1. Trait Theories: Biological SOC 112 Part 11

2. Biological Factors 1. First research (1500s) - Giovanni Battista della Porta - human features a. Physiognomy - “The art of judging human character - “The art of judging human character from facial features” from facial features” b. School of Physiognomy - character - character - contours of face - contours of face

3. Factors 2. Continued: late 1700s / early 1800s a. Phrenology - Franz Joseph Gall - Franz Joseph Gall - bumps / irregularities on head - bumps / irregularities on head b. Theory - outside / inside of head (brain) - outside / inside of head (brain) - measure shape / measure behavior - measure shape / measure behavior - traits studied - traits studied

4. Factors, cont. c. Personality theory - divided into specific traits - divided into specific traits d. Cesare Lombroso - atavistic criminals - atavistic criminals - appearance (body / head shape) - appearance (body / head shape) 3. Lombroso (Positive School) – 1835 to 1909 - biological theories - biological criminal - “Born Criminal”

5. Factors, cont. a. Categories of criminal: - epileptic - epileptic - insane - insane - born - born - occasional - occasional b. First three: - physical / mental weaknesses - physical / mental weaknesses - physical features - physical features - moral imbeciles - moral imbeciles

6. Factors, cont. c. Occasional (drawn into / fall into) - habitual - habitual - passionate - passionate - political - political - criminaloids - criminaloids d. Atavism - evolutionary throwbacks - evolutionary throwbacks - characteristic of savages - characteristic of savages - pre-human creatures - pre-human creatures - diminishes: evolutionary process - diminishes: evolutionary process

7. Factors, cont. e. Theory of evolution - evolved / more complex - evolved / more complex - higher stage of development - higher stage of development (1) Criminals (1) Criminals - physically different - physically different - physically inferior - physically inferior - not evolved (2) Crimes committed (2) Crimes committed - characteristics distinguished

8. Factors, cont. - according to crime committed - according to crime committed (3) Treatment (3) Treatment - compared to wild animals - compared to wild animals - needed rehabilitation - needed rehabilitation - more than imprisonment - more than imprisonment 3. Physique and crime - constitutional approaches a. Behavior determined by:

9. Factors, cont. - body structure - body structure - other physical characteristics - other physical characteristics - the mind - the mind b. William Sheldon (1940s) - first approach to physical characteristics - first approach to physical characteristics - compared body type to temperament - compared body type to temperament - 3 body types - 3 body types (1) Ectomorph (1) Ectomorph

10. Factors, cont. - tall / skinny body - tall / skinny body - easily excitable person - easily excitable person (2) Endomorph (2) Endomorph - short / fat body - short / fat body - easily agitated (3) Mesomorph (3) Mesomorph - athletic body - gregarious / assertive - action oriented

11. Theories of Crime 4. Biological theories - caused by biological process - genetic makeup / things eaten a. Heredity - do criminals inherit bad genes - do criminals inherit bad genes (1) Belief: structure determines behavior (1) Belief: structure determines behavior - people behave differently (2) Chromosomes / genes / chemistry (2) Chromosomes / genes / chemistry

12. Theories, cont. (3) Brain scan study (1980s) (3) Brain scan study (1980s) - areas of inactivity in criminals - control study (4) University of Texas (1997) (4) University of Texas (1997) - hair trigger tempers - impairment: frontal / parietal lobes b. Twin studies b. Twin studies - genetically predetermined - genetically predetermined - identical / fraternal - identical / fraternal

13. Theories, cont. (1) Monozygotic (MZ) twins (identical) (1) Monozygotic (MZ) twins (identical) - single fertilized egg - two embryos - share all genes (2) Dizygotic (DZ) twins (fraternal) (2) Dizygotic (DZ) twins (fraternal) - two separate eggs - fertilized same time - share half their genes (3) Greater behavioral similarity: identical (3) Greater behavioral similarity: identical

14. Theories, cont. c. Adoptive study c. Adoptive study - separate influence of inherited traits - separate influence of inherited traits - from environmental conditions - from environmental conditions (1) Adoptive / biological parents - no criminal record - no criminal record - 13.5 % convicted - 13.5 % convicted (2) Criminal adoptive / noncriminal biological - 14.7 % convicted - 14.7 % convicted

15. Theories, cont. (3) Non-criminal adoptive / criminal biological (3) Non-criminal adoptive / criminal biological - 20 % convicted - 20 % convicted (4) Criminal adoptive and biological (4) Criminal adoptive and biological - 24.4 % convicted - 24.4 % convicted d. Findings support claim d. Findings support claim - criminality of biological parents - criminality of biological parents - more influence on child - more influence on child

16. Theories, cont. 5. Biochemical factors - food allergies / diet / hypoglycemia / etc a. Allergies - aggression / antisocial behavior - aggression / antisocial behavior - chocolate / caffeine / artificial sweeteners - chocolate / caffeine / artificial sweeteners / food enhancers / food enhancers b. Diets - high in sugar / carbohydrates - high in sugar / carbohydrates - vitamin deficiency / dependency - vitamin deficiency / dependency

17. Biochemical, cont. c. Hypoglycemia - sugar in blood - sugar in blood - 80 to 120 mgs - 80 to 120 mgs - low = impair brain function - low = impair brain function d. Hormones - abnormal levels - abnormal levels - testosterone (males) - testosterone (males) - PMS (females) - PMS (females) 6. Biosocial theories

18. Biosocial, cont. 1. Edward O. Wilson - “Sociobiology: The New Synthesis” (1975) a. Genetic explanations - altruism / homosexuality / male dominance / conformity - altruism / homosexuality / male dominance / conformity - sociobiology concepts - sociobiology concepts b. Biosocial criminology - study from biological perspective - study from biological perspective - interaction: biology / environment - interaction: biology / environment

19. Biosocial, cont. c. Biological concepts / environment - two contributing aspects - two contributing aspects - long-term survival - long-term survival (1) Altruism (1) Altruism - selfless / helping behavior - selfless / helping behavior - law abiding / non-law abiding - law abiding / non-law abiding - primary determinant - primary determinant (2) Territoriality (2) Territoriality - explains conflict - explains conflict

20. Biosocial, cont. - associate with group / territory - associate with group / territory - terms behavior “tribalism” - terms behavior “tribalism” (3) Explains intra-group aggression (3) Explains intra-group aggression - within / between - within / between - location / possessions / other people - location / possessions / other people 2. Constitutional Factors - more than just sociobiology - all aspects applied

21. Constitutional, cont. a. Gender - predominantly male - predominantly male b. Age - “aging out process” - “aging out process” c. Body type - mesomorph / ectomorph / endomorph - mesomorph / ectomorph / endomorph d. Intelligence - associated with low intelligence - associated with low intelligence

22. Constitutional, cont. e. Personality - aggressive / impulsive / cruel - aggressive / impulsive / cruel 3. Crime prevention - biologically designed a. Pre/post natal care - developmental conditions - developmental conditions b. Monitoring children - identify early symptoms - identify early symptoms

23. Constitutional, cont. c. Reduce exposure - child abuse / violence - child abuse / violence d. Neurological exams - CAT / PET / MRI - CAT / PET / MRI e. Biological research - prisons - prisons - treatment facilities - treatment facilities - identify root causes - identify root causes

24. Difference / Defectiveness Theory 1. Frederick Wohler (1828) - bio-chemically different - biochemical imbalance a. Neuro-endocrinology - imbalance of body chemicals - imbalance of body chemicals - glandular system - glandular system b. Endocrine glands - certain hormones - certain hormones - irrational behavior - irrational behavior

25. Dif / Def, cont. (1) Research (1) Research - relationship - relationship - lower: aggressive / dominant / hostile - lower: aggressive / dominant / hostile (2) PM Syndrome / PM Tension (2) PM Syndrome / PM Tension - factors: violent personal crime - factors: violent personal crime - imbalance: estrogen / progesterone - imbalance: estrogen / progesterone (a) Suicide / attempts / psychological admissions / medical problems / crimes (a) Suicide / attempts / psychological admissions / medical problems / crimes

26. Dif / Def, cont. 2. Neurochemistry - imbalance = poor diet - effect on human behavior a. Diet lacks iodine - China - China - 10 million mentally retarded - 10 million mentally retarded b. CNS - brain adapts physically to threats - brain adapts physically to threats - poverty / abuse / neglect / deprivation - poverty / abuse / neglect / deprivation

27. Dif / Def, cont. c. Bio-criminology c. Bio-criminology - biological variables - biological variables - study of modern criminology - study of modern criminology