Atavistic Form AO3

• What shift did Lombroso make in the study of crime?

  He shifted from moralistic discourse to a scientific position focusing on evolutionary influences and genetics.
• What major contribution did Lombroso make to criminology?

  He contributed to the scientific understanding of crime through evolutionary and genetic perspectives.
• What was Charles Goring's aim in his 1913 study?

  To establish whether there were any physical or mental abnormalities among offenders.
• What was the conclusion of Goring's study comparing offenders and non-offenders?

  There was no evidence that offenders are a distinct group with unusual facial and cranial characteristics.
• What factors did Goring suggest were responsible for physical differences in offenders?

  Poverty, poor diet, illness, and disease.
• What was found regarding prisoner behavior after facial surgery?

  Prisoner behavior improved significantly following facial surgery.
• What were the recidivism rates for prisoners who had facial surgery compared to those who did not?

  42% for those who had surgery, compared to 70% for those who did not.
• What did Kurtzberg et al. (1968) offer to prisoners with facial defects?

  Surgery to correct their facial defects.
• How did prisoners perceive their facial defects according to Kurtzberg et al.?

  They believed their defects made people treat them differently and perceive them as boisterous and aggressive.
• What criticism did Delisi (2012) raise about Lombroso's work?

  It has racist undertones, suggesting certain features are more likely found among people of African descent.
• What does the term "scientific racism" imply in the context of Lombroso's theory?

  His theory might be influenced by racial prejudices, suggesting certain races are more likely to be offenders.
• What did Lombroso's theory herald in criminology?

  The beginning of offender profiling.
• What might an interactionist approach argue about atavistic features and criminal behavior?

  People with atavistic features might turn to crime due to how they are perceived and treated by others.
• What were the methodological issues with Lombroso's investigations?

  His methods were poorly controlled and he failed to compare his offender sample with a non-offender control group.
• What confounding variables could Lombroso's research have controlled for?

  Poverty and poor education.
• How does Lombroso's theory relate to the Eugenics Movement?

  It suggests that certain groups are more genetically 'fit' and implies that crime could be reduced by controlling reproduction among less 'fit' groups.