Abstract
Psychology, biology, and sociology theories of traits associated with criminal propensity and behavior are discussed. Evidence of psychological personality traits is backed by considerable research. Psychiatric diagnoses—particularly antisocial personality disorder, which includes behavioral traits such as rule breaking and several personality types such as psychopathy (which in turn includes traits such as lack of remorse and lack of self control)—have been associated with criminal propensity and behavior. Recently, with the help of neuroimaging and genomic testing, biological traits have been correlated with psychological personality traits. The focus has been on the brain—prefrontal cortex and amygdala regions, which are responsible for emotional control and processing—and on genes controlling for various neurochemicals, particularly serotonin. Sociological “traits” such as failure to complete high school, poverty, poor parenting, and gang membership are also associated with crime. However, there is no single psychological, biological, or sociological profile reliably associated with criminal behavior, and trait theories are preliminary and controversial.
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