Topic 2 Flashcards
(17 cards)
Physical explanations of crime - Lombroso, Core Knowledge
He was an Italian physicist.
- Atavism describes things that are an ‘evolutionary throwback’. He believed criminals and criminality were atavistic, and they represented a primitive stage of evolution sharing characteristics of acting on impulse and reduced sensitivity to pain. Argued criminals behaved like savages and apes.
Physical explanations of crime - Lombroso, Expanded Knowledge
He believed atavistic features were inherited.
His theory was that extreme-believed individuals are born criminals; that’s how they were inherited.
Concluded if crime is inherited the only way to stop it is to kill.
Lombroso’s evidence - The Criminal Man
In 1876 he studied 3839 alive, 383 dead criminals. Measured skull size, height, arm span, etc.
Found criminals shared physical features like heavy jaws, sloping foreheads, high cheekbones, etc.
Physical explanations of crime - Sheldon, Core Knowledge
Somatotypes: Classified individuals by body type, there were three:
Endomorph
Mesomorph
Ectomorph
Theorised crim behaviour and personality linked to somatotype.
Predicted mesomorphic builds are the most likely to be criminals due to biology - high testosterone correlates to aggression and social reasons - physical advantages of assertiveness, lead to risk in criminal behaviour.
Physical explanations of crime - Lombroso, Expanded Knowledge
Endomorphs: physically have narrow shoulders, wide hips, extra fat, and round bodies.
The personality of relaxed, sociable and tolerant.
Ectomorphs: Physically have small bone structure and very little body fat.
Personality - anxious, quiet and private.
Mesomorphs: Physically have large bone structures, strong bodies, and well-defined muscles.
Personality - assertive, adventurous, competitive.
Sheldons - Evidence
Examined 200 male college students, and 200 delinquent photos.
They split male delinquents into delinquents and criminal delinquents. He rated them from 1-7 in terms of mesomorphy.
Results showed that delinquents and criminal delinquents had a mesomorphy of 4.6,5.4 but college students were 3.8.
Genetic explanation - Chromosomal abnormalities (CK)
XXY Syndrome: Problems with sperm production, result in males having extra ‘Y’ chromosomes.
It makes them have more testosterone so will be more aggressive, assertive and risk-taking.
Genetic explanation - Chromosomal abnormalities (EK)
Price et al explain some XYY are called ‘Supermales’.
Suggests they are highly aggressive compared to males and females.
Also, there may be a higher pop of XYY individuals in prison. Like those who commit murder/serial killing.
Genetic explanation - Chromosomal abnormalities Evidence
Jacob et al.’s suggest there is a link between XYY and criminality.
Found 15 men with XYY per 1000 in prison compared to 1 XYY per 1000 men in the general population.
Genetic explanation - Twin studies (CK)
Monozygotic twins=identical, share 100% of DNA
Dizygotic twins=non-identical, share 50% of DNA.
high concordence=both similar e.g. both twins were criminal
low concordence= one twin is a criminal the other isn’t.
Genetic explanation - Twin studies (EK)
concordance rates are higher in monozygotic twins than in dizygotic twins.
Genetic explanation - Twin studies, Evidence
Christiansen studied 3586 sets of twins, and found concordance rates of 35% in MZ, and 13% DZ for male twins.
21% MZ and 8% DZ for female twins.
Evaluation of Biological theories?
Good:
Potentially used to prevent crime.
Evidence.
Based on scientific research which has high validity.
Bad:
Can be discriminotory,
unethical, unreliable, outdated, reductionalist
Evaluation of Lombroso’s study
Strengths:
Could be used to predict who will be a criminal ( AI successfully identified criminals through facial recognition)
He started the science of criminality.
Weaknesses:
Simplistic/reductionlist-
Evaluation of Sheldon’s study
Strengths:
Good at explaining violent crime.
There is evidence that mesomorphs commit a greater proportion of crimes.
Weakness:
Reductionist - ignores factors like upbringing.
It doesn’t explain why other body types commit crimes.
Evaluation of Chromosomal abnormality.
Strengths:
Good at explaining crimes, somewhat explains the discrepancy between male and female offending.
Weaknesses:
Only relates to men - and doesn’t account for women’s offences.
Evidence is lacking - man XXY people live with no obvious symptoms - 15/1000 isn’t convinving.
Evaluation of Twin adoption studies.
Strengths:
Can relate to a wide range of criminals - explains more than violent crime.
Weaknesses:
Not 100% concordance between identical twins.
Research is correlational as doesn’t show cause and effect.
