Cognitive Distortions

Question 1

what are cognitive distortions

Answer 1

errors or biases in people’s information processing system characterised by faulty thinking

Question 2

what is hostile attribution bias

Answer 2

misinherpretationing of info received
misread non aggressive cues
person is already primed– violent response

Question 3

Hostile Attribution Bias

Schöneberg and Justye 2014

Answer 3

55 violent offenders were presented with images of emotionally ambiguous facial expressions
when compared with a non aggressive control group
the violent offender were highly more likely to perceive the images as angry and hostile

Question 4

what is minimalisation

Answer 4

an attempt to justify offence or downplay the seriousness

Question 5

Minimalisation

Barbaree 1991

Answer 5

found amongst 26 imprisoned rapists - 54% denied committing their offences and 40% minimalist the harm they caused

Question 6

strength- Pollock and Hashmall 1991

Answer 6

supporting evidence minimalisation
reported that 35% of a sample of child molesters argue that the crime they committed was non sexual and 36% claimed that their victim gave consent

Question 7

strength - application

Answer 7

the research used has proven beneficial in the rehabilitation of sex offenders
lead to treatment of cognitive behavioural therapy

Question 8

limitation- cognitive distortions

Answer 8

it is descriptive not explanatory

may be useful when predicting re-offending but doesn’t give a insight to WHY the offender committed the crime