Physiological Explanations of Crime

Question 1

Describe what is meant by Physiological theories of crime.

Answer 1

The idea that crime is cause by physical appearance.

Question 2

Seeing as its a dated theory, what is the main flaw?

Answer 2

Crime is a social construction, so how can humans be criminogenic biologically.

Question 3

Who was Lombroso?

Answer 3

An Italian psychiatrist and military medical doctor. He is the earliest criminologist.

Question 4

According to Lombroso, how do criminals differ from non-criminals?

Answer 4

They look ‘different’ with atavistic (primitive) features- they’re a biological class.

Question 5

List examples of atavistic features:

Answer 5

Ears too large or too small, full lips, wrinkled skin, extended or strong jaw, abnormal teeth, curly hair, heavy brows, bloodshot eyes, strange-shaped head and a beaked nose.

Question 6

How many of these traits meant someone was born to be criminal?

Answer 6

More than 5.

Question 7

How did Lombroso conduct his research?

Answer 7

He examined the size and shape of skulls of live/dead Italian convicts (phrenology).

Question 8

What did Lombroso conclude from his research?

Answer 8

40% of the sample had atavistic features.

Question 9

What Lombroso’s study not include?

Answer 9

The phrenology of the atavistic feature of non-criminals, women, and other etnicities.

Question 10

How was crime viewed before Lombroso?

Answer 10

A sin.

Question 11

Who did Lombroso determine to be the most criminogenic? Why?

Answer 11

Native American women because they were ‘ruthless and went against gender norms’.

Question 12

What was Lombroso’s theory of Atavistic features influenced by?

Answer 12

Religion (evidence is his idea of women) and Darwin’s theory of evolution which is incomplete and incorrect to inform his theory of crime.

Question 13

Lombroso’s theory of Atavistic features started a tradition that a person’s _________ form was a marker for criminality which show’s crime isn’t ____________, its biological (of the natural world). It claimed that there was a distinctive _____ of people that were prone to commit crime.

Answer 13

1. physical
2. supernatural
3. class

Question 14

What did Lombroso argue about criminals genetically?

Answer 14

He argued that criminals were genetic throwbacks on the evolutionary scale with features that make it impossible to avoid taking time.

Question 15

What are criminaloids?

Answer 15

A general class throwbacks pre-disposed to criminal behaviour under specific physical/ social environments.

Question 16

Who was William Sheldon?

Answer 16

An American psychologist and physician who was best known for his theory on somatotypes.

Question 17

What are the 3 types of physical form (somatotypes)?

Answer 17

1. Ectomorph- solitary and restrained
2. Mesomorph- energetic and adventurous (more prone to criminal activity- relationship between the level of how mesomorphic and degree of criminality)
3. Endomorph- relaxed

Question 18

True or false: Somatotypes are deterministic beliefs.

Answer 18

True

Question 19

How did Sheldon conduct his research?

Answer 19

He assessed the somatotypes of a sample of college students and delinquents from photographs. Each photo found was rated for mesomorphy on a scale from 1 (low) to 7 (high).

Question 20

What did Sheldon conclude from his research?

Answer 20

That delinquents had a higher mean mesomorphy rating than the college students (4.6 vs 3.8)

Question 21

Did the research support Sheldon’s Constitutional Theory?

Answer 21

Yes.

Question 22

List 6 faults of Sheldon’s research:

Answer 22

1. College students would be a week sample- they’re academic.
2. Photographs are inadequate.
3. Dated
4. Physical shape can now be altered
5. It’s male centric- doesn’t include woman
6. There are other genetic factors than body type.

Question 23

What are some external factors that cause aggression that disprove biological theories?

Answer 23

Aggression could link to hormones (mesomorphs reflect higher testosterone levels), mesomorphs could be stereotyped as violent by strangers or the judicial system, so they find themselves in violent situations.

Question 24

Why is Sheldon’s Constitutional Theory dated when it comes to types of crime?

Answer 24

It excludes white collar crimes, honour crimes, state crimes,corporate crime, and technological crimes.

Question 25

Which psychologist disproved Sheldon’s theory?

Answer 25

Sutherland demonstrated how Sheldon’s idea wasn’t accurate. Later, Putwain and Sammons (2002) also disproved the link between body types and crime.