Biological and Psychological Theories of Crime

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5 Terms

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Theory of atavism

  • Cesare Lombroso (“Father of criminology”)

  • Used scientific method to test his theory

  • Criminals as “atavistic throwbacks” who exhibit ancestral, primitive traits

    • suggests that some criminal behavior is a result of biological factors, where individuals revert to a more primitive state

  • Identified through presence of “stigmata” (atavistic anomalies)

    • E.g.:

      • Peaked nose (as bird of prey)

      • Large jaw

      • Strong canine teeth (as with carnivores)

      • General hairiness of the body

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Biological theories

  • Sociobiology (1970s to now)

    • Biochemical & neurophysical factors

      • E.g., chemical and mineral deficiencies, hormonal differences, brain dysfunction

    • Genetic factors

      • E.g., twin studies, adoption studies, studies of specific genes

    • Results and conclusions

      • Inconsistent evidence

      • Interactions with social factors

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General psychological theories

  • Individuals commit crime due to psychological personality problems, maladjustment, or mental deficiency

    • General psychological

      • Forms of psychopathy and mental illness

        • E.g., antisocial personality disorder, psychosis, schizophrenia

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One main weakness of general psychological theories

Causal order

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Relationship between IQ and crime

  • Empirical support on negative correlations between IQ and different measures of crime, SES is not the third variable

  • Criticisms: biased tests, exaggerated effects of IQ, types of crimes