A.2 2.1 - physiological theories of criminality

Question 1

Physiological theories of criminality

Answer 1

• Lombroso (1876) ‘Criminal Man’ Atavistic form?
  Sheldon’s somatotypes (1949)

Question 2

Lombroso (1876) ‘Criminal Man’ Atavistic form?

Answer 2

• Italian military physician and phrenologist
• ‘Father of Criminology’ credited with founding the Italian Positivist School of Criminology
• Positivist criminology = something you can observe
  
  • emphasises the importance of scientific methods of research and empirical evidence to study crime

Question 3

What is atavism?

Answer 3

Biological or physiological characteristics from an earlier stage (from the past) of human evolutionary development that manifest as a tendency to commit crime (physical throwbacks)

Question 4

How did Lombroso conduct his research?

Answer 4

observed the facial & cranial features of 4000+ Italian prisoners & compared it to a control group of soldiers

Question 5

What are the atavistic features?

Answer 5

• large/forward projection of the jaw
• high cheekbones
• flattened / upturned nose
• low-sloping forehead
• long arms , relative to lower limbs
• large arms
• very hairy
• glassy eyes
  large eye sockets

Question 6

What were the conclusions of the Lombroso (1876) ‘Criminal Man’ Atavistic form?

Answer 6

1. using the positivist approach, he concluded that criminals were physically different
2. criminals are a distinct biological class of people
3. physical features /other traits that distinguish them from the population
   - likely to have tattoos, higher pain threshold
4. primitive & heritable

Question 7

What was the research method for Sheldon’s somatotypes (1949)?

Answer 7

used the photographs of delinquents and a control group of college students which identified body types

Question 8

What is the endomorphic somatotype?

Answer 8

• physically fat, soft , relaxed & hedonistic - pleasure-seeking
• tend to be sociable & relaxed

Question 9

What is the ectomorphic somatotype?

Answer 9

• rather thin & fragile looking , solitary & restrained in their behaviour
• tend to be introverted

Question 10

What is the mesomorphic somatotype?

Answer 10

• muscular, hard & adventurous
• tend to be aggressive & adventurous

Question 11

What are somatotypes indicative of?

Answer 11

certain personality traits more likely to become a criminal