© 2003 Wadsworth Publishing Co.

Chapter 6Trait Theory

Criminology 8th edition

Larry J. Siegel

QUESTION

Do you think that people who commit crime are physically or mentally abnormal?

TRAIT THEORIES

Trait theories are made up of biosocial and psychological theories.

The primary focus of trait theories is human behavior and the link to anti-social behavior, i.e., aggression, violence, and criminality.

Biological and Psychological Traits

Both biological and psychological traits have been linked to criminal behavior, but not as causal linkages.

It is the “multiple factor” approach or the interaction of mental and physical traits with environmental and social factors that either suppress or trigger criminal behavior.

The focus is generally on persistent or chronic offenders.

Foundations of Biological Trait Theory

Biological explanation of criminal behavior first became popular during the middle part of the 19th

Century with the introduction of positivism.

What is positivism?

Positivism

Positivism rejects the concept of free will.

Crime can only be understood if it is studied by the scientific method.

Human behavior is a function of internal and external forces, i.e., social, biological, psychological, or economic forces.

Early Positivists Early positivists included:

Lombroso (belief that certain physical characteristics indicate a criminal nature).

Garofalo (certain physical characteristics and psychological

characteristics indicate criminal nature).

Ferri (belief in biological, social and organic factors as a cause of crime and delinquency).

Sheldon (belief in body types which were susceptible to certain types of delinquent behavior).

MethodologyMethodology

TestingTesting

LogicLogic

Problems With Early Positivist Theories

The research The research of the of the

earliest earliest positivists positivists (who were (who were biologists) biologists)

was plagued was plagued by poor:by poor:

Biosocial Trait Theories

Biochemical Conditions and Crime

Neurophysiological Conditions and Crime

Genetics and Crime

Evolutionary Views and Crime

Principles of Biosocial Trait Theories

Genetic makeup contributes significantly to human behavior.

Not all humans are born with equal potential to learn and achieve.

This combination produces individual human behavior patterns.

QUESTION

How does a biosocial theorists

explain learning?

Crime, especially Crime, especially violence, is a functionviolence, is a functionof diet, vitamin intake,of diet, vitamin intake,hormonal imbalance,hormonal imbalance,

or food allergies.or food allergies.

Crime, especially Crime, especially violence, is a functionviolence, is a functionof diet, vitamin intake,of diet, vitamin intake,hormonal imbalance,hormonal imbalance,

or food allergies.or food allergies.

CAUSECAUSECAUSECAUSE

Explains irrationalExplains irrationalviolence. Shows how violence. Shows how

the environment the environment interacts with personal interacts with personal

traits to influencetraits to influencebehavior.behavior.

Explains irrationalExplains irrationalviolence. Shows how violence. Shows how

the environment the environment interacts with personal interacts with personal

traits to influencetraits to influencebehavior.behavior.

STRENGTHSSTRENGTHSSTRENGTHSSTRENGTHS

Biosocial Theory:Biochemical Perspective

QUESTION

Is there a link between sugar and antisocial behavior? Is there a link between hormones

and antisocial behavior?

Biochemical ConsiderationsBiochemical Considerations

Aggression and criminal behavior have been linked to diet. Some believe sugar intake is one culprit. If this is true, to what extent is behavior voluntarily induced by these foods?

Aggression and criminal behavior have been linked to diet. Some believe sugar intake is one culprit. If this is true, to what extent is behavior voluntarily induced by these foods?

Criminals and delinquents often sufferbrain impairment, as measured by the EEG.

Attention deficit disorder and minimum brain dysfunction arerelated to antisocial

behavior.

Criminals and delinquents often sufferbrain impairment, as measured by the EEG.

Attention deficit disorder and minimum brain dysfunction arerelated to antisocial

behavior.

CAUSECAUSE

Explains irrationalviolence. Shows how

the environmentinteracts with

personal traits toinfluence behavior.

Explains irrationalviolence. Shows how

the environmentinteracts with

personal traits toinfluence behavior.

STRENGTHSSTRENGTHS

Biosocial Theory:Biosocial Theory:Neurological PerspectiveNeurological Perspective

Neurological ImpairmentNeurological Impairment

If the medical community tells us that neurological impairment was related to violent crime can the offender be held accountable?

If the medical community tells us that neurological impairment was related to violent crime can the offender be held accountable?

If research in the community finds similar impairments in non-offenders, does this change the issue of culpability among offenders who have the impairment?

If research in the community finds similar impairments in non-offenders, does this change the issue of culpability among offenders who have the impairment?

Biosocial Theory:Biosocial Theory:Genetic PerspectiveGenetic Perspective

Criminal traits andCriminal traits andpredispositions arepredispositions are

inherited. The inherited. The criminality of parentscriminality of parents

can predict thecan predict thedelinquency ofdelinquency of

children.children.

CAUSECAUSE

Explains why only aExplains why only asmall percentage of small percentage of

youth in a high-crimeyouth in a high-crimearea become chronicarea become chronic

offendersoffenders..

STRENGTHSSTRENGTHS

Biosocial Theory:Biosocial Theory:Evolutionary PerspectiveEvolutionary Perspective

As the human raceAs the human raceevolved, traits and evolved, traits and characteristics havecharacteristics havebecome ingrained. become ingrained. Some of these makeSome of these make

people aggressive andpeople aggressive andpredisposed to predisposed to commit crime.commit crime.

CAUSECAUSE

Explains highExplains highviolence rates and violence rates and aggregate gender aggregate gender differences in thedifferences in the

crime rate.crime rate.

STRENGTHSSTRENGTHS

QUESTION

It there is a biological basis to violence and aggression – then how would a biosocial

theorist explain white collar crime?

Evaluation of Biosocial Trait Theory

Criticisms If there are biological

explanations for street crimes then by implication biological theory says that member of groups are biologically different, flawed or inferior

Response Rather than suggest that

there are born criminals and non-criminals, proponents maintain that some people carry the potential to be violent or antisocial and that environmental conditions can sometimes trigger antisocial responses

PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAIT THEORIES

Psychodynamic

Behavioral

Cognitive

Social Learning

Mental Illness and crime

Personality and Crime

Intelligence and Crime

Psychological Theory:Psychodynamic Perspective

Psychological Theory:Psychodynamic Perspective

Major Premise…..

The development of the unconscious personality early in childhood influence behavior for the rest of a person’s life. Criminals have weak egos and damaged personalities i.e., anger, sexuality, tendencies. Created by Sigmund Freud.

Strengths….

Explains the onset of crime and why crime and drug abuse cut across class lines.

Psychological Theory:Behavioral PerspectivePsychological Theory:Behavioral Perspective

Major Premise…..People commit crime when

they model their behavior after others they see being rewarded for the same acts. Behavior is reinforced by rewards and extinguished by punishment, i.e., learning processes.

Strengths….Explains the role of

significant others in the crime process. Shows how family life and media can influence crime and violence.

Behavior andvalues become

consistent

Behavior andvalues become

consistent

Social Learning Theory(Life Experiences)

Social Learning Theory(Life Experiences)

Factors thatFactors thathelp producehelp produceviolence andviolence andaggressionaggression..

Factors thatFactors thathelp producehelp produceviolence andviolence andaggressionaggression..

Expectedoutcomes

-rewards

Expectedoutcomes

-rewards

Learnedaggressive

skills

Learnedaggressive

skills

An eventthat

heightensarousal

An eventthat

heightensarousal

Major Premise…..Individual reasoning

processes influence behavior. Reasoning is influenced by the way people perceive their environment and by their moral and intellectual development, i.e., thinking, memory, ethical values.

Strengths….Shows why criminal

behavior patterns change over time as people mature and develop their moral reasoning. May explain aging-out process.

Psychological Theory:Cognitive Theory

Crime and Mental Illness

A great deal of early research efforts found that many offenders who engage in serious, violent crimes suffer

from some sort of mental disturbance. However, empirical evidence has contradicted this.

Research shows that upon release, prisoners who had prior histories of hospitalization for mental disorders were less likely to be rearrested than those who had

never been hospitalized.

Mentally disordered inmates who do recidivate upon release appear to do so for the same reasons as the

mentally sound.

Personality and Crime - Trait

Personality can be defined as the reasonably stable patterns of behavior, including thoughts and emotions that distinguish one person from another. Personality

reflects a characteristic way of adapting to life’s demands and problems.

Psychopaths Sociopaths

Anti-Social PersonalitiesI

Abnormal Affect

Intelligence and Crime

What is the difference between nature theory and nurture theory?

Do you think IQ and crime are linked?

If so, why are there more male than female criminals? Or, Why does “aging out” occur?