Evolutionary Psychology and Criminal Behavior

Anthony Walsh, Boise State University

Abstract

Sociological theories of crime should be considered incomplete rather than incorrect, and rather than dropping theories I believe still have something to offer, I suggest that they can be improved and extended by integrating relevant biosocial concepts. I hope to convince the reader that what have been called vertical integration (conceptual consistency across the social/behavioral and natural sciences [Barkow, 1989; Cosmides, Tooby, & Barkow, 1992 ; Wilson, 1998]) is vital for the furtherance of criminological theory. Because this essay is addressed to fellow criminologists and other social scientists, I feel that an understanding of the importance of vertical integration in criminological theory will be best achieved by not straying too far afield. I thus organize my discussion around traditional criminology issues, beginning with a discussion of the basic questions of rule-making and rule-breaking from the perspective of evolutionary psychology. I then look at specific types of crimes from this perspective, followed by a discussion of evolutionary theories of criminal behavior.