AC 3.2 Evaluation of Biological Theories

• What was one strength of Lombroso's study?

  -he was the first to offer a scientific and objective approach to understanding criminality

  -pre this, criminality seen as a moral or religious problem

  -new outlook on why people commit crimes
• What was one weakness of Lombroso's study?

  -could be considered racist

  -some of the stigmata's he identified, including dark skin, felt nose, sloping forehead, which creates a stereotype against criminals
• What is another weakness of Lombroso's study?

  - failed to compare his results to a control group of non-criminals

  -important to use a control group as you need something to compare your results to

  -we can't generalise upon his findings.
• What was one strength of Sheldon's study?

  - findings have been replicated by other studies

  -Glueck's study found that 60% of offenders they studied were mesomorphic which means that Sheldon's explanation can be considered reliable.
• What is one weakness of Sheldon's and Lombroso's study?

  they don't consider environmental factors such as upbringing, socialization, media which may explain why people commit crimes
• What is another strength of Sheldon's study?

  -he found that the most delinquent and deviant offenders were mostly mesomorphic in body shape.

  -this increases the validity of physiological theories.
• What is a strength of the brain injury study?

  -brain injuries can be seen to cause someone's personality and behavior to change

  -e.g. Phineas Gage - damaged pre-frontal cortex made him more delinquent

  -adds validity to the claim that brain injuries cause criminality
• What is a weakness of the biochemical study?

  -research shows testosterone does not greatly affect aggression in men

  -biochemical explanations lack validity to support their arguments
• What is one strength of the twins study?

  -later twin studies have found a correlation between genetics and crime

  -e.g. Ishikawa and Raine's study they found a correlation between MZ twins and crime

  -This means the genetic theory is more reliable
• What is one weakness of the twin study?

  -twins often live in the same home

  -difficult to understand whether crime is genetic or due to environmental factors
• What is another weakness of the twin study?

  -evidence could be argued as weak

  -In Christiansen's study the concordance rate for MZ twins was only 35% for males

  -higher number of twins don't share a concordance, meaning the genetic theory is less likely to be true
• What is one strength of the adoption studies?

  -bring validity to the argument that crime is inherited

  -studying adopted children proves genetic theory as they are in different environments but still both end up committing crimes, like their biological parents
• What is one weakness of the adoption studies?

  -adopted children are often placed in the same environment as their birth family

  -children are growing up with the same norms and values making it difficult to disprove the nature theory
• What is one strength of the XYY study?

  -evidence found of violent offenders with this syndrome in prison

  -adds validity to genetic argument
• What is one weakness of the XYY study?

  -XYY males often have a lower intelligence - hence they are more likely to be caught

  -This suggests XYY syndrome doesn't cause criminality, just makes them more likely to be caught
• What is another weakness of the XYY study?

  -Doesn't explain why women commit crimes

  -rare syndrome - doesn't explain why the majority commit crimes