SOCI-321 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Confirmation Bias, Confounding, Complex Analysis
18 Jun 2018
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SOCI 321 – Chapter 5 – Explaining Crime and Delinuency
Bias
Our opinions are more often based on experience rather than evidence
Confirmation Bias: Once you have a belief about something, you reject contrary evidence; look
for evidence that confirms you bias
oSomething to be very careful of in an academic setting
oCauses cognitive dissonance
Causal Relations
3 conditions must be met:
a. Have to have concepts
There has to be a relationship/correlation between 2 or more variables
More variables = more complex analysis
b. Time
The order in which the variables occur
Hard to determine which variable came first
c. Spuriousness
The confounding variable
All of the other factors that may have impacted what we are trying to look at
Influences the other variables being measured in causation
All social science is based on positivism
a. Looking as objectively as possible at what the facts are
Historical Development of Theories
Beccaria
oConcepts of due process, presumption of innocence, punishment should fit crime
oHe was a philosopher, not a scientist
Based his assumptions on how a CJS should operate by philosophising about it
Biological positivism
oDarwin's book had an enormous effect on scholars who tried to apply those same
principles in sociology
oLombroso: The born criminal
If you're a born criminal, laws and rules are irrelevant --> They must be removed
from society
Stigmata: Physical appearance that relate to the shape of the skull and facial
features
Ex. Feeling for lumps in the skull and the placement of those lumps
Somatypes (ectomorph and mesomorph)
This applied to males only; those who were more robust were more
likely to be criminal
oIdea of Eugenics: Delinquent behaviour being passed on genetically, making it important
to stop these people from reproducing
Applied in Alberta until 1972
The dangerous class
Biological Theories
We are still operating on a paradigm that has been influenced by Darwin: Genetics
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Soci 321 chapter 5 explaining crime and delinuency. Our opinions are more often based on experience rather than evidence. Confirmation bias: once you have a belief about something, you reject contrary evidence; look for evidence that confirms you bias o o. Something to be very careful of in an academic setting. 3 conditions must be met: have to have concepts. There has to be a relationship/correlation between 2 or more variables. More variables = more complex analysis: time. Hard to determine which variable came first c. All of the other factors that may have impacted what we are trying to look at. Influences the other variables being measured in causation. All social science is based on positivism a. Looking as objectively as possible at what the facts are. Concepts of due process, presumption of innocence, punishment should fit crime: he was a philosopher, not a scientist. Based his assumptions on how a cjs should operate by philosophising about it.
