PSYC 3402 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Evolutionary Psychology, Phenotypic Plasticity, Brain
18 Oct 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Cesare lombroso (1835-1909) father of criminology, argued that criminal possess distinctive physical features (sloping forehead, twisted lips) that were not observed on normal people. Referred to these features as atavisms and suggested that criminal were evolutionary throwbacks who resembled neanderthals more than modern day humans. Charles darwin argued that humans had evolved from ancestral species via the mechanisms of natural selection. Francis galton founded the theory of eugenics which ultimately suggests improving the human species by preventing genetically defective humans from reproducing. Some researchers examine the link between biology and crime by examining normal individuals to people diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (aspd), conduct disorder (cd) or psychopathy; others use measures of aggression. A theory is an explanation of a particular phenomenon, in this case antisocial behaviour. A strong theory: is parsimonious, clearly identifies the causal mechanisms (process that directly cause behaviour) and corresponding mediators (variable that explains the relationship between x.
