PSY 3173 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Differential Association, Temporal Lobe, Xyy Syndrome
29 Apr 2018
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January 25, 2017
Theories of Crime
Theories of Crime
Many theories in mid to late 1900s proposed
Three main categories:
-Biological theories: emphasizes the role that biology plays in terms of explaining crime
-Sociological theories: focuses on cultural and societal factors (ex. Poverty)
-Psychological theories: individual variables (ex. their justification and reasons for committing the crime)
Biological Theories
Sheldon’s constitutional theory: looks at effect of body types
-Mesomorphs: larger build, more likely to be aggressive and engage in criminal activity
-Ectomorphs: tall and lanky, introverted or private
-Endomorph: heavyset or obese, jolly and friendly
Jacobson’s chromosome theory
-XYY men are more likely to commit crimes - more masculine and have enhanced aggressiveness
Mark and Erwin’s discontrol theory: lesions in the temporal lobe and limbic system lead to electrochemical
imbalances
-Leads to sudden physical violence, impulsive sexual behaviour, and serious traffic violations
Sociological Theories
Merton’s strain theory: poorer people with restricted access to means may be unhappy and turn it into illegitimate
means (ex. Crime)
Sutherland’s differential association theory: if you associate with criminals, you will learn from them and adopt their
values - will become more likely to commit crimes
-Criminal behaviour is learned by interacting with criminals
-Exposed to values that can be favourable or unfavourable towards crime - will engage in crime when they learn
more values that are unfavourable to the law
Beck’s sociological theory: deviance and anti-social behaviour is a label attached by society
-Criminals arise from society labelling that individual as a criminal
-Labelling will produce the deviant behaviour through a self-fulfilling prophecy
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Document Summary
Many theories in mid to late 1900s proposed. Biological theories: emphasizes the role that biology plays in terms of explaining crime. Sociological theories: focuses on cultural and societal factors (ex. Psychological theories: individual variables (ex. their justi cation and reasons for committing the crime) Sheldon"s constitutional theory: looks at effect of body types. Mesomorphs: larger build, more likely to be aggressive and engage in criminal activity. Ectomorphs: tall and lanky, introverted or private. Endomorph: heavyset or obese, jolly and friendly. Xyy men are more likely to commit crimes - more masculine and have enhanced aggressiveness. Mark and erwin"s discontrol theory: lesions in the temporal lobe and limbic system lead to electrochemical imbalances. Leads to sudden physical violence, impulsive sexual behaviour, and serious traf c violations. Merton"s strain theory: poorer people with restricted access to means may be unhappy and turn it into illegitimate means (ex.
