4.8 Conclusion
The evolution of research in psychology and biology and how criminal behavior has been attributed to individual characteristics highlight some of the ethical concerns associated with this approach to criminology. Our bodies, brains, and minds are all important in understanding behavior, but they are just pieces of the puzzle. We are social creatures living in social worlds with constructed systems and institutions. It is important to consider context and explore all factors related to crime, especially when attempting to prevent or treat crime through policy. The eugenics movement illustrates the danger with placing too much emphasis on individual characteristics, especially when the supporting research is prejudiced.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter, we explored some of the origins of research and theories in the positivist school of criminology. Specifically, we looked at biological and psychological approaches to understanding crime that included research on the body, brain, and mind. Early research and theories were often fraught with methodological issues and sometimes driven by biased ideologies, but they were nonetheless important in establishing a move away from classical perspectives.
The chapter concluded with a discussion of policy concerns, especially in relation to the eugenics movement that became popular in the United States in the early 1900s as a crime control measure, and more modern approaches to understanding biology and psychology in criminal behavior. The biosocial approach, which acknowledges the interaction of biology and psychology with environment, is the standard for criminologists studying the impact of individual characteristics now.
Discussion Questions and Supplemental Resources
Discussion Questions
- What evidence do twin and adoption studies provide regarding the heritability of criminal behavior?
- Take an IQ test [Website]. What does it say about your likelihood to commit crime according to the theories discussed in this chapter? Do you think intelligence has any influence on whether or not a person commits a crime? Explain.
- Take a psychopath test [Website]. What does it say about your likelihood to commit crime according to the theories discussed in this chapter?
- Which do you believe has more influence on someone’s personality and behavior—nature or nurture?
- How can Maslow’s hierarchy of needs be used to help support policy and public safety in society?
- Do you think it is ethical for criminologists to study the biological basis for criminal behavior? Why or why not? How might modern criminologists who study the biological basis of crime avoid contributing to harmful policies such as the eugenics movement?
Supplemental Resources
If you want to dig deeper into the topics covered in this chapter, check out the following resources:
- This four-part series, Mysteries of Mental Illness [Website], by PBS explores the science of mental illness and how it has developed over time.
- This NPR Fresh Air interview [Website] shares the research of Adrian Raine on brain scans of people who have committed murder. (2014).
- The National Center for State Courts [Website] provides information on mental-health courts.
Licenses and Attributions for Conclusion
Open Content, Original
“Conclusion” by Jessica René Peterson is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
the study of crime and why it happens
legal term describing the violation of a criminal law
prejudiced beliefs and practices that aim to control the human gene pool by controlling reproduction and/or eliminating populations deemed inferior