2.3.2.2 - Sheldon

• Used a good sized sample for a control group (200 people)
• The most serious delinquents were the highest mesomorphic features
• Glueck & Glueck (1956) found that 60% of delinquents were mesomorphic
• Glueck & Glueck (1956) found that 31% of the control group were mesomorphic
• Somatotypes are not fixed in reality
• Not all criminals are mesomorphs
• Ectomorphs and endomorphs also commit crimes
• Stereotypically mesomorphs 'look like' delinquents so therefore become one
• Social class may cause working class people to be more mesomorphic because of their jobs
• Labelling and stereotypes may draw more attention to mesomorphs so they get caught out more
• Criminals may develop a mesomorphic body type because of their environment in prison