5.6. Cognitive Explanation Flashcards
What happens as a child gets older?
Their understanding of right or wrong becomes more advanced
What affects a child’s behaviour?
The way a child thinks
Level 1 of moral reasoning
Pre-conventional: punishemnt orientates, if they can get away with it they’ll do it- to gain reward
Level 2 of moral reasoning
Conventional: Know the difference between right and wrong
- Age of criminal responsibility = 10 yrs in UK -> needed to maintain social order
Level 3 of moral reasoning
Post-conventional: morality conscious
Which level are offenders usually?
Pre-conventional level- they are egocentric and immature
Moral reasoning strength: Palmer
Compared moral reasoning of offenders to non-offenders and found offenders are more likely to be at the pre-conventional level and less mature than others - valid
Moral reasoning weakness: Thorton
- Found those that committed crimes for financial gain were at the pre-conventional level
- Therefore, is only useful for explaining these crimes, NOT all crimes= weak
Moral reasoning weakness: Doesn’t explain behaviour
- Doesn’t explain behaviour, only thought processes (cognitions)
- Therefore is more likely to be used to justify a crime once it’s been committed.
What do cognitive distortions allow for?
Offenders to justify their behaviour
What are the 2 types of cognitive distortions?
- Hostile attribution
- Minimalisation
What is hostile attribution?
Offenders misread non-aggressive cues as aggressive.
This leads to a disproportionate violent response.
What is minimalisation?
- Consequences of an offence are downplayed
- This reduces the negative interpretation of the behaviour before or after a crime.
- ie steal and item from a rich family, it’s fine they are rich and will just buy a new one
Cognitive distortion strength: treatment
- Led to developing a treatment: anger management
- Offenders recognise their irrational thinking and learn to change it to become rational then learn current responses.
- Research has found this treatment has led to lower levels of denial and lower offending rates
Strength: RWA
Cognitive appraisals in prison/ probation can lead to successful rehabilitation
