26.10.23 Forensic Psychology - Psychological Explanations: Cognitive (Kohlberg)

Question 1

Who proposed the cognitive explanation for offending behaviour?

Answer 1

Kohlberg

Question 2

What is the cognitive explanation for offending?

Answer 2

Offender’s INTERNAL MENTAL processes cause offending

Question 3

Procedure for Kohlberg’s research

Answer 3

• Studied boys and men
• Gave them series of MORAL dilemmas
  including HEINZ dilemma
• Noted down REASONING for their
  DECISIONS

Question 4

What did Kohlberg develop based on this research?

Answer 4

STAGE theory

Question 5

What does his stage theory suggest?

Answer 5

• Each stage represents more ADVANCED
  form of MORAL understanding
• HIGHER the level more SOPHISTICATED
  thinking
• People go through all these stages as
  consequence of BIOLOGICAL MATURITY

Question 6

What stage are offenders more likely to be classed at?

Answer 6

PRE-CONVENTIONAL stage

Question 7

What is the pre-conventional stage characterised by?

Answer 7

Need to AVOID punishment and gain REWARDS

Question 8

What is the pre-conventional stage associated with?

Answer 8

LESS mature thinking

Question 9

What stage have non-offenders progressed to?

Answer 9

NON-CONVENTIONAL stage and beyond

Question 10

Why might offenders commit crime if they are at the **pre-conventional **level?

Answer 10

Aware they can GET AWAY with crime and win REWARDS such as MONEY or RESPCT

Question 11

What is this assumption supported by?

Answer 11

Studies suggesting offenders are more EGOCENTRIC (self-centered)
More ANTISOCIAL than NON-OFFENDERS

Question 12

What are cognitive distortions?

Answer 12

ERRORS or BIASES in individual’s INFORMATION PROCESSING system

Question 13

What are cognitive distortions characterised by?

Answer 13

FAULTY thinking

Question 14

What are the two cognitive distortions?

Answer 14

HOSTILE ATTRIBUTION bias and MINIMALISATION

Question 15

What is hostile attribution bias?

Answer 15

MISINTERPERET actions of others by assuming they are being AGGRESSIVE
They are NOT
As a result individual responds AGGRESSIVELY

Question 16

What is minimalisation?

Answer 16

DENY or DOWNPLAY severity of damage caused by actions

Question 17

What is a strength of Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 17

Evidence for LINK between level of moral reasoning and crime

Question 18

Evidence for link between level of moral reasoning and crime

Answer 18

• ** Palmer and Hollin**
• Compared MORAL REASONING between non-offenders and offenders
• OFFENDER group shows LESS mature moral reasoning than non-offender group
• CONSISTENT with Kohlberg’s predictions
• Suggested offenders classed at PRE-
  CONVENTIONAL level associated with less
  mature thinking

Question 19

What is a limitation of Kohlberg’s theory?

Answer 19

Level of moral reasoning may be reliant on TYPE of offence

Question 20

Level of moral reasoning may be reliant on type of offence

Answer 20

• **Thornton and Reid **
• People who committed crimes for
  FINANCIAL gain showed PRE-
  CONVENTIONAL moral reasoning
• IMPULSE crimes such as ASSAULT were
  not
• Kohlberg’s theory may not apply to ALL
  forms of crime