2.2 - Individualistic Theories of Crime

Question 1

what are individualistic theories of crime?

Answer 1

theories that are more psychological based and support the nurture (environment) rather than the nature

Question 2

what are the 4 individualistic explanations for crime?

Answer 2

psychodynamic theories
eysenck’s personality theory
learning theories
cognitive theories

Question 3

what are the 3 social learning theories?

Answer 3

differential association theory
operant learning theory
social learning theory

Question 4

what did the social learning theory suggest?

Answer 4

criminal behaviour is learnt and people commit crime by observing role models and imiating that behaviour through vicarious reinforcement

Question 5

who came up with the social learning theory?

Answer 5

Albert Bandura

Question 6

what key words are associated with Bandura’s study?

Answer 6

role models, observing, imitating and vicarious reinforcement

Question 7

what does vicarious reinforcement mean?

Answer 7

if someone watches someone be rewarded for behaviour they are more likely to copy it

Question 8

what results did Bandura find?

Answer 8

1. children exposed to aggressive adults tended to copy the behaviour
2. children who watched non-aggrerssive verwion showed less violence

Question 9

what case study can be applied to this theory?

Answer 9

Jamie bulger case

Question 10

how does the jamie bulger case relate to social learning theory?

Answer 10

killer were said to have watched ‘child’s play 3’ before the murder took place - exposure to violent videos

Question 11

what is the differential association theory?

Answer 11

suggests that criminality is learnt by attitudes of criminals around them

Question 12

who proposed the differential association theory?

Answer 12

Edwin Sutherland

Question 13

what did sutherland argue were 2 factors for learning criminality? (differential association theory)

Answer 13

1. imitation
2. learned attitudes - socialisation influences norms and attitudes

Question 14

what does it mean if someone has a favourable attitude for crime?

Answer 14

they have more contact with criminals and crimes will become ‘normal’ for them leading them to commit crime

Question 15

what are pro-criminal attitudes? give 2 examples

Answer 15

behaviour and attitudes of an offender
eg. swearing, racism

Question 16

what are anti-criminal attitudes? give 2 examples

Answer 16

behaviour and morals that follow rules (not of an offender)
eg. being respectful, treating people equally

Question 17

how does pro-criminal attitudes account for high reoffending rates?

Answer 17

Inmates learn more techniques on how to commit crime in prison then reoffend when they are released

Question 18

what evidence is there for Sutherland’s differential association theory?

Answer 18

Osbourne and west

Question 19

what did Osbourne and west fine? (differential association theory)

Answer 19

1. when the father had a criminal conviction, 40% of the sonds had a criminal record by the age of 18
2. when the father had no conviction, only 13% of sons had one

Question 20

what is the operant learning theory?

Answer 20

suggests that all behaviour is the result of reinforcement and punishment

Question 21

who came up with the operant learning theory?

Answer 21

Skinner

Question 22

what is behaviourism?

Answer 22

suggests the cause of someone’s behaviour is the result of reward or punishment they recieve

Question 23

what is positive reinforcement?

Answer 23

rewarding behaviour to encourage it to happen again

Question 24

what is negative reinforcement?

Answer 24

punishing behaviour so it’s not repeated

Question 25

what evidence is there for Skinner's theory?

Answer 25

Jeffery

Question 26

what did Skinner do?

Answer 26

conducted experiments on rats to show positive and negative reinforcement - they pulled a lever to get food and pulled a lever to recieve an electric shock

Question 27

what did Bandura do?

Answer 27

bobo doll experiment - children were shown an aggressive and non-aggressive video of a bobo doll to see if they would imitate the behaviour they observed

Question 28

what did Jeffery find?

Answer 28

is crime is more rewarding they are likely to commit crime again. rewards could be; - finanial eg. stealing - emotional eg. respect of peers

Question 29

what are psychodynamic theories?

Answer 29

personality theories that suggest urges and conflicts within the unconscious mind result in crime

Question 30

what are the 2 psychodynamic theories?

Answer 30

freud - pscyhoanalysis bowlby - maternal deprivation

Question 31

what did Freud suggest?

Answer 31

most of our mind is unconscious and there are 3 elements that determine our behaviour

Question 32

what is an ID?

Answer 32

element found in the unconscious mind that seeks immediate gratification; demands the 'pleasure principle'

Question 33

what is an ego?

Answer 33

element found in the middle of conscious and unconscious that represents reality; acts as a mediator between the ID and Superego

Question 34

what is the Superego?

Answer 34

element in the conscious mind that represents morality; causes us to go good

Question 35

what are the 3 weakly developed superegos called?

Answer 35

weak, deviant and harsh/overdeveloped

Question 36

what can cause a dominant ID?

Answer 36

if a child doesn't fully develop ego and superego through indentification with the same sex parent

Question 37

what is a dominant ID and what can it lead to?

Answer 37

when a person acts impulsively - leading to criminal behaviour

Question 38

what evidence is there for Freuds theory?

Answer 38

bowlby (1944)

Question 39

what did bowlby find (freuds study)

Answer 39

studied 44 juveniles and found; - 39% had experienced seperation from their mothers for 6 or more months - compared to 5% control group

Question 40

what is the 'pleasure principle'

Answer 40

ID - gain pleasure and avoid pain

Question 41

what did bowlby's theory suggest?

Answer 41

if an attachment hasn't developed (up to age 5) it could result in a child having long term social and emotional difficulties - 'affectionless psychopathy'

Question 42

what does 'affectionless psychopathy' mean?

Answer 42

long term social and emotional difficulites - due to lack of attachment as a child

Question 43

what did bowlby say can lead to crime?

Answer 43

lack of maternal attachment and ‘effectionless psychopathy’ can lead to deviant and criminal behaviour

Question 44

what was Bowlby's evidence for maternal deprivation?

Answer 44

studied 44 juvaniles; - 39% suffered maternal deprivation before age 5 - only 5% control group of non-criminals experienced maternal deprivation

Question 45

what is Eysenck's personality theory?

Answer 45

suggests that personality based and criminals have a specific personality

Question 46

according to Eysenck, what are the personalities of a criminal?

Answer 46

1. extraversion 2. neuroticism 3. psychoticism

Question 47

what is psychoticism personality?

Answer 47

cold, uncaring and aggressive towards others - tendency to commit crime

Question 48

what was Eysenck's research?

Answer 48

1. 700 servicemen completed questionnaire 2. placed them on the 'wheel' to determine their personality type

Question 49

extraversion vs introversion

Answer 49

extraversion - sociable but bored easily introverstion - need little stimulation & in control of their situation

Question 50

Neuroticism vs Stability

Answer 50

neuroticism - anxious and irrational stable - worry less & emotionally weel adjusted

Question 51

what are the traits of an extroversion personality?

Answer 51

sensation seekers - drawn to the trill of committing crime

Question 52

what are the traits of neuroticism personality?

Answer 52

emotional - commit crime in the heat of the moment eg. opportunity to shoplift

Question 53

what are the traits of a psychoticism personality?

Answer 53

aggressive and lack of conscience

Question 54

what are the 2 cognitive theories?

Answer 54

criminal personality theory kohlbergs theory - moral development in children

Question 55

what are cognitive theories of crime?

Answer 55

theories that refer to thinking and mental processes including; - attitudes - beliefs

Question 56

what is the criminal personality theory?

Answer 56

theory that criminals have faulty thinking that develops into patterns of behaviour causing them to commit crime

Question 57

give 4 examples of criminal thinking errors

Answer 57

lying secretiveness need for power and control lack of trsut

Question 58

what is moral development?

Answer 58

the process of understanding what's right and wrong

Question 59

what did Kohlberg suggest?

Answer 59

that criminals moral development is at a lower level compared to non-criminals

Question 60

how did kohlberg suggest ideas of right and wrong develop through childhood and adulthood?

Answer 60

childhood - through rewards and punishment adulthood - in terms of moral principles and values eg. helping others