James Q. Wilson and Richard J. Herrnstein 1985 put forward a biosocial theory of criminal behaviour. In their view, crime is caused by combination of biological and social factors. Biological differences between individuals make some people innately more strongly predisposed to commit crime than others. For…
Nature vs. Nurture – A debate within psychology that explores the extent to which specific aspects of behavior are inherited or learnt as a result of environmental influences.…
Summary: The Psychological Theory School says that criminal behavior is a outcome of people differences in the way they mentally think. Believe that a person thoughts and feelings determine one action. These choices are because of psychological determinism, that determines that the way we reason and act is because of our best urge to do so.…
Over the course of the last century one of the greatest debates in psychology concerns, the basis of behaviour, specifically whether behaviour is innate i.e. genetically controlled, or whether it is learnt through the socio-cultural environment. This is often referred to as the Nature vs. Nurture debate. There are two main arguments on this issue. The ‘Nativist’ claims that all behaviour is innate believing that genes control the majority of animal behaviour. On the other hand, the empiricist position suggests that all behaviour is learned through an individuals cultural experience and conditioning – that individuals begin life as blanks slates. Extremes of both these positions are reductionist, since they explain all behaviour at one level of explanation. This debate has evolved in such a way that the modern question is not whether behaviour is innate or learned, but rather how much of behaviour, if any, is genetically determined. Most psychologists now accept that both heredity and the environment are necessary for human existence and influence our behaviour. Therefore the question has shifted to considering to what extent nature or nurture affects our behaviour and how they interact– not so much nature or nurture, as nature via nurture. The debate endures because both sides have the ability to create a scientific environment to support their cause.…
Crime is bad behavior displayed by citizens who reject societal norms and instead chose to commit crime. However, there are many types of theories of why crime occurs the most prevalent cause for crime involves the social environment of the criminal offender. Psychological theories discusses that these interruptions in childhood development is the cause for crime but because the delays developmental is the effect of the criminal’s environment. The same goes for biological theories that find genetic or biological factors that make a person more prone to become a criminal but require certain environmental factors for the person in reality to become a criminal.…
The relentless debate about the effects of nature and nurture in determining a psychopath presents two very convincing sides of the story that have resulted in a ‘deadlock’ in the debate. This is because many scientists; presented with a range of conflicting research have settled on the conclusion that both nature and nurture play a contributing role in shaping a so-called psychopath.…
This is a statement that researches have long sought the answer for, it all boils down to nature versus nurture. Is there a clear answer? I can honestly say now that I do not believe so, after evaluating both sides I see that nature and nurture seem to play an almost even role. Therefore, I do no think it is fair to determine this question with a yes or no answer, instead I hope to present the facts and allow others to make a judgment based on those. When beginning my research I had the advantage of working with top psychiatrists in my area to try and determine the cause of criminal behavior, and I realized very quickly that there are two very convincing opposing sides and no…
Are serial killers naturally, instinctive psychopaths or are they the result of a corrupt upbringing? Are you more at risk of becoming a smoker because of your genes or is it a result of the peers you socialize with? Now, these types of questions have instigated disputes among psychologists in determining who we are, whether it is a result of nature, such as heredity, or is it the outcome of the nurturing of one’s environment that shape our personality? In other words, were you born with a blank mind and over time you developed your characteristics or were you born with talents and characteristics since birth? Regarded as the oldest issue known in the field of psychology, nature versus nurture is and this debate centers on the question: How…
With nature versus nurture being a widely discussed debate it is easy to tie into different situations. "The debate within psychology is concerned with the extent to which aspects of behavior are a product of either inherited (i.e. genetic) or acquired (i.e. learned) characteristics” (McLeod).There is two sides to the debate nature…
Physical features, although unique in some measure, are proven to be acquired from the biological parents of any organism. The Nature v. Nurture debate relates to humans and how they develop their unique behavioral habits. Many who support the Nature Theory endorse essentially that a person’s intelligence, personality, aggression, and sexual orientation pertain primarily to their DNA stemmed from their biological parents (Powell). For example, if someone’s parents are depressed or violent, the Nature Theory supporters conclude that their offspring will also bear these negative these traits. However, the Nurture Theory presents that these behavioral aspects are originated predominantly from the environmental factors of our upbringing, which…
The debate regarding criminality being a result of nature or nurture has been a topic of discussion both within criminology and outside of it for decades. Criminologists brought forward theories attempting to address and explain this paradox, and explanations for crime included psychological, sociological, economical, biological reasons, amongst…
What makes people do inexplicable, terrible, socially unacceptable acts of violence? This question brings to mind the age old psychological theory, Nature vs. Nurture. Are people born predisposed for violence? Is there something genetically different about serial killers and murderers? Can their behavior be explained by a difference in their very make-up? Or are they made violent by seeing violence, having un-supportive and demanding parents, being mentally, sexually, and physically abused? Nature vs. nurture is one of the most sought after answers in the field of psychology and may never be “answered” but can be “understood” I feel study in the minds of serial killers has helped to define exactly what nature vs. nurture really means.…
Biological theories of crime causation follow the principle that many behavioral tendencies, including aggression and criminality, are constitutionally or physiologically influenced. Most of the usual sociological suspect would have come from a broken or abusive home, is a part of a family below the poverty or has a parent who is convicted criminal. All of these examples support the biological theories and most of the time people living in those conditions are more susceptible to…
The nature versus nurture debate is of constant discussion amongst psychologists today. In the 17th century the French philosopher Rene Descartes set out views which held that people possess certain inborn ideas that enduringly underpin people's approach to the world (Bee, p.3). On the other hand, the British philosopher John Locke took a more empirical approach emphasizing the role of experience as fully contributing to behavioral development (Bee, p.3). Since the days of Descartes and Locke, the empirical "nurture" approach has possibly tended to have the best of the argument but the debate is far from being settled.…
"Nature" and "nurture" both have relative roles in criminal behavior including how they both influence a person's perception of right and wrong. According to "Nature", DNA and genetics that a certain person has can have a huge impact on whether a person conducts in criminal activities or not. Environment and surroundings of an individual can also sway a person into committing crimes and this is know as "Nurture". Children and teens who live in bad neighborhods are believed to learn their criminal ways from seeing their peers, friends, and others commiting crimes as well, this is known as the learning theory. The learning theory is " The hypothesis that delinquents and criminals must be taught both the practical and the emotional skills necessary…