Lange and Christiansen

Cards (6)

  • Claims
    • genetic theory, Twin Studies Theory
    • monozygotic twins will either both be criminal or neither will
    • criminality is a result of your genetics
  • Components
    • Lange: studied 30 sets of twins, 10/13 MZ twins had both been to prison, 2/17 DZ twins had both been in prison
    • Christiansen: studied 3586 sets of twins, concordance rates of 35% in male MZ twins and 13% in male DZ twins, concordance rates of 21% in female MZ twins and 8% in female DZ twins
    • has to be genetic as concordance rates for MZ twins were higher
  • Credibility
    • links genetics to criminality
    • can be repeated
    • scientific experiment with results that proved their theory
    • no genetic testing
    • reductionist
    • deterministic
  • Application
    • the Kray Twins: MZ twins who created a criminal empire and were involved in a variety of violent crimes
  • Refuting Evidence
    • fairly low concordance rates
    • no genetic testing to verify if the twins were monozygotic or dizygotic
    • not carried out over a long enough period
  • Support Evidence
    • Lange and Christiansen came to the same conclusion
    • Bouchard 1979: studied MZ twins separated at birth who had different upbringings, found they had similar attitudes and personalities