely changed
22
Q

Brain trauma weaknesses

A

-unethical to conduct research on those with brain injuries

23
Q

Biochemical explanations strengths

A

-can explain addictions
-can be treated with SSRI’s to increase serotonin and therefore decrease aggression

24
Q

Biochemical explanations weaknesses

A

-doesn’t show causation only correlations
-reductionist - overlooks environmental factors

25
Right realism strengths
-studies support rational choice theory - degree of punishment does affect whether people commit crimes -explains opportunist petty crimes e.g theft
26
Right realism weaknesses
-not all crimes are rational some are impulsive -not all single parent families have delinquent children
27
Left realism strengths
-explores role of victims -recognises multiple causes of crime -avoids blaming police -draws attention to importance of poverty inequality and relative deprivation in causing crime
28
Left realism weaknesses
-not all deprived people commit crime -makes crime seem to be a bigger issue -doesnt explain WCC or corporate crime -solutions art a quick fix - cultural change is needed to close gaps in society
29
Labelling theory strength
-shows how law isn't a fixed set of rules to be taken for granted but are socially constructed -shows how police create crime by labelling criminals -shows how attempts to control deviance can create deviancy amplification -explains high rate of re-offending
30
Labelling theory weaknesses
-too deterministic - assumes once you're labelled its inevitable -fails to explain why people commit crime before being labelled -doesn't explain why labels are given to certain groups -ignores victims
31
Subcultural theory strengths
-shows how subcultures perform a function for their members by offering solutions to the problems of failing to achieve mainstream goals legitimately -shows how different types of neighbourhoods give rise to different illegitimate opportunities and different subcultures
32
Subcultural theory weaknesses
-ignores crime of wealthy and over predicts amounts of w/c crime -assumes everyone has mainstream goals and turn to subcultures when they don't achieve them when some don't have goals to begin with and turns to crime for other reasons -subcultures arnt that clear-cut
33
Strain theory strengths
-shows how both normal and deviant behaviour arise from same goals - conformists and innovators pursue money but by different means -explains why most crimes are property crimes as society values wealth so highly as they have less opportunity to obtain wealth legitimately
34
Strain theory weaknesses
-ignores crime of wealthy and over predicts amounts of w/c crime -sees deviance as an individuals response ignoring criminal subcultures -focuses on utilitarian crime e.g theft and ignores crime with no economic motive e.g vandalism
35
Functionalist theory strength
-recognises crime can be positive as it shows others what's right and wrong
36
Functionalist theory weaknesses
-fails to explain why certain social groups commit crimes e.g poor EMG's -doesnt consider that not all crimes are beneficial for society -suggests society is usually in a state of social harmony and so it ignores important role of social class conflict and inequality in society as a cause of crime
37
Marxist theory strengths
-provides an explanation for crime that covers all social classes and offences -highlights impact of selective law enforcement -shows how law reflects differences in power between social class and how inequality can lead to criminality
38
Marxist theory weaknesses
-ignores factors such as gender and ethnicity -overstates amount of crime in w/c communities and not all capitalist societies have high crime rates e.g Japans crime rate is 1/5 of Americas -lots of people are prosecuted for WCC such as Bernie Madoff

Criminology (6 decks)

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