Quiz 1 - Chapter 2

Question 1

What is Cesare Lombroso considered as?

Answer 1

Father of Criminology

Question 2

Atavism

Answer 2

Criminals are “evolutionary throwbacks”; as indicated by physical features

Question 3

Atavistic characteristics

Answer 3

E.g., asymmetric face, long arms, large jaw, sloping forehead

Question 4

Modern views on atavism

Answer 4

No meaningful statistical comparisons between people who do and do not commit crimes
Theories discredited

Question 5

What is Galton considered?

Answer 5

Father of eugenics

Question 6

Eugenics

Answer 6

Any practice (e.g., forced sterilization, genocide) aimed at “improving” the human species

Question 7

Two broad methods of eugenics

Answer 7

Discourages reproduction among those with “undesirable traits”
Encourages reproduction among those with “desirable traits”

Question 8

Canadian example of eugenics

Answer 8

1930s-1970s: AB and BC had legislation allowing sterilization based on mental and physical “health issues”

Question 9

6 criteria for a good theory

Answer 9

Parsimonious
Causal mechanisms, mediators, moderators
Testable and falsifiable
Empirical data
Interdisciplinary compatibility
Respects gender, ethnicity, culture

Question 10

Aim of behavioural genetics

Answer 10

Can help separate genetic and environmental influences to some degree

Question 11

How much of DNA is shared by all humans? What varies?

Answer 11

All humans share 99.9% DNA
0.1% varies

Question 12

Monozygotic twins

Answer 12

Genetically identical (share ~100% genes)

Question 13

Dizygotic twins

Answer 13

Same genetic similarity as typical siblings (50%)

Question 14

Concordance rate

Answer 14

Likelihood both twins engage in same behaviour
% at which both twins have been justic-involved

Question 15

What is the purpose of comparing concordance rates between identical and fraternal twins?
How?

Answer 15

Helps to separate effects of genetics vs. environment
If concordance rate is higher among individual twins, then we assume a genetic influence

Question 16

What is the concordance rate of eye colour?

Answer 16

Entirely genetic
50% for fraternal vs. 100% for identical

Question 17

What is the concordance rate of criminal offending? What does this tell us?

Answer 17

61% for fraternal vs. 81% for identical
Genetics are linked to crime, but certainly not the whole picture

Question 18

What is another indication of twin studies?

Answer 18

They also indicate degree of environmental (not just genetic) influence

Question 19

What do twin studies show about shared environmental factors?

Answer 19

Aspects of environment shared by family members (e.g., exposure to abuse/neglect, living in poverty); 40%

Question 20

What do twin studies show about nonshared environmental factors?

Answer 20

Aspects of environment not shared by all family members (e.g., peer groups); 19%

Question 21

What is a criticism of twin studies?

Answer 21

May overestimate genetic contributions
E.g., MZ twins likely have more similar environments than DZ twins

Question 22

What are adoption studies better at than twin studies?

Answer 22

Adoption studies can better control for environment

Question 23

Parent-offspring studies

Answer 23

Concordance rates between adoptive parents and adopted children are compared to concordance rates between biological parents and adopted children

Question 24

Sibling-offspring studies

Answer 24

Concordance between adoptive siblings vs. biological siblings

Question 25

Mednick et al. (1984) explanation

Answer 25

Study on 14,427 non-familial adoptions in Denmark

Question 26

Mednick et al. (1984) results

Answer 26

If no parents had criminal record: 13.5% of sons had criminal record
If adopted parent had criminal record, but not the biological parent: 14.7%
If biological parent had criminal record, but not the adopted parent: 20%
If both sets of parents had criminal record: 24.5%

Question 27

Findings of meta-analysis by Besemer et al., 2017

Answer 27

Found that the odds of a person committing a crime doubles if one of their (genetic) parents commits a crime (due to genes and environment)