Cognitive Approach (Moral Reasoning)

Question 1

What’s the cognitive approach?

Answer 1

-this type of explanation suggests criminal activity may have a cognitive basis ie mental processes such as thoughts, perceptions and attention impact on behaviour.

Question 2

What are the two cognitive explanations?

Answer 2

-Kohlbergs level of moral reasoning -understanding the difference between right and wrong
-Cognitive distortions - faulty info processing in the minds of offenders

Question 3

What is moral reasoning?

Answer 3

-moral reasoning refers to the process by which an individual draws upon their own value system to determine whether an action is right or wrong.
-Kohlberg attempted to objectify this process by identifying different levels of reasoning based on peoples answers to moral dilemmas.

Question 4

Kohlberg Theory

Answer 4

-Kohlberg proposed that peoples decisions and judgements on issues on right and wrong can be summarised in a stage theory of moral development- the higher the stage, the more sophisticated the reasoning.

-Kohlberg based his theory on peoples responses to a series of moral dilemmas, such as the Heinz dilemma.

Question 5

Heinz’s Dilemma

Answer 5

-wife dying
-1 drug
-very expensive
-only collect 1/2 money
-should he steal?
Let wife die?
Rob with no consequences or go to jail

Question 6

What did Kohlberg find?

Answer 6

-using his moral dilemma technique found that a group of violent youths were significantly lower in their moral development than non-violent youths even after controlling for social background.
-criminals are more likely to be classified at pre-conventional level of Kohlbergs model, whereas non-criminals have generally progressed to preconvential level and beyond.

Question 7

What’s the preconvential level?

Answer 7

-characterised by a need to avoid punishment and gain rewards, and is associated with less mature, childlike reasoning. Both adults and teenagers who reason at this level may commit crime if they can get away with it, or gain rewards in the form of money, increased respect etc.

-supported by studies which suggested that offenders are often more egocentric and display poorer social perspective - taking skills that non-offending peers. Individuals who reason at higher levels tend to sympathise more with the rights of others and exhibit more convention behaviours such as honesty, generosity and non-violence.

Question 8

Level 1 - preconvential morality

Answer 8

Stage 1 - punishment orientation (rules are obeyed to avoid punishment)

Stage 2- instrumental orientation or personal gain (rules are obeyed for personal gain)

Question 9

Level 2 - convention morality

Answer 9

Stage 3- ‘good boy/girl’ orientation (rules are obeyed for approval)

Stage 4- maintenance of the social order (rules are obeyed to maintain the social order)

Question 10

Level 3 - post conventional morality

Answer 10

Stage 5- morality of contract and individual rights (rules are obeyed if they are impartial: democratic rules are challenged if they infringe on the rights of others

Stage 6- morality of conscience (the individual establishes his/her own rules in accordance with a personal set of ethical principles