Walters and White conclude that "current genetic research on crime has been poorly designed, ambiguously reported, and exceedingly inadequate in addressing the relevant issues." The major flaw in many of Walters and White's critical comments is their lack of specificity. They repeatedly present vague or global criticisms of the research, without specific supporting arguments. The most obvious examples of unsubstantiated criticisms in Walters and White's review can be found in the tables presented throughout their paper. In these tables, they list family, twin, and adoption studies by authors' names and evaluate them on their handling of relevant methodological concerns. Each study receives a plus or a minus for each methodological category. The reasons for assigning the plus or minus, however, are not discussed in depth. The reader is left to guess at the basis of the evaluation. When Walters and White do make specific critical comments in their review, their logic is often questionable or at least incomplete. The title itself implies that Walters and White have determined that all research that focuses on heredity as a factor in criminal behavior is "bad" research. This suggests that they entered their evaluation with a bias against such research. 5 references
Downloads
Similar Publications
- Multidisciplinary Threat Assessment and Management Teams in Practice: Common Elements and Operations of Community Based MTAMTs
- Trauma, Trust in Government, and Social Connection: How Social Context Shapes Attitudes Related to the Use of Ideologically or Politically Motivated Violence
- Women's Use of Aggression and Their Depressive Symptoms: The Mediating Effect of Aggression-Related Shame and Avoidance Coping Among Women Experiencing Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence