AC 2.2 (describe individualistic theories of criminality) Flashcards
Learning theory.
Offending is a set of behaviours that are learned the same way as other behaviours. Through the family or peer group.
Albert Bandura Social Learning Theory.
1963.
Observation and imitation.
People learn by watching the behaviours of others. If children watch adults gaining pleasure from an activity they will imitate the behaviour, however is they watch an adult being punished they will reject the behaviour.
Bobo doll experiment.
Bobo doll experiment.
Exposed children to 2 separate adult models: aggressive and non-aggressive
Children watched the aggressive model beat the bobo doll (kick, hit). Children replicated this behaviour.
Children also came up with new ways to attack the doll: using a toy gun or throwing toy darts at it.
Even when repeating this experiment with different variables, it still showed the same result.
What contexts does observational learning take place in?
Family.
Prevalent subculture.
Cultural symbols (TV shoes, video games).
What are violence and aggression produced by? ALEP
Arousal event.
Learned aggressive skills.
Expected rewards.
Pro-violence values.
How does social learning theory explain criminality?
Observe aggression → imitate aggression.
Media influence case for SLT?
Robert Thompson and Jon Venables (James Bulger Case).
Said to have watched Child’s Play 3 before the murder.
The judge said ‘I suspect exposure to violent video films may in part be an explanation’.
Osborne and West.
1982.
Where the father has a criminal conviction 40% of sons also acquired one by 18.
When the father was not criminal, this was only 13%.
Psychodynamic theory.
Freud, explains behaviour in terms of conscious and unconscious psychological processes.
Id.
Unconscious, satisfaction of basic needs, gaining pleasure and avoiding pain. The id wants instant gratification, if this doesn’t happen the person becomes tense and anxious.
Superego.
Mostly conscious, judges what is right and wrong, understanding rules, morals and norms.
Ego.
Conscious, reality, balance between id and superego, decision maker.
Psychoanalysis.
Can be used to treat mental disorders.
Freud developed psychoanalysis by observing patients.
Personalities arise because of attempts to resolve conflicts between unconscious sexual and aggressive impulses and societal demands to restrain these impulses.
Freudian slip.
Saying the wrong word, example: calling a partner by an ex’s name.
The 3 parts to someone’s personality.
Superego - conscience, morality.
Ego - rational, sensible, control.
Id - selfish and animalistic urges.
Cause of crime according to psychoanalysis.
Unresolved conflicts between id, ego and superego.
Freudian Approach.
Human behaviour is best understood by looking at early childhood experiences.
Criminality is linked to guilt feelings (unresolved oedipal and electra complexes). Children need to progress from this pleasure principle, which is id dominated, to the reality, ego dominated.
Children who do not make this transition will become criminals.
Psychological theories.
Hans Eysenck.
John Bowlby - attachment theory.
Hans Eysenck’s Theory.
Looks at personality.
Certain personality types are more likely to commit crimes because they crave excitement.
The personality has 2 dimensions: extraversion-introversion (outgoing and sociable - quiet and shy) and neurotic-stable (anxious and easily upset - calm and collected).
Those who score high on extraversion and neuroticism are the ‘criminal type’.
There is also a third dimension - psychoticism (cold, unfeeling and aggressive), most likely to engage in criminal behaviour.
Personality dimensions.
Extraversion-introversion.
Neurotic-stable.
Psychoticism.
Example of a criminal who links to Hans Eysenck’s theory.
Nick Leeson, scored high on neuroticism, extraversion and psychoticism.
Attachment theory.
John Bowlby
Delinquency could be linked to early childhood experiences.
Children need a stable home environment.
Attachment theory study.
44 juvenile delinquents.
Compared 44 young criminals to non-criminal juveniles.
39% of delinquents had experiences complete separation from their mothers. This was only the case in 5% of the non-delinquents
