PSYCHOLOGY OF EMOTIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -Criticism on Cesare Lombroso’s Theory of Crime and Atavism Some of the most important criticisms were that he did not interpret his findings correctly, and that he did not examine them critically. It is now widely agreed upon that his findings were not accurate and do not support his theory of atavism and degeneration.

Detailed explanation-2: -Ultimately, his theories were completely undermined by methodological weaknesses (poor sampling technique, bias in gathering data, poor statistics) and by his idea that physical stigmata of criminality were intrinsically biological rather than, often, the consequence of malnutrition and poverty.

Detailed explanation-3: -Lombroso argued that criminals could be identified through general characteristics they shared with one another, which he designated as composing a criminal type. His core idea was atavism, which means that he understood criminals to be evolutionary throwbacks who were inferior to non criminals.

Detailed explanation-4: -Goring (1913) carried out a study comparing over 2000 London convicts with a control group. He failed to replicate Lombroso’s findings.