positivist criminology

an approach that seeks to explain criminal behavior not as an exercise of free will or choice (as is the case in classical criminology) but rather as a consequence of various internal factors (e.g., biological, psychological) and external factors (e.g., cultural, social) that affect human behavior. See also criminal anthropology.

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Psychology term of the day

September 8th 2024

drift

1. a reduction in variation in genetic traits that can occur when sampling from continually smaller groups, such that some traits ultimately become excluded from possibility.

2. a reduction in the reliability of technical instruments orin the accuracy of observers over time. See instrument drift; observer drift.