The atavistic explanation for offending behaviour
- Created by: Georgia
- Created on: 31-05-19 00:31
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- The atavistic explanation for offending behaviour
- Theory that criminals had distinguishing physical features
- Lombroso measured physical characteristics of 4000 living and 400 dead criminals in Italy
- Sample bias as all men and all Italian
- Characteristic included: heavy brow; strong jaw; large ears; extra digits
- Evaluation
- Dated theory and very subjective
- May have contributed to stereotypes about criminal behaviour
- Difficult to conclude as no comparison with a control
- Introduced science to criminality
- Previously had heavy religious influence
- Researcher bias as looked for similar features to match hypothesis
- Research
- Goring (1913) Compared 2348 London convicts w/ a control group; found no link to physical appearance
- Hooton (1939) Compared US criminals and men; agreed with theory, although had differing characteristic
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