Christiansen Flashcards
(12 cards)
What are Christiansen’s strengths?
Scientific approach
Influential research
Twin study method
What is Christiansen’s scientific approach?
Empirical data from large population, proving a valuable insight to relationship between genetic and crime
Why did Christiansen have influential research?
Criminal behaviour might have a genetic component, help shape criminological theories
Why did the twin study method help Christiansen?
Helps isolate the effects of genetics from environmental factors
What were Christiansen’s weaknesses?
Limited causality
Sample bias
Environmental influence
Why did Christiansen have limited causality?
Couldn’t prove causation, exact role of genetics VS environment remained unclear
Why was Christiansen theory sample bias?
Not representative of other populations, limits generalisability of the findings
Why was environmental influences a weakness for Christiansen?
Not fully account for environment factors, critical for understanding criminal behaviour
What did Christiansen do?
Researched correlation between genetics and criminal behaviour by study fraternal and identical twins
Suggested genetic influence on crime
What did Christiansen conclude with the genetic influence?
Genetic predisposition for criminal behaviour, likely influence by bothe genetic and environmental factors
What did Christiansen conclude with the interaction between genes and environment?
Supported idea of nature and nuture interact in the development of criminal behaviour
How does focusing on early intervention reduce crime?
For at risk children especially from criminal families to reduce the effect of them becoming criminals
