Question 1

According to Lombrosso, offenders who commit crimes because of poverty would be classified as ________.

Accepted Answer

Cesare Lombroso, an Italian criminologist and physician, classified individuals who commit crimes due to situational factors such as poverty as "Criminaloids." These individuals are not seen as inherently criminal but are driven to crime by external circumstances.

Question 2

According to the theory of phrenology, criminality can be determined by ________.

Accepted Answer

Phrenology is a pseudoscience that suggests the shape of a person's skull is indicative of their personality traits and propensity for criminal behavior. This idea has been discredited by modern science.

Question 3

________ somatotypology consisted of the endomorph, mesomorph, ectomorph, and balanced type.

Accepted Answer

The somatotypology consisting of the endomorph, mesomorph, ectomorph, and balanced type was developed by William H. Sheldon.

Question 4

According to the text, criticisms of sociobiology can be grouped into four central themes. List these four themes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the text, criticisms of sociobiology...

Question 5

The study of crime and criminals through the application of scientific techniques is referred to as ________.

Accepted Answer

The study of crime and criminals through the application of scientific techniques is referred to as positivism.

Question 6

What are the two central principles upon which positivism is built?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the two central principles upon...

Question 7

Hormones such as cortisol and the thyroid hormone T3 have been implicated in delinquency and poor ______________.

Accepted Answer

Hormones such as cortisol and T3 have been linked to poor impulse control, which can contribute to delinquent behavior.

Question 8

According to Sheldon's somatotypes, the ________ body type is most likely to be associated with delinquency.

Accepted Answer

According to Sheldon's somatotypes, the mesomorph body type is most likely to be associated with delinquency. Mesomorphs are typically muscular and athletic, which could lead to an association with aggression and rule-breaking behavior.

Question 9

In the 1920s and early 1930s the ________ movement resulted in the frequent sterilization of mentally handicapped women.

Accepted Answer

The eugenics movement was a social and scientific movement that aimed to improve the genetic quality of the human population by selective breeding and sterilization of "undesirable" individuals, including mentally handicapped women. This movement gained popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, leading to the frequent sterilization of thousands of individuals deemed unfit to reproduce in the United States and other countries.

Question 10

________ is the concept used by Cesare Lombroso to suggest that criminality is the result of primitive urges which survived the evolutionary process.

Accepted Answer

Cesare Lombroso is known for his theory of atavism, which suggests that criminality is the result of primitive urges that survived the evolutionary process. Lombroso believed that criminals were evolutionary throwbacks who displayed physical characteristics reminiscent of earlier stages of human evolution.

Question 11

To date, nearly 200 studies exist researching the "supermale" phenomenon or the XYY supermale. Although not all researchers agree, taken as a group these studies tend to show that supermales have what five common characteristics?

Accepted Answer

The answer of To date, nearly 200 studies exist researching...

Question 12

Ernst Kretschmer identified ________ as a mixed grup of offenders who are highly emotional and often unable to control themselves, and who primarily committed sexual offences and other crimes of passion.

Accepted Answer

Kretschmer identified "displastics" as a mixed group of offenders characterized by high emotionality and lack of self-control, often committing sexual offenses and crimes of passion.

Question 13

According to a large study conducted by Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck, the body type that William Sheldon identified as the ___________ was confirmed.

Accepted Answer

The Glueck study confirmed Sheldon's mesomorph body type.

Question 14

Aggressive behaviour has been linked to ________, a male sex hormone.

Accepted Answer

Testosterone is the male sex hormone that has been linked to aggressive behaviour.

Question 15

Research studies have found in animal studies that a link exists between low levels of ____________ in the brain and aggressive behaviour.

Accepted Answer

Research studies have consistently found a correlation between low levels of serotonin in the brain and increased aggression in animals. Low levels of serotonin have also been linked to impulsive behavior and poor emotional regulation.

Question 16

________ made the claim that sociobiology is a branch of evolutionary biology and modern population biology.

Accepted Answer

Edward O. Wilson is credited for coining the term "sociobiology" and he believed that it is a branch of evolutionary biology and modern population biology.

Question 17

According to William Sheldon's somatotypes, the ____________ body type exhibited a temperament that was restrained and introverted.

Accepted Answer

According to Sheldon's theory, ectomorphs are characterized as having a restrained and introverted temperament. They are often described as being sensitive, anxious, and self-conscious. Endomorphs, on the other hand, are typically more sociable, relaxed, and outgoing, while mesomorphs are seen as assertive and adventurous. The balanced and adopted options do not relate to Sheldon's somatotypes.

Question 18

Prenatal alcohol exposure also seems to be linked to delinquency and ___________________ later in life.

Accepted Answer

Prenatal alcohol exposure has been associated with an increased risk of developing psychiatric problems later in life, such as anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Question 19

The proportion of homicides committed by men versus women has ______________.

Accepted Answer

According to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the proportion of homicides committed by men versus women has remained relatively constant over the past few decades. In 2018, for example, men were the offenders in 88.9% of homicide cases, while women were the offenders in only 11.1% of cases. This trend has been consistent over the past several decades, indicating that the answer is A.

Quiz 6: Biological Roots of Criminal Behaviour