Unit 2 theories

What comes under Biological theories?

Genetic theories, Physiological theories

What comes under Genetic theories?

'XYY' theory, twin study, adoption study

What is the 'XYY' theory?

A male having an extra Y chromosome also known as super males

What did Jacob et AL (1965) suggest about XYY?

Males with XYY chromosomes are more aggressive and thus more inclined to be more violent then males with a single Y chromosome

What did Jacob et al (1965) find out about the prison population?

A significant of men in prison had XYY sex chromosomes instead of the normal XY.

Individuals with XYY syndrome also have low levels of...

Intelligence

However what reason may be resulting in the XXY syndrome affecting crime rates?

However, they are at an increased risk of developmental delay and learning difficulties....it has been found that there is a small association between learning difficulties and criminal behaviour.

What contradictory evidence was found that has questioned the XXY syndromes theory?

that testosterone and aggression levels amongst XYY men are no different from XY men

What is the main idea of the Twin Studies?

The main idea of the twin studies is that a heritable trait may increase the risk for criminal behaviour.

What are the types of twins

Identical \= monozygotic MZNon identical\= dizygotic DZ

What is concordance rate?

When both twins share a characteristic, it can help to indicate a possible genetic tendency

What did Christiansen find about the twin study?

Over 3500 twins. Concordance rate of 35% MZ and 13% DZ for males 21% MZ and 8% DZ for females

What are adoption studies?

Adopted child compared to the biological family and their adopted family

- Want to see if environment plays a big role.

How would a genetic basis be suggested within the adoption studies?

If in criminal behaviour the child is more similar to their biological parents than adoptive parents (with whom they share the same environment) then it is genetic

How would an environmental basis be suggested within the adoption studies?

If a child is more similar to their adoptive parents than biological parents, an environment argument is preferred

What research support is there for the adoption studies?

Hutchings and mednick 1975- studies 14000 adoptive children and found that a high proportion of boys with criminal convictions had biological parents with criminal convictions too.

Further support for the adoption studies...

Mednick et al (1994) later found no relationship between the number of criminal convictions of adoptive parents and their adoptive children but did find a significant correlation between the number of criminal convictions of the biological parents and their offspring

What comes under physiological theories?

Lombroso, Sheldon, Brain abnormality, nurochemical

who created the atavistic form theory?

Cesare Lombroso 1876

What did Lombroso claim?

Lombroso (1876) claimed that criminality was heritable. He suggested that there was a distinct biological class of people which were prone to criminality

What determined the born criminal according to Lombroso?

The physical shape of the head and face.

What atavistic features did Lombroso suggest a criminal would have?

-high cheekbones

-facial asymmetry

-large ears

-extra nipples/toes/fingers-an insensitivity to pain

What did the atavistic features help predict

The type of crime a person would commit

Different criminals having different characteristics, murderers having...

bloodshot eyes, long ears, and curly hair.

Different criminals having different characteristics, sex offenders having...

had thick lips, glinting eyes and protruding ears.

What are the 5 biological rates that Lombroso said born criminal had?

-hypersensitivity to pain+touch

-criminal slang

-grotesque expression of thought

-tatto

Lombroso then changed the theory. Classification of criminals were out into 3 factors. What were they?

1) Born criminal (30%)

2)Abnormal criminals (idiots, imbeciles, alcoholics)

3)Occasional criminals (criminaloid, out of habit)

Is there any support for lombrosos theory?

Chinese study - 1856 Chinese men- half were criminal and half were innocent. The artificial intelligence system wrongly identified innocent men as guilty 6% of the time. However it correctly identified criminals 83% of the time

What was Sheldon's (1949) theory?

Shared with Lombroso,

He believed that certain somatotypes or physiques that attributed to the likelihood of criminality.

What were the body type's Sheldon put forward?

Endomorphic

Ectomorphic

Mesomorphic

What did Sheldon describe an Endomorph as?

Fat and Soft, Sociable and Relaxed

What did Sheldon describe an Ectomorph as?

Thin and Fragile, Introverted and Restrained

What did Sheldon describe a Mesomorph as?

Muscular and Hard, Aggressive and Adventurous

What did Sheldon find about Mesomorphs, Ectomorphs and criminality?

That Mesomorphs were most likely to be criminal, and Ectomorphs were least

Why would a higher rating of Mesomorphy make you more likely to be criminal?

More physical strength \> More fit \> Able to run faster \> Can over power others \> Murder/ Theft/ Sexual Assault

What research findings support that a mesomorph is more likely to be criminal?

Sheldon studied 200 students, delinquents and criminals - criminals had a higher rating

Supports of Sheldon's theory...

Hartl et al (1982) found that the most serious delinquents of Sheldon's sample had a mean mesomorphs rating of 5

Who went against Sheldon's theory?

Sutherland claimed that Sheldon's method for distinguishing delinquents from non-delinquents was not valid

What is associated with brain abnormality?

Several studies have suggested damage to the pre-frontal cortex of the brain may cause individual to have altered behaviour pattern - becoming more immature + loss of self-control

Rain et al (1994) used PET scans to study living brains of impulsive killers

What happened to Phineas Gage?

large iron rod went through his head destroying left frontal lobe of brain. Gage personality + behaviour changed - became extravagant, anti-social, bad language, bad manners, lair

What comes under Individualistic theories?

Psychodynamic,

Psychological,

Learning theories

What comes under Psychodynamic theories?

Freud

Bowlby's maternal deprivation

What does the Psychodynamic theory (Freud) attempt to explain?

How personality is shaped by past experiences and the workings of the mind

What does Freud's theory focus on?

The role of the conscious and unconscious mind

What does Freud believe?

That the individual is in conflict with various drives between these two parts of our mind and has to resolve these to achieve good mental health

What were the three parts our personalities were divided into?

ID, Superego & Ego

What is does the ID promote?

Pleasure principle

What does the Ego promote?

Realty principle

What does the Superego promote?

Morality Principle

What is the Id?

Rooted in the unconscious mind, this is our instincts and impulses. Needs to be satisfied but if we acted upon it whenever, it leads to anti-social behaviour

What is the superego?

Rooted in the conscious & unconscious mind, this ensures that moral standards are followed and motivates us to be socially responsible

What is the ego?

Rooted mostly in the conscious mind, When there is a conflict between the superego and the ID, the Ego mediates them, driven by reality principle, learns from experience

What would a weak superego mean?

Individual feels less guilty about anti-social behaviour + less inhibition about acting on Id's selfish or aggressive urges

What would a too harsh/unforgiving superego mean?

creates deep seated guilt, craves punishment as a release from these feelings - may engage in compulsive repeat offending to be punished

What would a deviant superego mean?

successfully socialised, with a deviant moral code - internalises criminal values - his superego would not inflict guilt which would make them think crime is Ok

What did Freud say if a child is to be successfully socialised?

That they need a stable home environment in order to learn right from wrong

What does Bowlby's maternal deprivation say?

A child needs a close, continuous relationship with it's primary carer (normally mum) from birth to 5

What happens if the mother-child attachment is broken?

It causes the child instability to form emotional relationships with others. Bowlby described this as "affection less psychopathy" - lead to criminal behaviour

What study provided evidence for Bowlby's theory?

44 juvenile thieves - 39% suffered maternal deprivation

What is the psychological theory?

Eysenck's personality theory

What did Eysenck believe?

He believed that certain personality types are more likely to commit crime because they crave excitement, but are slow to learn that crime has bad consequences.

What is extroversion?

Impulsive, Optimistic, Active, Socialable, Out-going, Need others acceptance - low level of arousal so need adrenaline by perhaps fighting as they need more stimulation

What is introversion?

Reserved, Unsociable, Quiet, Careful, Thoughtful, Comfortable in own company - High level of arousal so always aware of surrounding

What is Neuroticism?

Unstable, Moody, Anxious, Restless, Aggressive, Depressed, Worry - Unstable in their CNS as they have different levels of arousal

What is Eysenck carry out?

A questionnaire on 700 soldiers who were being treated for neurotic disorders at the hospital where he worked.

What two dimensions did Eysenck identify?

Extraversion/Introversion and Neuroticism/Stability

What does extraversion mean?

Being mainly concerned with and gaining pleasure from things outside of the self

What does introversion mean?

Directing your interests inwards or to things within the self

What does neuroticism mean?

To have feelings of anxiety,worry, anger or fear

What does stability mean?

Unlikely to move or change

What was Eysenck's new personality trait that he added?

Psychoticism

What does psychoticism mean?

A personality pattern that is typified by aggression and hostility towards other people

Extraversion/Introversion

-Concerns the amount of stimulation a person needs-An extrovert is sociable but can become bored very quickly-An introvert is more reliable and in control of their emotions

Neuroticism/Stability

-Concerns the level of emotional stability of a person-Neurotics are very anxious and often irrational-Stable is calm and emotionally in control

What personality trait do criminals tend to have?

People who have extrovert,neurotic and psychotic personalities are more likely to offend because it is difficult for them to learn to control their immature impulses.

Why were most people found in the middle E and N in Eysenck's theory?

Conditioning \= through experience we learn to seek pleasure and avoid pain. E.g. misbehave and punished, learn to stop doing it again.

Genetic inheritance \= inherit a nervous system that causes them to develop a criminal personality.

Who went against Eysenck's theory?

Howitt (2009) said it doesn't explain why people commit certain crimes. Rapists and child abusers all are extravert, neurotic, psychotic but doesn't explain why they chose to behave the way they do

What comes under the Learning theory?

Bandura's social learning theory,

Sutherland differential association,

Operant learning theory

Who created the Social Learning theory (SLT)?

Bandura (1961 for Bobo doll study)

What is the key belief of SLT?

People learn by watching the behaviour of others