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Brain Neurotransmitters Role of Neurotransmitters and Hormones

This document discusses the role of neurotransmitters like serotonin in crime causation and summarizes different theories relating physical characteristics and body types to personality traits and criminal behaviors. It discusses William Sheldon's somatotype theory which classified people into endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph body types associated with different personality traits and criminal tendencies. It also discusses the similar work of Ernest Kretschmer and Earnest Hooton who linked certain physical characteristics and body types to mental disorders and criminal behavior.

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533 views4 pages

Brain Neurotransmitters Role of Neurotransmitters and Hormones

This document discusses the role of neurotransmitters like serotonin in crime causation and summarizes different theories relating physical characteristics and body types to personality traits and criminal behaviors. It discusses William Sheldon's somatotype theory which classified people into endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph body types associated with different personality traits and criminal tendencies. It also discusses the similar work of Ernest Kretschmer and Earnest Hooton who linked certain physical characteristics and body types to mental disorders and criminal behavior.

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Phebjoszelle Cdl Jvr Libre
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© © All Rights Reserved
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MODULE 5

LESSON’S OBJECTIVE:
1. DISCUSS THE ROLE OF NEUROTRANSMITTER TO CRIME CAUSATION.
2. DIFFERENTIATE THE WORK OF WILLIAM SHELDON TO EARNEST KRETCHMER.
3. DISCUSS THE WORK OF EARNEST HOOTON

BRAIN NEUROTRANSMITTERS
ROLE OF NEUROTRANSMITTERS AND
HORMONES
There are many neurotransmitters that have been implicated in emotional and crime related behavior.
Studies conducted on experimental animals and case studies of
individuals have shown that lowering serotonin levels in the brain can trigger aggressive
behavior.
These lower levels can be caused by intake of certain drugs or even destruction
of regions in the brain that is heavily concentrated with serotonin neurons. It is also implicated in not just
acts of external violence but self-inflicted harm such as suicide
(Badaway, 2003; Glick, 2015; Krakowski, 2003).
Serotonin was also found to inhibit both predatory and affective aggression. In the case of affective
aggression, the serotonergic hypo function is also found to have a hereditary basis, wherein it predisposes an
individual towards hostility and impulsive behaviour. A reduction in serotonergic functioning is observed in
the circuit involving emotional regulation, including the anterior cingulate cortex and the prefrontal cortex,
which then leads to affective aggression. This dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex is also found to become
morbid with the affective aggression in various other conditions, namely, substance abuse and suicidal
tendencies (Seo, Patrick, & Kennealy, 2008).
One of the hypotheses ascertaining the link between levels of serotonin and aggression is the ‘low
serotonin syndrome” implying that people in such a state have an “impulsive personality”, and the “irritable
aggression model” postulate that hypo-functioning of serotonin neurons lead to increased irritation and
increased reactivity to triggers and situations (Badaway, 2003). Low levels of serotonin in the cerebrospinal
fluid (CSF) are characteristic of a person who is impulsive and aggressive (Glenn & Raine, 2014).

Fast facts on serotonin:

 Serotonin is an important chemical and neurotransmitter in the human body.


 It is believed to help regulate mood and social behavior, appetite and digestion, sleep, memory, and
sexual desire and function.
 There may be a link between serotonin and depression. If so, it is unclear whether low serotonin levels
contribute to depression, or if depression causes a fall in serotonin levels.
 Drugs that alter serotonin levels are used to treat depression, nausea, and migraine, and they may
have a role in obesity and Parkinson’s disease.
 Other ways to increase body serotonin levels may include mood induction, light, exercise, and diet.

Modern Bio Criminology

 Modern bio-criminology was theorized by Cesare Lombroso, and Italian Criminologist. He argued that
criminals were born, not made, and that they were evolutionary throwback to a time when people and
particularly men were more aggressive and violent and less able to be civilized.
 The sub-discipline of criminology that investigates biological and genetic factors and their relation to
criminal behaviors.
SOMATOTYPE THEORY

This somatotype theory relates to the distincteve body types to personality characteristics and relates
criminal behavior to the body type. People are born with an inherited body type based on skeletal frame and
body composition.

Somatotyping is the classification of people into types according to body build.

William H. Sheldon

- He was an American psychologist, born on November 19,


1898.
- He was best known for his theory associating physique,
personality, and crime or delinquency known as
Somatotyping Theory.
- Somatotyping theory, maintains the belief of inheritance as the
primary determinants of behavior and the physique is a
reliable indicator of personality.

Classification of Body Physique by Sheldon

a. The endomorphs – a type with predominance of soft and


rounded throughout the regions of the body. They have
low specific gravity and commonly persons with typically
relaxed and comfortable disposition.

Body Features
- Soft body, underdeveloped muscles, round shaped, over-
developed digestive system

Associated Personality Traits


(mostly “viscerotonic” types – extrovert) including;
- Love of food, being tolerant, evenness of emotions
- Love of comfort, sociable, good humored, relaxed
- Need for affection

Associated Criminal Behavior


- Proneness to crimes involving deceit and fraud

b. The Mesomorphs – refers to the athletic types, those with a predominance of muscle, bone and
connective tissue, normally heavy, hard and firm, sting and tough. They are the people who are
routinely active and aggressive.
Body Features
- Hard muscular body, overly mature appearance
- Rectangular shaped, thick skin, upright posture

Associated Personality Traits


(mostly “somotonic” types – active/aggressive)
- Adventurous, desire for power and dominance
- Courageous, assertive, bold, zest for physical activity, being competitive, love of risk and chance

Associated Criminal Behavior


- Routinely active and prone to violent crimes
- Prone to sexual assault

The Ectomorphs – thin physique, flat chest, delicacy through the body, slender, poorly muscled. They tend
to look more fatigue and withdrawn.

Body Features
- Thin/flat chest, delicate build, young appearance
- Tall but lightly muscled, stoop-shouldered, large brain

Associated Personality Traits


(mostly “celebrotonic” types – introvert)
- Self- conscious and preference for privacy, introverted and inhibited, socially anxious
- Artistic and mentally intense, emotionally restrained

Associated Criminal Behavior


- Proneness to crimes against property

 Similar classification of somatotypes was developed by


German psychiatrist Ernst Kretschmer in 1921.

Ernest Kretschmer (1888- 1964) Criminal Physical Inferiority


Theory

- Kretschmer became popular in the field of criminology, for his work


on body physique and character in 1925, which advanced the
theory that certain mental disorders were more common among
people of specific physical types.
- The idea of somatotyping was originated from his work, who
distinguish three principal types of physique as:
o Asthenic – lean, slightly built, narrow shoulders
o Athletic – medium to tall, strong, muscular, course bones
o Pyknic – medium height, rounded figure, massive neck, broad face
- Kretschmer suggested that the lanky asthenics, and to a lesser degree the athletic types, were more
prone to schizophrenia, while the pyknic types were more likely to develop manic- depressive
disorders.
- According to him, pyknic persons are friendly and interpersonally dependent (Manic Types). The
thin physique is associated with introversion and timidity (withdrawn types).
Earnest A. Hooton (1887- 1954)

Earnest Albert Hooton, was a Physical Anthropologist, born


on November 20, 1887.

Although not a criminologist, he is popularly known in the


field of criminology for his Criminal Physical Inferiority
Theory.

The underpinnings of his ideas concerning the physical


inferiority of criminals are reflected in one of his earlier works,
The Asymmetrical Character of Human Evolution, in which he
argues that human development has not been uniform, but
rather that some traits have developed differently for different
subsets of people.

It was his anthropological background which led him to the study of criminals and criminal behavior
as linked to physically inherited characteristics.

Hooton felt that he had discovered that the cause of criminal or deviant behavior was the physical
inferiority of the criminal in comparison to the non-criminal. He also re-examined the work of Charles
Goring and found out that “Tall thin men tend to commit forgery and fraud, undersized men are thieves
and burglars, short heavy person commit assault, rape and other sex crimes; whereas mediocre
(average) physique flounder around among other crimes.

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