A2 - Turning to Crime - Cognitive - Criminals' Thinking Patterns Flashcards
Cognitive background #1
Answer #1
Cognitive background #2
Answer #2
Who conducted a study on ‘Criminals’ thinking patterns’?
Yochelson & Samenow
What was the sample used?
255 male offenders resident in a secure psychiatric hospital in the USA - guilty by reasons of insanity.
What kind of study was it?
A longitudinal study using a series of interviews, based on Freudian therapy techniques, which lasted 14years, that aimed to identify the root cause of their criminal behaviour in the past.
What did they find?
- Offenders have cognitive processes, which lead to a distorted self-image and result in criminal choices and denial of responsibility.
How many thinking patterns?
They found 52 thinking patterns that criminals will have more than the general population.
What character traits were found?
Feelings of worthlessness, lying and need for power and control.
What automatic thinking errors?
Poor decision making, lack of trust, etc.
What crime-related thinking errors?
Fantasies of anti-social behaviour, etc.
What are examples of errors and biases?
- Closed thinking > not receptive to criticism
- External Attributions > views self as victim
- Ownership of attitude > sees all things, places and people for their use
- Perception of self > sees solely positivity and fails to acknowledge their faults
- Perception of uniqueness > sees themselves as superior
What conclusions were made?
- Errors in thinking, were found more in criminals.
- Criminals aren’t impulsive, they have planned and fantasised about their actions.
- Treatment involves challenging their thinking patterns
How is the study low in generalizability?
There was an androcentric sample, which means findings are less generalizable.
How is the study low in validity?
- Demand characteristics and social desirability bias
- High attrition rate
How is the study high in validity?
- Longitudinal study: allows them to study change over time in criminal’s behaviour.
