Biological and Psychological Determinism Theories

Biological and Psychological Determinism Theories of Serial Murder

There are several theories which claim to explain why we act the way we do. The way we behave has been attributed to biological factors as well as psychological factors. When examining abnormal behaviors, such as serial murder, one then wonders which of these theories is more prevalent in explaining the dark motives behind a murder. Biological determinism would posit that such behavior was in the person's genes; while psychological determinism would attribute a person's experiences and psychological reactions to those experiences as a cause for certain behaviors.

By dismissing factors of experience and external environment, proponents of biological determinism would posit serial murder as a cause of abnormal genetic make up therefore causing abnormal behavior. Therefore, if serial murders are a product of behavioral development seen through the eyes of the biological determinism, this particularly disturbing behavior would be a cause of bad breeding and genetic abnormalities. If this theory proves most prominent, then predetermining serial murderers might be a possibility; however, that would also prove that this is a phenomenon which cannot be fixed or cured. This theory would better serve as a factor in other forms of violence, for murder is excessive and may not be a product of biology.

On the other hand, psychological determinism presents the idea that a person's experiences and psychological state in relation to those experiences, are the root of behavior. In this case, serial murder would be a product of abusive or traumatic experiences rather than biology. This presents a viable theory for serial murder, for many infamous serial killers have had a history of abuse and trauma at an early age which may have been a major factor in their adult behavior.

Environmental Determinism, Trauma-Control, and Serial Murder

A theory which excludes the importance of genetics and psychology in determining behavior is the idea of environmental determinism. Environmental determinism relies on the importance of the physical environment around the individual in relation to that individual's behavior. Applying the ideas of environmental determinism to serial murder means that one would believe the physical environment of a murderer would be the most influential factor which determines them to kill. However; this more generalized theory does not fully account for why a murderer would commit mass or multiple murders. Rather, like many other generalized theories attempting to explain seemingly senseless violence, it just poses a theory for why individuals would be driven to kill in the first place.