Biological Theories of Manic-Depression Like every mental illness, there is no definitive evidence concerning the etiology of manic-depression, also known as bipolar disorder. The disorder is characterized by alternating periods of depression and mania and occurs in 1% of the population. The depressive episodes can range in severity from dysthymia to major depressive episodes. The major depressive episodes are classified as periods of at least two weeks in length during which sadness, lethargy
The purpose of this essay is to explain why it will be a problem to explain biological warfare with the SCOT theory, actor-network theory and technological systems theory. Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) is a theory that was introduced by Weiber Bijker that explains the link between social and technical processes of a technology or artifact. Bjiker argued that technology is shaped by human engineers, market forces, consumer’s needs and demands. In SCOT, technology is a social construction
Criminal behaviour has always been part of human history and criminologists have developed different theories to explain causes of crime. One must keep in mind that criminology is an interdisciplinary science and many theorists developed a variety of explanations. Scientists like Cesare Lombroso and William Sheldon developed biological positivism with the understanding that a human is committing crimes because of factors that lie beyond their own control, namely physical make up or mental ability
a number of theories of crime. The most prevalent theories are; general social disorganization theory, rational choice, strain theory, biological theory, social control theory and social learning theory. The aforementioned concepts all seek to the answer the question of “why” of crime. Each offer their own unique hypothesis on what drives an individual to commit crime. This writing will provide a cursory overview of the above listed theories. Social Disorganization Theory Social disorganization
The Language Behind Dawkins’ Selfish Gene Theory According to Michael Polanyi, our understanding of a concept depends in part on the language we use to describe it. Connie Barlow's book, From Gaia to Selfish Genes, looks at metaphors in science as integral parts of some new biological theories. One example is Richard Dawkins' theory about the selfish gene, where he claims that the most basic unit of humanity, the gene, is a selfish entity unto itself that exists outside the realm of our individual
The early thinking for biological theories was the belief that individual difference could be scientifically measured. Early biological theories see deviant behavior as a defect in the individual as a result from something else. This defect can be biological or genetic and is there to separate the criminal who is doing wrong in society from the law-abiding citizen that follows all the rules set by the law. Punishment serves a different goal in biological theories. While punishment may be a good thing
have developed theories in an attempt to understand why people commit crime. Although, many theories have been created to establish a link between man and criminology many researchers suspect different factors lead man to criminal behavior. Furthermore, we will analyze the following theories, which include positivist theory, biological theory, and psychology theory to correlate their relationship to crime and identify the differences among them beginning with the positivist theory. The positivist
on Biological Theories In the study of criminology some scholars have theorized that criminal behavior can be explained through genetic and internal factors effecting the body. This form of positivism holds that people don’t commit criminal acts based solely on free choice, but on uncontrollable factors based on the individual’s genetic makeup. Past biological theories present themselves as unicausal at best; however, can be accepted as relative when studying integrated criminology theories. After
science. A book which I have read recently seems to fit in with this type of discussion. Blaming the Brain, by Eliot Valenstein, describes the major biological theories of mental illness and the lack of evidence we have to fully support them. What Valenstein argues is that we have come to a point where we accept all mental illness as purely biological in origin, and have discarded older ideas about social and psychological effects, rather then attempting to see how these two different types of explanations
Theories have been used in many subjects such as science, philosophy, criminology etc… They are what we use to help us gain an understanding of the world we live in. In criminology, it is used to help us define criminality; what causes crime, and why an individual choose to commit crime. These models of comprehension come from three major explanations: sociological, biological and psychological. However, the two more well-known ones are biological and psychological. Biological focuses on the relation
Biological crime theory describes that an individual is born with the desire to commit a certain crime. Evolutionary factors influence an individual’s involvement in criminal behavior. “Biological theories focus on aspects of the physical body, such as inherited genes, evolutionary factors, brain structures, or the role of hormones in influencing behavior” (Marsh, I, 2006, 3). Murderers that are innate to kill are born with factors such as mental illnesses that are the driving force as to why one
Evidence shows that ( Hutchings & Mednick, 1975) supporting the biological theory that the roles of the genetic pool have an explanation for aggressive behaviour. Hutchings & Mednicks found that a majority of adopted boys from Denmark had biological parents that held criminal records. They took 14,000 samples of adoptions in Denmark for their findings it explained that there is a genetic impact on aggressive behaviour with the biological parents being criminals. However, Hutchings & Mednicks evidence
Vogel, 2011). Since their belief is on the cause-and-effect of relationships rather than the free-will to self-determine an active choice (Bohm &Vogel, 2011). Positivists biological theories and psychological theories are often hard to decipher since the two theories overlap (Hagan, 2017). Although it is clear that both biological and psychological factors play a role in criminal engagements and activities, understanding the difference between the two may present a challenge (Hagan, 2017). Positivists
critically analyse two contrasting theories/approaches to the diagnosis of Attention Deficiency Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). The two approaches are the biological theory which posits that ADHD is a mental disorder that has a biological basis in aetiology and the Social Construct Theory which indicates that ADHD is not a real disorder but a socially constructed explanation for behaviours that are outside social norms. The essay will describe the elements of both theories and then will outline their limitations
contribute to making human beings more civilized or they propagate the innate violent nature of human beings that has characterized their way of life. Several theories have been proposed to try to give an explanation to this peculiar human behavior. Among these theories are the biological, the psychological and the social learning theory. Biological theory asserts that aggression is an inevitable component that is part and parcel of human relations (Maguire 2008 p 54). Based on this view some biologists and
Research and investigation are constantly conducted in this area of health and there are many avenues of treatment provided by health professionals today. Biological theory of depression First proposed by Schildkraut in 1965, was one of the main biological theories explaining depression, currently known as the ‘Monoamine Theory’. This theory suggests that depression is caused by dysfunction of the monoamine transmitters in the brain, resulting in a shortage of monoamines including 5-hydroxytryptamine
Lombroso’s biological theory of crime: The most vivid example of the biological determinism is the theory of Cesare Lombroso. Lombroso based his theory on the assumption that criminals have certain physiognomic features or abnormalities. Lombroso wanted to be able to detect future criminals in order to isolate them from the society. This gave criminology a strong push to create new methods of dealing with criminals and prevent crimes. Lombroso implied that prisoners had common facial characteristics
These explanations have ranged to biological factors to how the way our society views violence. In this essay I will explain how some theories could explain these events and how they can help deter it from happening again. First theories would be the biological theories. In these theories it is assumed that there is something biologically wrong with the individual. This can include a variety of things such as structures of the brain that are
When looking at the biological theory of addiction, the mind that is related to the emotional and mental state of a person. It is said that the biological theory is based on Genetic inheritance. With that being said it has been researched that the strongest genes cause contributing factor to the brains dysfunctions in people whose drinking problems started at young ages. I found out that research in this area continues, to say that we learn that some models are more relevant to particular addictions
abundance of theories that attempt to explain this deviancy, and whilst there isn’t a theory that ascertains a faultless solution to crime, many theories do provide some valid rationalisations. So, are we given the choice to peruse deviant actions or are we born into an inevitable life of crime? This is the question that biological positivism attempts to answer. Positivists theorist’s view human behaviour as ordained by variables beyond the power of the individual, juxtaposing classical theories which assert