Physiological Theories of Crime Flashcards
(9 cards)
Physiological theories suggest that…
through biological and genetic factors, certain physical traits may predispose individuals to criminal behaviour
2 examples of physiological theories of crime
- MAOA gene
- Low Resting Heart Rate
The MAOA gene or ‘warrior gene’ has been linked to aggressive behaviour and is associated with repeat violent offenders. Timonen conducted an analysis of…
around 900 offenders in Finland and found those with the gene were 13x more likely to have a history of repeated violent behaviour.
Statistic to support MAOA gene theory (International Comparison)
It is estimated at least 5-10% of violent crimes in Finland could be attributed to people with these genes.
A counter argument for the MAOA gene
Around 1/3 of men contain the MAOA gene but that doesn’t mean they will commit crime. Professor Jim Fallon says”… a gene by itself, the variant doesn’t dramatically affect behaviour, but under certain environmental conditions there is a big difference.” showing how genes are not the sole factor in a person’s likelihood to commit crime. Around 34% of Europeans have the MAOA gene yet homicide is committed by about 1% of people in their life.
Another physiological theory for the cause of crime is a low resting heart rat, which proposes…
people with a lower resting heart rate have an unusually low level of arousal or alertness therefore seeking out risky or criminal experiences to boost arousal.
Evidence to support LRH theory (UK)
A UK study found that individuals at the age of 12 in the lowest 25% for heartrate are 60% more likely to commit crime as adults.
Evidence to support LRH theory (International Comparison)
A researcher in Finland carried out a study on Swedish men which found a correlation between lower resting heart rate and criminal tendencies. Men with a lower resting heart rate were 39% more likely to be convicted of violent crime than men with a resting heart rate of 83+ beats per minute.
A counter-argument of the LHR theory
Karman pointed out that among men with the highest resting heart rate, 5% committed crime, compared to 5.8% of men with the lowest resting heart rate, making the theory less significant.
