2.1 Biological theories

• what are twin studies?

  focus on identical twins (monozygotic) who are 100% genetically identical. if criminality is genetic then both twins should be affected
• what are the strengths of twin studies?

  studies adopt a scientific procedure which means the results we get should be objective and bias
• what are the limitations of twin studies?

  role of genetic is questioned since concordance rates are never 100%

  it is hard to seperate the effects of nature and nurture
• what are adoption studies?

  compare adopted children to their biological parents and to their adopted parents to investigate the influence of their inherited genetics
• what is jacobs theory?

  its the super male syndrome when a man has XYY syndrome. men who have this are more likely to be aggressive and violent they have a lower intelligience compared to other males.
• what is a strength of jacobs theory?

  XYY males were unstable and more likely to commit motiveless crimes. XYY syndrome is rare which suggests other explanations need to be considered
• what is lombrosos theory?

  he was the father of modern criminology. he argued criminals have facial features and bodily appearances such as the size of their jaw, eye socket size and eyebrow arches these were atavistic features.
• what are the strenghts of lombrosos theory?

  holistic so it takes a broad view of why crime occurs. the theory stated crime doesnt happen through free will.
• what are the limitations of lombrosos theory?

  no one else has found similar links. the studies took place on males so the results aren't diverse
• what is Sheldon's theory?

  said there was three body types, depending on your body type determined how you would act
• what were the characteristics of an endomorph?

  plump, lack of muscle these people were more likely to be relaxed and sociable
• what were the characteristics of a mesomorph body?

  active, assertive. think lacking muscle and were more likely to be risk takers
• what are the characteristics of a ectomorph?

  lean, delicate, quiet fragile
• what is a strength of sheldons theory?

  his work was replicated by others and he conducted various studies
• what is a limitation of sheldons theory?

  body shape can change over time
• what is encephalitis lethargica?

  disease where people suffer with high fevers, headaches, double vision, delayed physical and mental response. children who suffered with this disease began damaging property.
• how did encephalitis lethargica affect people?

  adolf hitler may have had this disease, later in his life he committed a state crime. which could link to this disease because after contracting the disease he began to commit crimes
• what is senile dementia?

  when old people suffer with memory loss and brain issues. neurodivergent disease can result in antisocial and criminal behaviour because the brain isnt working properly
• who is charles whitman?

  an american mass murderer. he killed his wife and mother on the 31st july. on the 1st august he killed 14 people and wounded 31 others. he suffered with a brain tumour which caused him to loose his mind.