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Unit 2 2.1 set 13
Biological theories set 1
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the biological theory of criminology? | The idea that people are born criminals because biological differences predispose them to crime. |
| When did biological theories first emerge? | In the 19th century. |
| What is the main assumption behind biological theories? | That criminal behaviour is caused by innate biological factors. |
| Why do biological theories ignore important causes of crime? | They overlook environmental factors, such as poverty, trauma, or upbringing. |
| Why is biological evidence not fully reliable? | Research is not conclusive and findings are often inconsistent. |
| How can biological theories remove responsibility from offenders? | They imply criminals have no control over their actions. |
| Why do biological theories fail to explain all crime types? | They focus mostly on aggression, which doesn’t explain non‑violent crimes. |
| What do most modern criminologists prefer today? | A combination of biological + social explanations. |
| Who was Cesare Lombroso? | A 19th‑century Italian criminologist known as the “father of modern criminology.” |
| What was Lombroso’s key idea? | The atavistic form — criminals are biological throwbacks to primitive humans. |
| What did Lombroso claim causes criminal behaviour? | Physical abnormalities that reflect primitive evolutionary traits. |
| Give three atavistic traits Lombroso associated with criminals. | Sloping forehead Large jaw / high cheekbones Long arms or large ears |
| What did Lombroso believe these traits indicated? | A biological predisposition to crime. |
| How does this link to biological determinism? | It suggests behaviour is controlled by biology, limiting free will. |
| What was wrong with Lombroso’s sample? | He studied only prisoners, so his sample was biased. |
| What does modern science say about behaviour? | It results from biology + environment, not appearance alone. |
| Why is Lombroso’s theory ethically problematic? | It encourages stereotyping based on looks. |
| How have Lombroso’s ideas been misused historically? | They influenced eugenics and racial stereotyping. |
| What positive impact did Lombroso’s work have? | It brought attention to the idea that biology plays some role in behaviour. |
| What major limitation remains? | It oversimplifies crime by ignoring psychological and social factors. |
| What does “atavistic form” mean? | That criminals have primitive physical features. |
| What are somatotypes? | Sheldon’s three body types (ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph) used to predict personality and behaviour. |
| What behaviour did Sheldon associate with ectomorphs? | Shy, introverted, sensitive, prefers solitude (cerebrotonic). |
| What behaviour did Sheldon link to mesomorphs? | Active, energetic, assertive, sometimes aggressive (somotonic). |
| What behaviour did Sheldon associate with endomorphs? | Sociable, relaxed, comfort‑seeking (viscerotonic). |
| What other factors shape behaviour? | Upbringing, peers, environment, trauma, social class, education. |
| What is one strength of Sheldon’s theory? | There is some correlation between mesomorphy and physical/violent offending. |
| What is one limitation of Sheldon’s theory? | It oversimplifies behaviour and ignores social/environmental influences. |
| What ethical issue does Sheldon’s theory raise? | It can reinforce harmful stereotypes based on appearance. |
| What does the MAOA gene do? | Produces an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine). |
| What is the “warrior gene” variant? | A low‑activity MAOA variant linked to increased impulsivity and aggression. |
| What are the two types of twins? | Identical (MZ) and fraternal (DZ). |
| Why are twin studies used in criminology? | To estimate how much behaviour is influenced by genetics. |
| What do adoption studies examine? | Whether adoptees resemble their biological or adoptive parents more in behaviour. |
| What did Mednick et al. (1984) find? | Adoptees with criminal biological parents were more likely to offend. |
| What did Hutchings & Mednick (1975) find? | Offending correlated with the biological father’s criminal record. |
| What is one strength of genetic theories? | They show biological factors may increase risk of criminality. |
| What is one limitation of twin studies? | Identical twins often share more similar environments, which may inflate genetic effects. |
| What is one limitation of adoption studies? | Selective placement — adoptees may be placed in similar environments. |
| Why must genetic theories be used carefully? | They risk determinism and stigma — biology alone does not cause crime. |
Created by:
Cabezablanca