Criminology - Unit 2 – Theories Final
Exam and All Correct Answers Graded
A+ 2025-2026 Edition
What comes under biological theories? - Answer Genetic theories, Physiological theories
What comes under Genetic theories? - Answer 'XYY' theory, twin study, adoption study
What is the 'XYY' theory? - Answer A male having an extra Y chromosome also known as super
males
What did Jacob et AL (1965) suggest about XYY? - Answer Males with XYY chromosomes are
more aggressive and thus more inclined to be more violent then males with a single Y
chromosome
What did Jacob et al (1965) find out about the prison population? - Answer A significant of
men in prison had XYY sex chromosomes instead of the normal XY.
Individuals with XYY syndrome also have low levels of... - Answer Intelligence
However what reason may be resulting in the XXY syndrome affecting crime rates? - Answer
However, they are at an increased risk of developmental delay and learning difficulties....it has
been found that there is a small association between learning difficulties and criminal
behaviour.
What contradictory evidence was found that has questioned the XXY syndromes theory? -
Answer that testosterone and aggression levels amongst XYY men are no different from XY
men
What is the main idea of the Twin Studies? - Answer The main idea of the twin studies is that a
heritable trait may increase the risk for criminal behaviour.
What are the types of twins - Answer Identical = monozygotic MZNon identical= dizygotic DZ
, What did Christiansen find about the twin study? - Answer Over 3500 twins. Concordance rate
of 35% MZ and 13% DZ for males 21% MZ and 8% DZ for females
What are adoption studies? - Answer Adopted child compared to the biological family and
their adopted family
- Want to see if environment plays a big role.
How would a genetic basis be suggested within the adoption studies? - Answer If in criminal
behaviour the child is more similar to their biological parents than adoptive parents (with whom
they share the same environment) then it is genetic
How would an environmental basis be suggested within the adoption studies? - Answer If a
child is more similar to their adoptive parents than biological parents, an environment
argument is preferred
What research support is there for the adoption studies? - Answer Hutchings and mednick
1975- studies 14000 adoptive children and found that a high proportion of boys with criminal
convictions had biological parents with criminal convictions too.
Further support for the adoption studies... - Answer Mednick et al (1994) later found no
relationship between the number of criminal convictions of adoptive parents and their adoptive
children but did find a significant correlation between the number of criminal convictions of the
biological parents and their offspring
What comes under physiological theories? - Answer Lombroso, Sheldon, Brain abnormality,
nurochemical
who created the atavistic form theory? - Answer Cesare Lombroso 1876
What did Lombroso claim? - Answer Lombroso (1876) claimed that criminality was heritable.
He suggested that there was a distinct biological class of people which were prone to criminality
What determined the born criminal according to Lombroso? - Answer The physical shape of
the head and face.
Exam and All Correct Answers Graded
A+ 2025-2026 Edition
What comes under biological theories? - Answer Genetic theories, Physiological theories
What comes under Genetic theories? - Answer 'XYY' theory, twin study, adoption study
What is the 'XYY' theory? - Answer A male having an extra Y chromosome also known as super
males
What did Jacob et AL (1965) suggest about XYY? - Answer Males with XYY chromosomes are
more aggressive and thus more inclined to be more violent then males with a single Y
chromosome
What did Jacob et al (1965) find out about the prison population? - Answer A significant of
men in prison had XYY sex chromosomes instead of the normal XY.
Individuals with XYY syndrome also have low levels of... - Answer Intelligence
However what reason may be resulting in the XXY syndrome affecting crime rates? - Answer
However, they are at an increased risk of developmental delay and learning difficulties....it has
been found that there is a small association between learning difficulties and criminal
behaviour.
What contradictory evidence was found that has questioned the XXY syndromes theory? -
Answer that testosterone and aggression levels amongst XYY men are no different from XY
men
What is the main idea of the Twin Studies? - Answer The main idea of the twin studies is that a
heritable trait may increase the risk for criminal behaviour.
What are the types of twins - Answer Identical = monozygotic MZNon identical= dizygotic DZ
, What did Christiansen find about the twin study? - Answer Over 3500 twins. Concordance rate
of 35% MZ and 13% DZ for males 21% MZ and 8% DZ for females
What are adoption studies? - Answer Adopted child compared to the biological family and
their adopted family
- Want to see if environment plays a big role.
How would a genetic basis be suggested within the adoption studies? - Answer If in criminal
behaviour the child is more similar to their biological parents than adoptive parents (with whom
they share the same environment) then it is genetic
How would an environmental basis be suggested within the adoption studies? - Answer If a
child is more similar to their adoptive parents than biological parents, an environment
argument is preferred
What research support is there for the adoption studies? - Answer Hutchings and mednick
1975- studies 14000 adoptive children and found that a high proportion of boys with criminal
convictions had biological parents with criminal convictions too.
Further support for the adoption studies... - Answer Mednick et al (1994) later found no
relationship between the number of criminal convictions of adoptive parents and their adoptive
children but did find a significant correlation between the number of criminal convictions of the
biological parents and their offspring
What comes under physiological theories? - Answer Lombroso, Sheldon, Brain abnormality,
nurochemical
who created the atavistic form theory? - Answer Cesare Lombroso 1876
What did Lombroso claim? - Answer Lombroso (1876) claimed that criminality was heritable.
He suggested that there was a distinct biological class of people which were prone to criminality
What determined the born criminal according to Lombroso? - Answer The physical shape of
the head and face.
