Cognitive Distortions Flashcards
What is the hostile attribution bias?
Attribution bias is about how you explain your own and other people’s actions. It allows offenders to place the blame for what they do on other people, such as the victim. Through their attitudes and motivation, the victim somehow caused the offender to behave the way they did.
What is an example of hostile attribution bias?
If the offender believed that the victim was disrespecting them, then they might respond with violence in order to regain respect.
finish the evaluation for hostile attribution bias: holtzworth-munroe and Hutchinson
Showed a potential link between hostile attribution bias and domestic violence, with the perpetrators claiming that the victims negative attitudes or behaviours contributed to the crime
finish the evaluation for hostile attribution bias: gudjonsson and bownes
Found that violent criminals and offenders showed a strong consistency in the way they attributed blame for their crimes
finish the evaluation for hostile attribution bias: lacks ecological validity
Most research in this area uses hypothetical situations or vignettes, which lack ecological validity as there are no consequences for using a hostile attribution in these cases
What is minimalisation?
The cognitive bias operates to minimise the guilt offenders feel for their actions by letting them think that their actions were not that bad, that the victim did not suggest any harm, or what the victim in some way deserved it. They manage their own emotions by rationalising their actions in a way that fails to recognise the impact they have in other people
An example of minimalisation?
An offender could justify shoplifting by saying it was a victimless crime
finish the evaluation point for minimalisation: Kennedy and grubin
Found that a majority of a sample of convicted sex offenders blamed their crime on the victim or said that the victim benefitted
finish the evaluation for minimalisation: potential treatment for crime
Cognitive explanations offer a potential treatment for crime, as changing cognition should change behaviour. This has been attempted through restorative justice, where offenders meet their victims. Therefore if applied to real life situations it could be potentially beneficial.
finish the evaluation for minimalisation: doesn’t explain the cause of offending behaviour
But rather is used to justify it and remove guilt. Therefore it is a simple coping strategy.
What is differential association theory?
Argues that criminal behaviour is learnt through interaction with others. Criminals learn how to commit crime, they learn the motives and drivers for crime and the rationale and attitudes of criminals. Crime is socially easy because of whom they mix with, thus crime becomes a career.
What is an example of differential association theory?
Children who grove up in a criminal family and live in a high crime area are likely to view antisocial activity as more normal than being law abiding.
finish the evaluation for differential association theory: Alarid et al
Found that differential association could explain convicts offending as a product of their social associations. Therefore this theory has shown to have some validity.
finish the evaluation for differential association theory: face validity
It has face validity as an explanation for gang related crime, as gang members learn from each other so it can account for this type of crime
