evaluation for biological theories

• strengths of lombroso's theory

  • considered social and environmental factors
  • shows that punishment won't prevent
  • scientific as uses objective measurements
• limitations of lombroso's theory

  • no link between facial features and criminality
  • racist as calls non-western societies "primitive savages"
• strengths of sheldon's somatotype theory?

  • replicated as Glueck found 60% were mesomorphs
  • serious delinquents are mesomorphs
• limitations of sheldon's somatotype theory

  • criminality causes somatotype not other way round
  • social class might be the cause
  • does not explain why endo and ectomorphs commit
  • labelling could cause self-fulfilling prophecy
  • ignores other factors
  • ungeneralisable as only focuses on the convicted
• strengths of twin studies

  • logical
  • high concordance rate for MZ than DZ
• limitations of twin studies

  • concordance rates are not 100%
  • shared environment could cause
  • impossible to isolate and measure gene separate from environment
  • parental treatment of MZ twins could cause
• strengths of adoption studies?

  • shows importance of nature and nurture
  • support for genetic explanations
  • overcomes problems faced by twin studies
• limitations of adoption studies

  • similar environments produce similar behaviour
  • environment with biological parents could be cause
  • Gottfredson and Hirschi says genes have little effect
• strengths of Jacob's XYY theory

  • Price and Whatmore found link between XYY and property crime
  • representative in prison population
• limitations of Jacob XYY theory?

  • XYY males are stupid so can get caught
  • 1/1000 babies born with it
  • does not establish cause of violence
  • labelled so could cause self-fulfilling prophecy
  • gender bias
• strengths of brain injuries and disorders theory

  • cases exist that show injuries lead to crime
  • link between abnormal EEG readings and criminality
  • prisoners more likely to have brain injuries
• limitations of brain injuries and disorders theory

  • rare
  • personality more influential
  • some have normal EEG patterns and vice versa
  • injury can be cause of criminality
• strengths of biochemical theory

  • testosterone levels and male crime link
  • recognised by court
  • affect judgement and aggression
  • crack linked to violent crime
• limitations of biochemical theory

  • Scarmella and Brown found that testosterone levels do not affect
  • Schalling says testosterone levels lead to verbal aggression
  • crime is a social construct so no point in looking for universal explantions