Lesson 3.3.1

3.3.1 What makes a criminal? (biological) Quiz: OCR Psychology, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 3.3.1, What makes a criminal? (biological): 20 multiple choice questions for the OCR Psychology (H567), Unit 3: Applied psychology (Component 03), written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which brain structure abnormalities are commonly linked to impulsive criminal behaviour in offenders?

    • Prefrontal cortex
    • Broca's area
    • Occipital lobe
    • Cerebellum

  2. Which neurotransmitter is most consistently linked to aggression and antisocial behaviour when levels are low?

    • Serotonin
    • Cortisol
    • Dopamine
    • Adrenaline

  3. Who proposed the historical theory that criminals can be identified by physical atavistic anomalies?

    • Adrian Raine
    • Cesare Lombroso
    • John Bowlby
    • Hans Eysenck

  4. Which chromosomal abnormality is historically and famously associated with increased aggressive criminal tendencies?

    • Down's syndrome
    • XYY syndrome
    • Turner's syndrome
    • XXY syndrome

  5. What twin concordance rate type provides the strongest biological evidence for a genetic basis of criminality?

    • Sibling concordance
    • Dizygotic concordance
    • Monozygotic concordance
    • Adoption correlation

  6. What did Adrian Raine's PET scan research find regarding the prefrontal cortex of murderers pleading not guilty by reason of insanity?

    • Normal metabolic rates
    • Accelerated neural growth
    • Increased brain volume
    • Reduced glucose metabolism

  7. John steals cars impulsively without planning. Which brain area is most likely underactive in John's case?

    • Prefrontal cortex
    • Visual cortex
    • Motor strip
    • Primary somatosensory area

  8. Mark has extremely low resting heart rate and commits crimes fearlessly. Which biological explanation best fits this?

    • Extra Y chromosome
    • Serotonin overload
    • Atavistic form
    • Fearlessness theory

  9. Sarah was adopted at birth. Her biological father has a severe criminal record, while her adoptive parents do not. Sarah develops criminal habits. What does this support?

    • Differential association
    • Maternal deprivation
    • Genetic transmission
    • Social learning theory

  10. Identical twin brothers both engage in armed robbery. What term describes this shared criminal trait?

    • Socialisation
    • Maturation
    • Concordance
    • Atavism

  11. Which hormone is frequently studied for its correlation with high levels of physical aggression in violent criminals?

    • Thyroxine
    • Melatonin
    • Oestrogen
    • Testosterone

  12. According to Lombroso, what physical feature was typical of a born criminal?

    • Large jaw
    • Symmetrical ears
    • High forehead
    • Delicate hands

  13. What term describes biological characteristics that mark a person as a primitive, evolutionary throwback?

    • Atavistic anomalies
    • Genetic mutations
    • Chromosomal aberrations
    • Neural deficits

  14. Which key methodological limitation applies to Cesare Lombroso's original prisoner research?

    • Subjective brain scans
    • Small sample size
    • Poor interview technique
    • Lack of control group

  15. What major ethical issue arises when establishing biological causes of crime such as genetic markers?

    • Deception of participants
    • Biological determinism
    • Lack of debriefing
    • Informed consent breach

  16. How might a biological criminologist explain why males commit statistically more violent crimes than females?

    • Parental socialisation
    • Economic deprivation
    • Hormonal differences
    • Differential association

  17. Which methodological strength applies to modern neuroimaging studies of violent offenders?

    • Complete sample retention
    • Zero measurement error
    • High ecological validity
    • Objective brain measures

  18. If a genetic study finds 50 percent concordance in identical twins and 20 percent in non-identical twins, what does this indicate?

    • Absolute genetic destiny
    • Partial genetic influence
    • Pure environmental cause
    • Zero biological impact

  19. Why is the XYY chromosome explanation for criminality considered largely reductionist?

    • Relies on self-report
    • Ignores environmental factors
    • Lacks empirical testing
    • Uses biased samples

  20. What term describes the inherited genetic makeup that may predispose an individual to criminal behaviour?

    • Karyotype
    • Atavism
    • Phenotype
    • Genotype

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