biological theories - sheldon

Question 1

somatotypes - ENDOMORPHIC

Answer 1

• fat and soft
• sociable and relaxed

Question 2

somatotypes - ECTOMORPHIC

Answer 2

• thin and fragile
• introverted and restrained

Question 3

somatotypes - MESOMORPHIC

Answer 3

• muscular and hard
• aggressive and adventurous

Question 4

sheldon’s study

Answer 4

• examined photographs showing front/side/back views of 4000 scantily clothed college students and young criminals
• they were rated on a scale of 1-7 on their resemblance to the mesomorphic somatotype
• criminals had a higher average mesomorphy rate than the college students
• using a correlation study, he found many criminals prone to committing violent and aggressive acts were mesomorphic

Question 5

STRENGTHS to sheldon’s study

Answer 5

• studied 4000 men - large group studied
• first person to research body types and link them to criminal behaviour
• sheldon’s study replicated by other scientists - gluek and gluek found 60% of prisoners they studied had mesomorphic body types
• sheldon’s study justifies his theory
• more research found most delinquent and deviant offenders were also mesomorphic - supports sheldon’s theory

Question 6

WEAKNESSES of sheldon’s theory

Answer 6

• only studied men - disregards 50% of the population = doesn’t equate to the levels of crime or take into account female offenders
• only studied criminals - no control group
• very stereotypical - labelling the typical offender as a certain body type
• not all people who are mesomorphic commit crimes and not all criminals are mesomorphic
• studied pictures of young college students - unethical and creepy
• doesnt account for other factors e.g. poverty, education
• body shapes change over time
• doesnt account for endomorphs or ectomorph body types who commit crime