6 Intro to Forensic Psychology Flashcards
What is forensic psychology?
The application of psychological knowledge and theories to all aspects of the criminal and civil justice systems, including the processes and the people
What do people like Blackburn (1996) argue that forensic psychology should be defined as?
“direct provision of psychological information to the courts, that is, to psychology in the courts”
List the historical perspectives of crime theories?
Classical school of criminology
Positivist school of criminology
Describe the classical school of criminology
- People are rational decision-makers
- Lawbreaking occurs when people, faced with a choice between right and wrong, freely choose wrongly
- Punishment should be proportionate to the crime committed e.g. swift and certain
Describe the positivist school of criminology
- Emphasised individual differences in people determining criminal behaviour rather than free will
- Believe punishment should fit the criminal rather than the crime
- Seeks to understand crime through scientific method analysis of the empirical method
E.g. ape-like humans, typing humans based on looks
What did Aristotle say about theories of crime?
Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime
Emphasized the situational nature that if you’re in a situation you didn’t have the money you were more likely to commit crimes
What has Sir Francis Bacon stated in the historical perspectives of theories of crime?
Opportunity makes a thief
If you’re in a situation that you can get away with it, you will do it
What have philosophers such as Voltaire and Rousseau emphasised?
Free will, hedonism and flaws in the social contract
What are the positive theorists (Cesare Lombroso & Ernest Hooton) approach to historical crime?
Cesare Lombroso throws back to early stages of evolution where humans not sufficiently advanced mentally to live out successfully in a modern world
Ernest Hooton took physical measurements of criminals and civilians
Burglars: short heads, golden hair, undershot jaws
Robbers: long wavy hair, high heads, short ears, broad faces
List the four main types of modern crime theories
(1) Sociological theories
(2) Biological theories
(3) Psychological theories
(4) Social-psychological theories
Explain sociological theories of crime
Explain crime as the result of social or cultural forces that are external to any specific individual, that exist prior to any criminal act, and that emerge from social class, political, ecological, or physical structures affecting large groups of people
Individual differences are deemphasized
Describe the types of sociological theories
(1) Structural explanations
(2) Sub-cultural explanations
What are the cons of sociological theories?
Crimes are often committed by people who have never been denied opportunities -> Applies only to certain offences e.g. may explain theft but not traffic violations
Does not explain why some people offend and others do not: Doesn’t look at individual differences
Explain biological theories of crime
Stress genetic influences, chromosomal abnormalities, biochemical irregularities, or physical (body type) factors as causes of crime
Theorists respect social and environmental influences as well
Name the types of biological theories
(1) Constitutional theories
(2) Genetic theories