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Psych (2.1) Forensics > Cognitive Explanations > Flashcards

Cognitive Explanations Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the cognitive explanations of offending behaviour?

A

1) Cognitive distortions.

2) Kohlberg’s level of moral reasoning.

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2
Q

What are cognitive distortions?

A

They are a form or irrational thoughts which cause us to perceive things inaccurately (usually negatively).

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3
Q

The result of cognitive distortions is that a person’s perceptions are wrong but they believe it is accurate, what does this mean in reference to crime?

A

An offender can rationalise or deny their behaviours to themselves as their perceptions are wrong.

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4
Q

What are the two cognitive distortions?

A
  • Hostile attribution bias (HAB).

- Minimalisation.

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5
Q

Is the following statement HAB or Mini:

They provoked me, sitting there acting like the “big I am” with their new phones.

A

HAB.

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6
Q

Explain what is meant by Hostile Attribution Bias:

A

Interpreting others’ behaviours negatively. They assume that violence is caused by the perception that other people’s acts are aggressive.

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7
Q

How did Kohlberg create his theory?

A

Using interviews with boys and men using different moral dilemmas and questioning them on their reasoning of their actions.

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8
Q

Is the following statement HAB or Mini:

I was just trying to be nice, it’s a compliment.

A

Minimalisation.

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9
Q

How many levels and stages are there in Kohlberg’s moral reasoning theory?

A

Three levels, each consisting of two stages:

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10
Q

What is the first level of moral reasoning?

A

Level 1 = Preconventional Morality

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11
Q

What is the most common level of moral reasoning?

A

Conventional stage.

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12
Q

Explain what is meant by Minimalisation:

A

Downplaying the seriousness of an offence. An offender attempts to reduce the negative interpretation of their behaviours after the crime is committed.

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13
Q

Who presented the idea of levels of moral reasoning?

A

Lawrence Kohlberg (1969).

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14
Q

In Kohlberg’s theory, what is represented by each stage?

A

Each stage represents a more advanced level of moral understanding, resulting in a more logically consistent and morally mature form of understanding.

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15
Q

If people are perceived as being confrontational when they are actually not, which type of cognitive distortion is this?

A

HAB.

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16
Q

Is the following statement HAB or Mini:

She was too rude, needed taking down a peg or two.

A

HAB.

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17
Q

Why are criminals likely to be in the preconventional stage?

A

Because they believe that breaking the law is justified if the rewards outweigh the costs or if punishment can be avoided.

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18
Q

Is the following statement HAB or Mini:

A fraudster claiming that “it wasn’t that much money compared to the company’s worth”.

A

Minimalisation.

19
Q

Explain stage 1 of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning theory?

A

Punishment orientation, (rules are obeyed to avoid punishment).

20
Q

Is the following statement HAB or Mini:

A paedophile claims they were “just being affectionate”.

A

Minimalisation.

21
Q

What is the second level of moral reasoning?

A

Level 2 = Conventional Morality

22
Q

Is the following statement HAB or Mini:

Her attitude was appalling, did you hear that fake laugh? Rude cow.

A

HAB.

23
Q

Explain stage 2 of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning theory?

A

Instrumental orientation or personal gain, (rules are obeyed for personal gain).

24
Q

Explain stage 3 of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning theory?

A

‘Good boy’ or ‘Good girl’ orientation, (rules are obeyed for approval).

25
Q

Explain stage 4 of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning theory?

A

Maintenance of the social order, (rules are obeyed to maintain the social order).

26
Q

Is the following statement HAB or Mini:

Please, it’s not even a crime, everyone pinches sweets from the corner shop.

A

Minimalisation.

27
Q

Individuals at which stage of reasoning tend to sympathise more with others and exhibit more conventional behaviours such as honesty, generosity and non-violence.

A

Postconventional stage.

28
Q

Is the following statement HAB or Mini:

With a car like that he was asking for it to get nicked.

A

Minimalisation.

29
Q

Explain stage 5 of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning theory?

A

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).

30
Q

Explain stage 6 of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning theory?

A

Morality of conscience, (The individual established his or her own rules in accordance with a personal set of ethical principles).

31
Q

Is the following statement HAB or Mini:

The way he spoke to me was very agressive.

A

HAB.

32
Q

T / F:

Everyone reaches the postconventional morality stage.

A

False.

In a longitudinal study, it was found that about 10% of adults reach the post-conventional level, (Colby, 1983).

33
Q

What is the the most common level for a criminal to be in?

A

Criminals are likely to be in the pre-conventional level, (Hollin, 2002).

34
Q

Describe the findings of Colby, 1983.

A

In a longitudinal study, it was found that about 10% of adults reach the post-conventional level.

35
Q

Is the following statement HAB or Mini:

Someone convicted with aggravated assault claims “he was giving me a funny look”.

A

HAB.

36
Q

Explain how a person travels through the different stages in Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning?

A 
Preconventional morality - Stage 1
Preconventional morality - Stage 2
Conventional morality - Stage 3
Conventional morality - Stage 4
Postconventional morality - Stage 5
Postconventional morality - Stage 6
37
Q

What is the third level of moral reasoning?

A

Level 3 = Postconventional Morality

38
Q

Is the following statement HAB or Mini:

It’s not like they would even care, they never used it anyway.

A

Minimalisation.

39
Q

AO3 - Real-life application of Kohlberg.

A

Criminals can be taught moral understanding to reduce their future crime. Kohlberg and Gilligan set up special ‘cluster schools’ within school systems (and in one prison) that taught moral reasoning to increase levels on the diagram.

40
Q

AO3 - Kohlberg’s theory consistent with the law.

A

The explanation fits with the idea of ‘age of criminal responsibility’. In England and Wales, children under 10 cannot be charged with a crime. In Kohlberg’s longitudinal study he found that younger children were more likely to be in the preconventional morality stage and therefore cannot morally judge and justify their behaviours, meaning they cannot be criminally responsible as they do not fully understand consequences.

41
Q

AO3 - Alternative theories of moral development.

A

John Gibbs (1979) proposed a revised version of Kohlberg’s theory which comprised of two levels of reasoning: mature and immature. In the first level (immature), moral decisions are guided by avoidance of punishment and personal gain; in the second (mature), by empathy, social justice, and one’s own conscience. He argued that post conventional stage should be abandoned as it was culturally biased (westernised) and did not represent ‘natural’ maturation. His new model was supported by Piaget who was a highly respected child-psychologist.

42
Q

AO3 - Research support for Kohlberg.

A

Kohlberg’s theory is supported by Palmer and Hollin (1998) who compared moral reasoning between 210 female non-offenders, 122 male non-offender, and 126 convicted offenders using the Socio-Moral Reflection Measure-Short Form (SRM-SF), which contains 11 moral dilemma related questions such as not taking thing and keeping promises. The delinquent group showed less mature moral reasoning than the non-delinquent group which is consistent with Kohlberg’s predictions.

43
Q

AO3 - Kohlberg biased towards men.

A

Kohlberg has been scrutinised for his original research as many have claimed it to be biased, he conducted his studies longitudinally with many different boys and men. This means that the study is androcentric and therefore the findings cannot be generalised to women as well. Gilligan argued that the conventional morality stages (3 and 4) should be equal as women tend to adopt stage 3 and men tend to show stage 4 more.

44
Q

AO3 - Research application for cognitive distortions.

A

Understanding the nature of distortions has lead to rehabilitation of sex offenders through cognitive behavioural therapy which reduces their ability to minimalise. Studies show that reduced incidence of denial is highly correlated with a reduced risk of reoffending.

Psych (2.1) Forensics (13 decks)

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