Core study 16- Hancock (ID)

Question 1

Background

What is Maslow’s hierachy?

Answer 1

A hierarchy of needs that must be met for a person to reach their potential (SELF-ACTUALISATION)

Question 2

Background

What are the 5 stages in Maslow’s hierarchy and what does each one mean?

Answer 2

From bottom to top (lowest to highest):
1. Physiological- food, water, breathing (basic needs)
2. Safety- shelter, security
3. Love/ belonging- Relationships, family, sexual intimacy
4. Esteem- self-esteem and confidence
5. Self-actualisation- creativity, morality (highest level- reach potential)

Question 3

Background

Which levels/ stages do psychopaths tend to focus on more and why?

Answer 3

• Physiological and security needs (bottom 2 levels)
• They are egocentric and do not care for higher needs such as relationships or esteem

Question 4

Aims

What was the aim of the study?

Answer 4

To investigate features of language used in crime narratives by psychopaths

Question 5

Aims

What was language analysed specifically for within the investiagtion?

Answer 5

• Predatory world view (self obsession and lack of concern for others)
• Unique socio-emotional needs
• Lack of ‘affect’ (emotion) in language

Question 6

Method

What research method was used?

Answer 6

Self-report interviews (face to face)

Question 7

Sample

What did the sample cinsist of for this study?

who, quantity, location, gender

Answer 7

• 52 convicted murderers- 14 psychopathic, 38 non-psychopathic inmates
• All male
• Collected from Canadian prison

Question 8

Sample

What experimental design was used and why?

Answer 8

• Matched pairs
• Groups were matched in terms of crime type and age

Question 9

Sample

What was the mean age at the time of their homicide?

Answer 9

28.9 years (30)

Question 10

Procedure- part 1

How were participants assed to see whether they were a psychopath or not?

Answer 10

The Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R)

Question 11

Procedure- part 1

What were participants assessed against?

Answer 11

20 different measures/ criteria such as impulsiveness, emotional needs etc

Question 12

Procedure- part 1

Which type of reliabilty were the scores checked for after the diagnosis?

Who were they checked by?

Answer 12

Inter-rater reliability

A psychology graduate

Question 13

Procedure- part 2

Which ethic was adhered to before the interviews started?

Why could this be a weakness?

Answer 13

Participants were briefed (told aims etc)

Demand characteristics- they could alter their descriptions as they know they’re taking part in research

Question 14

Procedure- part 2

What were the offenders asked to describe?

Why could this be unethical?

Answer 14

Crime narratives- they were told to desrcibe their crime in as much detail as possible

It may trigger the offender to bring up/ talk about their crime (Protection from harm)

Question 15

Procedure- part 2

How were participants prompted when describing?

Answer 15

Interviewers prompted them by using “Step-Wise interviews”

Question 16

Procedure- part 2

What are “Step-Wise interviews”?

What type of data will this produce?

Answer 16

They facilitate open questioning

Qualitative

Question 17

Procedure- part 2

Who were the interviewers?

Why is this a strength?

Answer 17

2 psyhcology students- they were both blind to psychopathy scores

Avoids researcher bias

Question 18

Procedure- part 2

When interviews were transcribed, what 2 tools were used to analyse them and what did each one measure?

Answer 18

1. Wmatrix- measured semantic concepts
2. Dictionary of Affect in Language (DAL)- measured tone and emotion

Question 19

Results

What words did psychopaths tend to include in their descriptions?

What did this kind of qualitative language show?

Answer 19

• Because
• Since
• As
• So that

Cause and effect (explanation to WHY)

Question 20

Results

Which group (psycho/ non-psycho) made more reference to basic needs (physiological)?

Answer 20

Psychopaths referred to basic needs, non-psychopathic group referred to spiritual meaning etc

Question 21

Results

What reasons did the results show for psychopaths being more deatched from their crime?

Answer 21

They used more past tense and less emotive language within their descriptions

Question 22

Results

What words did psychopaths use to show they were less fluent in their speech?

Answer 22

Fillers such as “um” and “ah”

Question 23

Conclusions

What was concluded about how psychopaths tend to view their crimes?

Answer 23

They tend to view them as logical outcomes of their plans (there is reasoning behind them)

Question 24

Conclusions

What needs are psychopaths more likely to focus on?

Answer 24

Their own basic/ physical needs

Question 25

Conclusions

Do psychopaths show emotion or positivity in speech?

Answer 25

No- they’re less positive and less emotional

Question 26

GREEDUM- evaluation

Why can generalisability be argued as a weakness?

Answer 26

Sample is ethnocentric and androcentric

Lacks population validity

Question 27

GREEDUM- evaluation

Why could demand characteristics be argued as a weakness?

Answer 27

Participants may have lied when describing their crimes as they knew they were taking part in research that measures the language they use

Question 28

GREEDUM- evaluation

Why could usefulness be argued as a strength?

Answer 28

Helps understand and become familiar with developing appropriate ways of rehabilitating psychopaths (may need different treatment to that of an average non-psychopath)

Question 29

GREEDUM- evaluation

Why could methodology be argued as a strength?

Answer 29

Open questions provide qualitative insights and allow for cause and effect to be established