Crim Flashcards

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1
Q

Biological explanation of crime:brain injury

A

Link between brain injury and offending.
William et al analyzed data from 196 inmates from UK prison, 60% recalled one or more youth head injuries.
Acquired brain injury (ABI) result from events like sports accident.
Brain not fully mature until mid 20s, cognitive abilities last develop.
ABI disrupt development.
Phineas Gage.

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2
Q

Biological explanation of crime:amygdala and aggre

A

Amygdala, small region in temporal lobe of cerebral cortex.
Fight or flight, memory, sleep and emotion.
Abnormality correlate with inc aggre.
Raine et al, reduced activity in amygdala.
Charles Whitman

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3
Q

Biological explanation of crime:XYY syndrome

A

1 in 1000.
Taller than average, low IQ, impulsive and behavioral difficulties.
Jacobs et al, chromosome survey of male patients in a hospital, XYY over represented prison population.

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4
Q

Gender and biological explanation

A

Williams et al, lack research on female offender and ABI, male more at risk of ABI.
XYY only affect male.

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5
Q

Biological explanation strengths

A

Fazel et al, examined link between traumatic brain injury and violent crime convictions, 8.8% experienced ABI and 3% in matched control group.

Inc awareness of brain injury in CJS, suggest should be viewed similar to mental health.

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6
Q

Weaknesses

A

Correlational.

Fail to consider environmental factors.

Complex relationship between amygdala and crime.

Researchers, meta analysis considered 50 years of evidence and see no link between XYY and offending, social factors may better explain the over representation in prison.

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7
Q

Personality and crime:extroversion and introversion

A

Extroverts crave excitement so likely to engage in dangerous behavior.
Can’t be conditioned easily.

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8
Q

Personality and crime:neuroticism and stability

A

Neurotic people are nervy and anxious, generals instability mean difficult to predict.
Typical criminal personality is extrovert neurotic.

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9
Q

Personality and crime:psychoticsm

A

Self-centered, cold and lack empathy.
Criminal type is characterized by a person who scores highly on all 3 dimensions.

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10
Q

Biological basis of personality

A

Personality trait can be explained by type of nervous system we inherit.
Constant need for excitement is caused by underactive nervous system, require unusually high levels of arousal.

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11
Q

Socialization process and personality

A

Socialization childhood determine if a person become law-abiding.
Extroverts, natural rewards seekers so less receptive to operant conditioning.
High neuroticism interferes with efficient learning so relate to difficulty taking on board social rules.
Make extrovert neurotics more likely to behave anti socially.

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12
Q

Gender and the sensation seeking

A

Linked to testosterone level

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13
Q

Biological explanation of crime strengths

A

Researchers studies 130 violent and 180 non violent male prisoners, found criminal thinking style with high EPN.

Raine et al, physiological measures participant aged 15 and related to later criminal status, those with criminal record 24 years later had a recorded more signs of under arousal in nervous system when aged 15.

Allow early crime prevention.

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14
Q

Weaknesses

A

Little evidence that EPQ is adequate measure, predict offending.

More than one type of criminal personality, consciousness and agreeableness.

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15
Q

Social explanations of crime

A

Labeling
Self fulfilling prophecy
Social learning (observational learning, vicarious reinforcement and role models)

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16
Q

Social explanations of crime strengths

A

Rosenthal and Jacobsen

Jahoda, Monday boys even tempered, Wednesday boys aggre and 3x likely.

Reduce neg effect of labeling, Braithwaite, label act not person.

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17
Q

Weaknesses

A

Researchers found baby faced boys more likely to be delinquent and involve in crime.

Most labeling studies based in educational setting.

Labeling theory, partial explanation

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18
Q

Cognitive interview

A

Report everything-encouraged to report every single detail.
Reinstate the context-asked to imagine all aspects of the crime scene.
Reverse the order-describe in different chronological order.
Change perspective-tell the event from someone else’s perspective.

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19
Q

Enhanced CI

A

Developments of original technique focused more on interactions between interviewer and interviewee. Report everything and reinstate context based on encoding specific principle (Tulving), when a memory for the event is first encoded, other important cues are stored along side, these triggers cues.
Reverse the order and change perspective are related to schema, makes it hard for witnesses to rely on schema and give expectations.

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20
Q

CI strengths

A

Geiselman et al showed participant a film of a violent crime and interviewed either using CI, standard interview or an interview using hypnosis, average number of correctly recalled facts for CI was 41, standard interview 29 and hypnosis 38.

Researchers found any CI element in isolation tend to be more effective in eliciting accurate info than standard interview.

Fisher, CI produce 46% more details and was 90% accurate than standard interviews.

Also works well with children, Holliday showed 4-5 and 9-10 a birthday party vid, interviewed using CI or standard next day, more accurate details using CI.

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21
Q

Weaknesses

A

May lead to inc of inaccurate info.

Geiselman et al lack ecological validity.

Time consuming.

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22
Q

Ethical interview

A

Preparation and planning-identify key objectives of the interview.
Engage and explain-active listening promote a rapport.
Account, clarification and challenge-open ended questions to elicit info.
Closure-give suspect the chance to ask any questions.
Evaluate-reflect on interviewers performance.

All interviews adopt PEACE model are recorded to maintain transparency and ensure guidelines are followed.

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23
Q

EI strengths

A

Produce high success rate.

Can improve society’s view of the police.

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24
Q

Weaknesses.

A

Require specialist training.

Should not entirely replace persuasive method eg Colin Stagg

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25
Q

What’s psychological formulation?

A

Explains why individual commit a crime and likelihood of reoffending

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26
Q

Stages of psychological formulation:offense analysis

A

Gain insight of motivation.
Forensics psychologist may refer to similar offenses.
Must relate specifically to the offender.
Identify reasons allow forensics psychologist to assess risk of reoffending and possible causes that can be removed or changed.

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27
Q

Stages of psychological formulation: Understanding the function of offending

A

Purpose serve for the individual.
Behaviorist and psychodynamic perspective.

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28
Q

Stages of psychological formulation: Application to treatment

A

Establish intervention based on the conclusion.
Rehabilitative program recommended that should reflect how the offending started in first place, risk of reoffending and how likely they are to stick to the program.
Treatment will then reassess and adopted based on the success.

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29
Q

Individual differences in psychological formulation

A

Criminal behavior depends on personal circumstances and factors that triggered so can’t be generalized. Forensics psychologist need to work with this uncertainty and change their approach when needed on each case

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30
Q

Psychological formulations strengths

A

Provide insight into complex offending cases, brings together many agencies and professionals.

Understand what causes offending helps to reduce reoffending.

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31
Q

Weaknesses

A

Evidence gained from different sources may be contradictory.

Info related to offense analysis and function of offending tend to be gathered through clinical interviews so subjective.

Success rates measured in terms of reoffending but the most are undetected so it is actually a re conviction rate be measured.

32
Q

Treatment for offenders:anger management 

A

Inability to control anger is the root cause also of offending.
Some more likely to see certain situations as a threatening and stressful, judgment of the situation triggers anger so it’s cognitive in nature.
From a behaviorist perspective, anger is reinforced by offenders feelings of control that anger gives them in that situation.
Anger results from cognitive and behavioral problems so treatment need to tackle both.

33
Q

Stages of anger management:cognitive preparation

A

Reflect situations that triggered anger in the past, consider they could have reacted differently.
Encouraged to re-defined the situation as non-threatening, gradually perceived more rationally.

34
Q

Stages of anger management:skill acquisition

A

Taught range of behavioral techniques to help to cope effectively with anger provoking situations.
Become automatic response is practiced regularly.
Aim to control emotion.

35
Q

Stages of anger management:application and practice

A

Therapist devise situation in which the offender is able to show the skills they learned.
Reconstruct events in the past.

36
Q

Anger management:Ireland (2004) aim

A

Investigated anger management within an institutional setting

37
Q

Procedure

A

Offenders randomly allocated to anger management group or no treatment.
Treatment group given 12 sessions.
3 measures of progress, interview and questionnaire for participants and behavior checklist by prison staff. Gather data t2weeks before and 8 weeks after treatment.

38
Q

Findings

A

92% treatment group showed sign changes on at least one measure, 48% showed improvement on questionnaire and behavior checklist.
Marked improvement for offenders judged to be violent.
Control groups didn’t show improvement on any of the 3 measures.

39
Q

Conclusion

A

Anger management is more effective than no treatment at all and is most effective for violent offenders

40
Q

Individual differences in anger management

A

Ireland shows works best for violent offenders.
Must admit and accept changes to be affective.

41
Q

Anger management strengths

A

Holbrook, 26 male prisoners with a history of violence, measured desire for revenge before and upon completion of treatment, reduced sig after treatment.

Works on all aspects, cognitive, behavioral and social.

Safer prison environment.

Researchers review 58 CBT studies, 20 used anger management and showed sig improvements in behavior.

42
Q

Weakness

A

Anger and offending is correlational.

Short term.

Following a course of 24 anger management sessions for murderer, may inc his ability to manipulate situation to his adv.

In Ireland’s study, assessment was after 8 weeks, may be insufficient to realistically eva effectiveness.

Not all crimes caused by anger.

43
Q

Biological treatment:improved diet

A

Lack minerals, vitamins or fatty acids in diet more likely to engage in violent acts.
Brain functions depends on biochemical processes and these rely on a steady supply of the right sort of nutrients.
Most important of these in relation to criminal behavior is unsaturated fatty acid e.g. omega 3, vitamin B, C and D etc.
More junk food, less space for healthy nutrition, lack nutrients links to mental illnesses.
To improve the diet, baseline measure of diet is established so have idea of what particular minerals and vitamins are lacking.
In most cases a multivitamin will be added to the diet and effect will be monitored over a given period.
Dan White, junk food disturbed his mood.

44
Q

Improved diet:Gesch et al (2002) aim

A

Weather in improved diet was linked to reduction antisocial behavior

45
Q

Procedure

A

231 inmates.
2 weeks to 9 months, some withdraw due to parole or limited cell space.
Match the four disciplinary incidence and progress in prison regime.
Experimental group given daily vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acid supplements in addition to normal diet.
Double blind procedure.
Baseline measure of diet and assessment of anger, depression and anxiety at the beginning of the study.

46
Q

Findings

A

35% reduction in disciplinary incidents per 1000 person days and 6% in control.
37% reduction in serious violent incidents and 10% in control.

47
Q

Conclusion

A

Supplementing offenders diet with nutrients linked to a dec antisocial behavior.
Likely to have implications beyond institutional setting for those eating a poor diet in the wider community.

48
Q

Improve diet strengths

A

Moore et al, among a group of violent offender, 69% reported eating confectionery nearly every day during childhood.

Benton et a, children playing a video game become more aggre as their blood sugar level reduced.

Zaalberg replicated Gesch et al with 221 young male prisoners, adding nutrients to their diet dec violent events by 34%.

Gesch et al is well controlled, double blind procedure minimized demand characteristics.

Schoenthaler found 48% reduction in formal disciplinary incidents after reduced sugar. 

49
Q

Weaknesses

A

Gesch et al and Schoenthaler conducted in institutional setting.

Correlational.

Crime is a complex a social activity, can’t be addressed by a single factor alone.

Fail to consider other types of crime.

50
Q

Factors affecting EWT

A

Post event information.
Leading questions.
Anxiety.
Weapon focus

51
Q

Factors affecting EWT strengths

A

Lotus and Palmer support leading questions.

Ronald Cotton support effect of leading questions.

Weapon focused supported by evidence, participants overheard a conversation and a man later appeared with greasy hands carrying a pen in control condition, in experimental condition participant heard an argument followed by a man holding a bloodstained knife, from a selection of 50 pic, 49% correctly identified men in control compared to 33% experimental.

Above evidence was lab setting but unaware of the study.

Changes to legal system.

52
Q

Weaknesses

A

Yullie and Cutshall interviewed real life shooting witnesses, 13 witnesses were interviewed by police and re-interviewed by researchers 4-5 months later and produced accurate info despite inclusions of leading questions in the second interview.

The witnesses in Yullie and Cutshall’s study was highly anxious and still procedure correct info.

Pickle, similar effect when a man pulled ou a raw chicken to pay.

53
Q

Factors affecting jury decision making: Characteristics of the defendant

A

Attractiveness, race and accent.

54
Q

Factors affecting jury decision making:pre trail publicity

A

Jury have to decide guilt or innocence based on evidence presented.
Stebley et al, neg info given to experimental and not control, 59% in experimental give a guilty verdict and 45% in control.
OJ Simpson

55
Q

Factors affecting jury decision making strengths

A

Ethical, most studies are your decision making involve mock jewelries and imaginary cases.

Have subjective interpretations and opinions so should be reminded by judges and other court officials they need to remain in partial I’m not letting other factors distort the interpretation of evidence.

56
Q

Weaknesses

A

Other factors may affect juries e.g. personal experience.
Inconsistent result, ock jurors who discussed the case were more likely to find an attractive defendant guilty and those discussed less more likely to find plain defendant guilty.

57
Q

Classic study:Loftus and Palmer (1974) aim

A

Interviewed in the idea that human memory is fragile in particular memory can be influenced by post of information

58
Q

Procedure

A

Opportunity sample of the 45 students.
Showing clips of car accidents range from 5-30 seconds.
divided into 5 groups and each were asked a critical question.

59
Q

Findings

A

Smashed group (40.5) have a sig higher speed estimate compared to contacted (31.8)

60
Q

Conclusion

A

Post event info impact recall.
Raises the question of whether this was because the info in the question led to a biased response or altered they are memory of the event

61
Q

What was the IV and DV?

A

IV, changing verb.
DV, speed estimates given by participants

62
Q

Second experiment:Loftus and Palmer procedure

A

150 participants shown a car accident clip.
3 conditions, 50 participants asked how fast were the cars going when they hit each other and another group we asked the same question but with the word smashed and control group were not asked for speed estimation.
Participants called back in after a week asked if they saw any broken glass without second viewing and there was no broken glass in the film.

63
Q

Second experiment findings

A

Smashed condition give highest speed estimate and was sign likely to report seeing broken glass (16), 7 in hit condition and 6 in control.

64
Q

Second experiment conclusion

A

Post event information actually altered the memory of the event and generated expectations.

65
Q

Classic study:Loftus and Palmer generalizability

A

All were college students.

Less driving experience.

Small sample in first study, but big in second.

66
Q

Reliability

A

Standardized interviews at the video.

Yullie and Cutshall (1986), contradictory evidence, real life witnesses give very accurate reports of the crime months after even though they were asked leading question.

67
Q

Application

A

Led to the review of the legal system.

Formulated guidelines for police questioning of witnesses and suspects.

68
Q

Validity

A

Lab setting, well controlled.

Watching a car crash video is very different to real life experiences.

69
Q

Ethics

A

Participants can be deceived into believing something untrue e.g. deceived into believing that there was broken glass at the scene.

70
Q

Contemporary study:Valentine and Mesout (2009) aim

A

Contest reliability of EWT in real life situation while under high levels of stress

71
Q

Procedure

A

Labyrinth in London dungeon.
Conducted pre test on visitors showed labyrinth did inc heart rate so inc arousal and fear.
56 visitors agreed to complete questionnaires in exchange for a reduced ticket price, unaware of the study. Each walked around the labyrinth, in the first 7mins, met the scary person then spent 45mins on the rest.
At the end, informed consent was obtained, aim explained and given the right to withdraw.
Consenting participants completed 3 questionnaires, trait anxiety inventory, measures typical state of anxiety, state anxiety inventory, measures how they felt in the labyrinth and memory questionnaire tested recall of scary person, scored for accuracy by an independent panel.
Participants identified the scary person from 9 pic, matched for sex, age, ethnicity origin to the actor.
Told that the actor may or may not be one of the pics.

72
Q

Findings

A

Mean SAI 49, sig higher than mean TAI (36).
Witnesses with high SA recalled fewer correct info.
Divided into 2 groups, state anxiety higher than median (52) or lower, 17% scored higher correctly identified the scary person compared to 75% correctly identification in low SA.

73
Q

Conclusion

A

Memory is neg affected by inc anxiety, leads to less reliable eyewitness accounts.
Lab studies of EWT can’t represent real life anxiety, may underestimate effect of stress, higher level stress experience in real life crime harder to correctly identify the offender.

74
Q

Contemporary study:Valentine and Mesout (2009) generalizability

A

Both gender used.

People visiting dungeon may preferred scary activities, unrepresentative sample.

75
Q

Reliability

A

Research found higher anxiety can improve recall, interview of 110 real life bank robberies witnesses who had been directly threatened or attacked recalled more accurate than onlookers.

Standardized instructions.

76
Q

Validity

A

Although it was a field of study, researchers able to maintain high level of control.

High ecological validity, unaware of study.

No ecological validity as know it was fake and have no consequences.

77
Q

Application

A

EWT should be treated with caution especially if experienced stress