cognitive explanations

Question 1

What did Kohlberg propose about criminal behaviour?

Answer 1

Applied moral reasoning
Criminals have lower level
Group of violent youths were lower in moral development than non violent youths - even after controlling for social background

Question 2

What is level 1 of moral reasoning?

Answer 2

Preconventional morality

Stages 1 and 2

Question 3

What are is stage 1 of moral reasoning?

Answer 3

Punishment orientation - rules are obeyed to avoid punishment

Question 4

What is stage 2 of moral reasoning?

Answer 4

Instrumental orientation or personal gain - rules are obeyed for personal gain

Question 5

What is level 2 of moral reasoning?

Answer 5

Conventional morality

Stages 3 and 4

Question 6

What is stage 3 of moral reasoning?

Answer 6

Good boy or girl orientation - rules obeyed for approval

Question 7

What is stage 4 of moral reasoning?

Answer 7

Maintenance of social order - rules obeyed to maintain order

Question 8

What is level 3 of moral reasoning?

Answer 8

Postconventional morality

Stages 5 and 6

Question 9

What is stage 5 of moral reasoning?

Answer 9

Morality of contract and individual rights - rules obeyed if they’re impartial - democratic rules challenged if they infringe on rights

Question 10

What is stage 6 of moral reasoning?

Answer 10

Morality of conscience - establishes their own rules in accordance with ethical principles

Question 11

What is the Heinz dilemma?

Answer 11

Woman is sick
Doctor charges lots for drug
Should Heinz steal it?

Question 12

What level of moral reasoning are criminals at?

Answer 12

Preconventional - need to avoid punishment and gain rewards
Childlike reasoning
Commit crime at this level to get away with it

Question 13

What is the evidence to support the link between moral reasoning and criminality?

Answer 13

Offenders are more egocentric and have less social perspective skills
At higher levels people sympathise more and are less violent

Question 14

What are cognitive distortions?

Answer 14

Errors in people’s info processing system - faulty thinking

Linked to how criminals interpret behaviour

Question 15

What are two examples of cognitive distortions?

Answer 15

Hostile attribution bias

Minimalisation

Question 16

What is hostile attribution bias?

Answer 16

Tendency to misinterpret others as confrontational

Non aggressive cues misread, triggers violent response

Question 17

Describe Schonenberg and Justye’s research?

Answer 17

55 violent offenders given ambiguous facial expression images
More likely to perceive them as hostile

Question 18

What are the roots of hostile attribution bias?

Answer 18

Roots lie in childhood
Dodge and Frame - children shown ambiguous provocation
Children identified as aggressive interpreted it as more hostile

Question 19

What is minimalisation?

Answer 19

Downplay seriousness of offence, application of euphemistic label
Those who commit sexual offences are particularly prone

Question 20

Describe research into minimalisation

Answer 20

Barbaree - 54% of incarcerated rapists denied committing offence
40% minimised harm
Pollock and Hashmall - 35% of child molesters said crime was non sexual
36% said it was consensual

Question 21

Evaluation - level of moral reasoning evidence

Answer 21

Palmer and Hollin - compared offenders to non offenders
Used Socio Moral Reflection Measure Short Form containing moral dilemmas
Delinquent group showed lower moral reasoning

Question 22

Evaluation - alternative theories of moral reasoning

Answer 22

Gibbs - revised version, mature and immature
Level 1 - decisions guided by avoidance of punishment
Level 2 - empathy and social justice
Argued post conventional level was culturally biased

Question 23

Evaluation - application of research

Answer 23

Rehabilitation of sex offenders involves CBT

Reduced denial and minimalisation correlated with reduced risk of reoffending

Question 24

Evaluation - individual differences

Answer 24

Robbers more likely to show pre conventional level - belief of evading punishment
Intelligence a better predictor - low IQ = lower moral reasoning but less likely to commit crime

Question 25

Evaluation - descriptive not explanatory

Answer 25

Describes criminal mind but doesn’t explain it

Helpful for predicting reoffending but doesn’t give us insight into original crime