PSYC39H3 Lecture Notes - Critical Role, Group Dynamics, Reducing Sugar
Document Summary
Chapter 2: theories of crime: biological and evolutionary explanations. The focus in this chapter has been on evolutionary and biological explanations. Multiple pathways exist within each perspective, including biological factors such as genetics, neurochemistry, hormones, and psychophysiology. Evolutionary perspectives are complex, and evolution is comprised of a series of micro evolutionary theories (e. g. , life history theory, frequency dependent selection). Biological and evolutionary explanations of crime underscore the importance of the environment. Environmental insults (e. g. , a mother who drinks during pregnancy) change the biological makeup of an individual such that he or she is now predisposed to a future criminal lifestyle. Evolutionary mechanisms were shaped by the environment, albeit a distant one. Evolution itself has determined our minds such that they adapt and change to current environmental cues. The theory of evolution has more in common with. Environmental theories such as social learning (discussed in chapter 3) than one might think.
