Merton argues that most societies have cultural goals e.g. Merton suggested that certain social institutions put so much pressure on people that they feel the need to commit crime to meet there societal values and goals. One of the most prominent theories was developed by Robert Merton and is called the Social strain theory.

There are several sociological and environmental theories that look into the causes of crime. Social and environmental theory of crime causation. The strength of EysenckвЂ™s theory is that he simplifies which personality traits are more susceptible to committing crime e.g. This too could have an impact on the factor analysis. Eysenck only used patients of the Maudsley psychiatric hospital and not anyone who is deemed вЂњnormalвЂќ in society. It is also important to highlight the specific sampling of participation. (See Questionaire and Diagram below)Д®ysenck concluded that a combination of either extroversion/introversion or stable/unstable emotions form ones personality characteristics.Д¬riticism: criticism of EysenckвЂ™s work suggest that the questionnaire is flawed and that the participantвЂ™s response to questions about their own personality is subject to response bias. Using factor analysis, Eysenck used the results and grouped them under specific dimensions to conclude whether or not a person had a capacity for criminal tendencies. (McLeod, 2014)Д®ysenck developed a personality questionnaire which he then used whilst working at Maudsley psychiatric hospital in London in 1940. Hans Jurgen Eysenck focused on dimensions of personality to better the understand criminal behaviour and stated that traits such as introversion, extroversion, neuroticism and emotional stability were the dimensions that could be studied in order to better understand the personality of a criminal. An example of a dimension of personality would be whether ones personality is introvert вЂ“ subdued, shy, quiet or Extrovert вЂ“ bubbly, outgoing, sociable. Personalities are complex and have several different dimensions to consider. Personality traits of crime look at how the personality of a criminal and a non-criminal have developed. Eysenck also argued that crime commited is a result of a poor undeveloped conscious and particular personality traits. In relation to personality and the theory of crime causation, Eysenck suggested that it is the difference between having a strong conscious that determines whether someone will commit a crime or not. Eynsecks theory works on the basis that humans are hedonistic and look to avoid pain at any cost.

Personality theories of crime causation focus more on the nature argument, suggesting that traits of the personality are passed onto us. Hooten stated: вЂњHabitual criminals who are hopeless constitutional inferiors should be permanently incarcerated and not allowed to breedвЂќ (Vito, 2011) It is important to note that the majority of the early theorists of the Genetic theory were advocates of Eugenics, thus believing that persons of biological deficiencies should not be encouraged to breed because they would only procreate other evolutionary deficient humans. These persons couldвЂ™ve had physical similarities to the criminals, yet similarities were not recorded and their findings were based solely on the characteristics the criminals had based on LombrosoвЂ™s early criminal characteristic traits. The main criticism is that many of the participants selected were picked based on their physical structure or a specific job role. The research conducted by Lombroso and Hooten has been heavily criticised. Hooten also concluded that most murders were tall and thin and rapists were small. He noticed that many criminals has the genetic characteristics that Lombroso had mentioned such as the low forehead and included narrow jaws and compressed faces. Hooten 20,000 people (criminals and non-criminals) to determine the difference. Lombroso believed that criminals had physical characteristics similar to that of the primitive man such as a broad nose, a low forehead, a smaller skull and a lesser cranial capacity than that to a normal man.ДЄ study conducted by Earnest Hooten showed that criminals were physiologically deficient compared to non-criminals. Ceasre Lombroso вЂ“ who was influenced by Charles DarwinвЂ™sвЂ™ theory of natural selection вЂ“ believed that criminals were вЂњbiological throwbacks on the evolutionary scaleвЂќ (Vito, 2011) Many criminologists argued that criminals had particular genetic traits that contributed to criminal activity.

Theory of causality