Smith, Stephanie
06/15/2017
Comprehensive Exams: Theory Question __1__ Nature versus Nurture
There has been a debate that has long been discussed between social theorist and criminologist. That discussion focuses on whether a person is born with traits that make them commit criminal acts or has nature, the environment, caused the person to become a criminal. This debate is about nature (genetic factors) versus nurture (social learning) and its focus on an individual’s choices they make in their life, either good or bad. This debate focuses on whether or not a human beings character is developed by their genetic make-up, where they grew up or how society plays a factor for what a person becomes.
The debate over nature versus nurture began …show more content…
Those factors may include fascism, sexism, racism and many people would disagree with this thought. Behavior genetics is the study of hereditary versus environmental factors as how they impact a person’s character and personality. Geneticists research is trying to prove that what genes a person is born with does not determine how a person may react to an event, whether we are smart or whether we become criminals. Test have shown that genetics play an important role as for what traits a person inherits. These traits include empathy, a lower intelligence level, and a person’s ability to resist criminal behavior when faced with that kind of decision (Treadwell, 2013, p 130).
Biosocial theory serves to advance arguments about prevention rather than conviction as allowing punishment considerations when used for physically identifying the differences between offenders. Researchers do know that in one area of a person’s psyche:
“Prefrontal dysfunction theory posits that the brain’s prefrontal cortex (PFC) is vital to the so-called executive functions such as planning and modulating emotions. If the PFC is damaged in any way, the individual is deficient in these executive functions and tends to be impulsive” (Treadwell, 2013).
This is not saying that someone with prefrontal damage is more likely to commit a …show more content…
Thus, when the word “dysfunctional” is used in biosocial theory, this does not relate to a normative claim as to what is normal or not, neither does it mean that this behavior automatically is something that should be banned (leave alone the entire person in which this dysfunction is present). It merely means that a certain characteristic diverts from what is generally empirically observed (for example, the size of an amygdala diverts significantly from its mean size) ((Heylen, Pauwels, Beaver & Ruffinengo, pp 88;
06/15/2017
Comprehensive Exams: Theory Question __1__ Nature versus Nurture
There has been a debate that has long been discussed between social theorist and criminologist. That discussion focuses on whether a person is born with traits that make them commit criminal acts or has nature, the environment, caused the person to become a criminal. This debate is about nature (genetic factors) versus nurture (social learning) and its focus on an individual’s choices they make in their life, either good or bad. This debate focuses on whether or not a human beings character is developed by their genetic make-up, where they grew up or how society plays a factor for what a person becomes.
The debate over nature versus nurture began …show more content…
Those factors may include fascism, sexism, racism and many people would disagree with this thought. Behavior genetics is the study of hereditary versus environmental factors as how they impact a person’s character and personality. Geneticists research is trying to prove that what genes a person is born with does not determine how a person may react to an event, whether we are smart or whether we become criminals. Test have shown that genetics play an important role as for what traits a person inherits. These traits include empathy, a lower intelligence level, and a person’s ability to resist criminal behavior when faced with that kind of decision (Treadwell, 2013, p 130).
Biosocial theory serves to advance arguments about prevention rather than conviction as allowing punishment considerations when used for physically identifying the differences between offenders. Researchers do know that in one area of a person’s psyche:
“Prefrontal dysfunction theory posits that the brain’s prefrontal cortex (PFC) is vital to the so-called executive functions such as planning and modulating emotions. If the PFC is damaged in any way, the individual is deficient in these executive functions and tends to be impulsive” (Treadwell, 2013).
This is not saying that someone with prefrontal damage is more likely to commit a …show more content…
Thus, when the word “dysfunctional” is used in biosocial theory, this does not relate to a normative claim as to what is normal or not, neither does it mean that this behavior automatically is something that should be banned (leave alone the entire person in which this dysfunction is present). It merely means that a certain characteristic diverts from what is generally empirically observed (for example, the size of an amygdala diverts significantly from its mean size) ((Heylen, Pauwels, Beaver & Ruffinengo, pp 88;