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Biological Explanations of Offending - Coggle Diagram
Biological Explanations of Offending
Twin Studies- LANGE
Investigated twins where one twin has spent time in prison
10/13 MZ twins both spent time in prison
2/17 DZ twins had both spent time in prison
LIMITATIONS
Carried out in 1930 when most MZ/DZ twins were only identified by appearance not genetic testing
Lacks validity
Small sample sizes, only had 13/17 sets of twins
lacks generalisability
Adoption Studies- CROWE
Children whose biological parent had a criminal criminal record were 50% more likely to have their own criminal record by 18
This reduced to 5% if parents didn't have a record
LIMITATIONS
Influence of nature or nurture is still an issue due to
adoptees can remain in contact with biological parents
late adoption
Only applied to petty crimes- doesn't apply t serious crimes
Candidate Genes- TIIHONEN (2014)
genetic analysis of 900 criminals which showed an abnormality in genes associated with violence
MAOA gene--- controls dopamine and serotonin (associated with aggression)
XYY gene --- prison population with this gene is 3.5% compared to the general population 1%
people with this combination are 13x more likely to have a history of violent behaviour
LIMITATION
Research is very new and recent so it needs to be replicated
Diathesis stress model- MEDNICK
Criminal behaviour is biologically predispososed but needs an environmental triugger
studied 13,000 danish adoptess whose biological parents and adopted parents had no criminal record
14% of adoptees had a criminal record
Biological parents had crimimal record- 20% of adoptees had one
Supports nature argument
When both biological and adoptive parents had a criminal record- 25% of adoptees had a criminal record
Supports diathesis stress model