XYY theory Flashcards
Is it genetic or physiological?
genetic
What is the cause of criminality?
A chromosome abnormality
What is the mutation from and to?
XY to XYY
What do men with this condition look like?
Tall and well built
Who’s study is it?
Jacobs et al
What does this condition cause?
An increased level of testosterone
What did he study?
The difference in how many had the XYY condition in Scottish prisons compared to the Scottish population
How many inmates had the condition?
15 per 1000
How many in the public had the condition?
1 per 1000
Who was the famous example to illustrate the condition?
John Wayne Gacy
What are the strengths of this study?
He found that a large number of inmates had XYY compared to the public.
Supporting evidence as Adler said violence is partly determined by genes.
Supporting evidence as Prince and Whatmore found links to property crime.
What are the weaknesses of this study?
It doesn’t account for those who have XYY that aren’t criminals ( no explanation).
XYY fits the stereotype for being a criminal so courts may label them leading to over-representation in prison.
John Wayne Gacy didn’t have XYY making the theory seem untrustworthy.
How many chromosomes does the average person have?
46
What is the name of the condition?
Super male syndrome
