Chapter 9 Flashcards
feeble mindedness
a term used in the 19th century to describe individuals with low intelligence or a low IQ
early positivist criminologists
concerned with finding objectives statistical and scientific ways to understand crime
the founder of psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud
personality has 3 components
the id, the ego, and the superego.
the id
the instinctual and impulsive aspect of personality that embodies our desires, wishes, and drives.
ego
the aspect of personality that helps negotiate the demands of the real world
superego
a personas moral compass, conscience, and ethical principles
psychoanalysis
a therapeutic technique in psychiatry and philosophy pioneered by Sigmund Freud
pleasure principle
the notion that people should maximize pleasure and minimize pain
reality principle
the notion that people should assess the demands of the real world and act accordingly
neurotic personality
people with an overactive superego are said to experience increased levels of guilt.
why do people with a neurotic personality commit crime?
these neurotic offenders, as they are sometimes called, commit crimes to be punished to lessen negative feelings arising from this guilt
impulsive personality
some people are thought to have a weak ego that fails to control behavior. in these cases, the ID is unregulated, and the individual has an impulsive personality and behaves hedonistically
anti-social personality
criminal behavior could stem from deviant self-identification. the superego develops normally, but the person identifies with and froms a close bond to someone who is a criminal.
what are people who have undergone the process of deviant self-identification referred to as?
sociopaths or anti-social offenders
psychopathic personality
results when the superego fails to develop properly. can understand that people have emotions and can feel pain; however, they cannot put themselves in another person’s shoes
what do psychopaths lack
a conscience and an inability to feel empathy for others
how have psychopaths been described
predators that manipulate, intimidate, and sometimes use violence to control others and fulfill their own selfish goals.
the types of psychopaths
primary, secondary, and dyssocial
neurotic
according to psychoanalytic theory, a condition that results from an overactive superego
primary psychopaths
have a suite of biological, psychological, and emotional characteristics that set them apart from other people, even when compared with many serious criminals
secondary psychopaths
have severe emotional issues often stemming from parental mistreatment or rejection. they tend to have problems controlling their behavior
dyssocial psychopaths
learned antisocial behavior from their subculture groups
psychopathy
a personality disorder characterized by a lack of empathy, egocentrism, manipulation of others, and a tendency toward antisocial and criminal behavior
antisocial personality disorder
characterized by a lack of morality, impulsivity, and aggressive behavior; individuals with APD often have a history of criminal behavior
neuroticism
a person’s excitability level and emotional stability; highly neurotic people tend to be emotionally unstable and overreact to minor situations
psychoticism
a measure of attributes such as aggression, empathy, and tough-mindedness; those who score high in psychoticism tend to be cold, callous, and manipulative
cortical arousal
activation of the reticular formation of the brain
behaviorism
a learning theory that suggests all behavior can be shaped by rewards and punishment
Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality has three key traits
- extraversion
- neuroticism
extraversion
focuses on a person’s activity level; extroverts and introverts
neuroticism
a person’s level of excitability and emotional stability. people high in neuroticism tend to be emotionally unstable and overreact
The frustration-aggression hypothesis
crime is a natural by-product of aggression and can be explained as a consequence of frustration
goal responses
behaviors meant to achieve particular goals that provide pleasurable outcomes
modeling
a form of learning that occurs through observation of others and vicarious reinforcement
vicarious reinforcement
reinforcement that is experienced indirectly through observing another persons behvior being rewarded
violent risk appraisal guide VRAG
used to predict violent recidivism; uses 12 items based on different static risk factors found to be highly correlated with violence
HCR-20
this scale makes use of structured professional judgment and a mixture of items based on stsic risk factors to make predictions
what is the HCR-20 geared to assess
risk of violent behavior in correctional and forensic psychiatric samples and was found to be effective at [redicting when compared with other instruments
