criminal psychology Flashcards

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1
Q

what is criminal psychology

A

applied psychology, using our psychological knowledge to understand, explain and treat criminals
use psychological knowledge to understand and help the criminal justice system

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2
Q

what is recidivism

A

reoffending

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3
Q

what is crime

A

something that breaks the law

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4
Q

what is anti social behaviour

A

any behaviour that goes against social norms and makes other people feel uncomfortable and threatened

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5
Q

how is crime a social construct

A

Culture, differences in cultural views of crimes (eg guns)
Age, eg in scotland responsible from 8 y/o
Specific circumstances, intention/understanding
Historical context, eg homosexuality

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6
Q

Age of criminal responsibility in ENGLAND, SCOTLAND and FRANCE

A

ENGLAND- 10 y/o
SCOTLAND- 8 y/o
FRANCE- 13 y/o

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7
Q

how can the PFC be responsible for criminal behaviour

A
  • responsible for decision making, damage, poor decision making, CB
  • responsible for personality, damage, impulsive personality, CB
  • damage, cannot consider alternative behaviours/ consider consequences, CB
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8
Q

how can the amygdala be responsible for criminal behaviour

A
  • responsible for fight or flight, impulsive behaviour, inability to control impulses, CB
  • trigger fight, CB
  • damage to “rational” part of brain, irrational, CB
  • less control over emotions, aggression, CB
  • psychopaths have smaller amygdalas
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9
Q

how can the hypothalamus be responsible for criminal behaviour

A
  • responsible for hormone regulation, damage means hormones like testosterone, have higher levels, more agg, leads to CB (most male criminals are convicted age 12-15- when testosterone levels are highest)
  • regulates neurotransmitters, damage lead to increased dopamine, CB, dopamine as a positive reinforcer OR damage lead to decreased serotonin, increased aggression, increased CB
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10
Q

Hyde et al- gender and the amygdala

A

study using male and female ppants to investigate role amygdala in CB
found that amygdala may be involved in CB and ASB, eg higher psychopathy scores with lower amygdala activity and higher ASB score with higher amygdala activity
DID NOT COMMENT ON GENDER DIFFERENCES

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11
Q

Shirtcliff et al- gender and the amygdala

A

study of the neurobiology of ASB
found that the neurobiology related to empathy and calloussness is different for males and females
didnt specifically mention amygdala, h/e previously stated that amygdala is critical for emotion regulation
t/f can be assumed that the gender differences that they found were due to gender differnces in structure/function of amygdala

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12
Q

Bruns & Hausen- gender and brain injury

A

males are more at risk than females of having a traumatic brain injury
for every 2 male brain injuries there is one female
thought to be because young males are more likely to be involved in car accidents
in SOUTH AFRICA, 1 female brain injury for every 4 male brain injuries, due to interpersonal violence

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13
Q

3 strengths of using brain injury to explain criminal behaviour

A
  1. Phineas gage: had a metal pole go through PFC, before accident was well mannered and kind, after he was bad temepered and aggressive, t/f brain injury can lead to aggression leading to CB, increasing validity of theory
  2. Raine et al: Raine found murderes had less activity in left amugdala, pfc and more activity in right amygdala and right thalamus compared to control, t/f if brain injury causes differences in brain activity, lead to cb, validity
  3. Pardini: 26 year old men with lower amygdala volumes were 3x more likely to be aggressive violent and show pscychopathic traits 3 years later than men with same amygdala volumes, t/f damage to amygdala or less activity lead to cb, increasing validity
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14
Q

3 weaknesses of using brain injury to explain criminal behaviour

A
  1. Kreutzer: found that without the presence of substance abuse brain injury was not a risk factor of criminal behaviour, t/f brain injury alone does not always lead to CB, reducing validity of the theory
  2. Supporting research is correlational: supporting research such as Raine studies murderes brain activity after the murder happened, t/f cause and effect cannot be established, reducing the validity
    3.Reductionlist: this theory considers nature, damage to the pfc, amygdala and hypothalamus lead to cb, however it fails to conider nurture, observation and imitation of a criminal role model leads to cb. t/f reductionlist theory as it fails to consider nature and nurture and fails to consider the complexity of this theory.
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15
Q

what is eysencks personality theory

A

if you have a high PEN peronality score you are likely to be a criminal
Psychotic
Extraverted
Neurotic

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16
Q

What is psychotism, how does it link to the nervous sytem and how does it lead to CB

A

traits- hostile, uncaring, lack empathy
Suggested that psychotism could be linked to male hormones such as testosterone but there is little research to support this.
Can harm, cause distress and break laws whilst feeling no remorse leading them to repeat behaviours, recidivism

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17
Q

What is extraversion, how does it link to the nervous sytem and how does it lead to CB

A

traits- outgoing, talkative, sensation seeking
RAS regulates arousal that inhibits incoming sensations so the individual will seek external stimulation to readdress the balance and reach their optimum level of arousal. Low levels of arousal so seeks stimulation from environment.
wants arousal/adrenaline so seeks sensation through CB, leads to risk taking

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18
Q

What is Neuroticism, how does it link to the nervous sytem and how does it lead to CB

A

traits- emotionally unstable, hard to control behaviour
linked to levels of reactivity in the ANS, neurotic has more reactivity in the ANS specifically in the sympathetic brain responsible for F or F, quick to turn on to release adrenaline and slow to turn off
fight or flight is easily triggered, leading to CB especially when they feel threat

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19
Q

3 strengths of eysencks personality theory

A
  1. practical apps: eysencks personality questionairre could be used to identify at risk individuals of comitting crimes and thus preventative measures could be put in place to reduce the likelihood, t/f reducing CB in society, reducing recidivism and increasing validity of theory
  2. holistic: acknowledges nature, genetic predisposition to PEN personality, and nurture, environment interacts with PEN personality, t/f considers the complexity of CB as it is due to multiple factors, increasint validity
  3. Eysenck: compared prisoners and non criminal scores PEN questionairre scores and found higher scores for prisoners;,t/f suggesting higher PEN personality, CB, increasing validity
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20
Q

3 weaknesses of eysencks personality theory

A
  1. Farrington: reviewed 16 studies on the relationship of P, E and N measures with criminal convictions, found majority of case offenders scored higher on P and N but not E, t/f cannot be sure extraversion impacts CB, reducing validity
  2. Hollin: found offenders generally show higher P and N scores but not necessarily higher E scores, t/f cannot be sure extraversion leads to CB, reducing validity
  3. reductionlist: although eysenck does cover nature and nurture having an impact on your PEN personality, it does not consider other environmental factors such as CB being the result of the observation and imitation of a crim RM, t/f eysencks theory cannot fully explain CB.
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21
Q

how is sex determined at conception

A

by our 23rd pair of chromosomes
female: xx
male: xy

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22
Q

what is xyy syndrome

A

genetic condition that occurs when males have an extra y chromosone in their 23rd pair, meaning they have 47 chromosones
it is 0.1% of males
occurs randomly, not inhereted

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23
Q

why does xyy cause crime

A

faster and taller than their siblings
lower levels of intelligence (10-15 IQ points) in comparison to their siblings
more impulsive and physically active than their siblings
more aggressive and less empathetic than their siblings
all leading to crime and recidivism

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24
Q

3 strengths of xyy syndrome

A
  1. practical apps: in knowing that xyy boys may be active and distracted compared to xy we can put in place interventions such as playing sport to help reduce the risk of CB, t/f this can reduce likelihood of them becoming a criminal, less cb, making society safer
  2. stocholm et al: increase in number of convictions within danish men in all crimes (except drug/traffic) compared to a control group, t/f increasing validity as the study shows risk of conviction was higher for xyy males
  3. gosavi et al: looked at 94 criminals convicted of murder in India and found an association between CB and xyy, t/f suggesting this theory is valid as xyy is associated with criminals
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25
Q

3 weaknesses of xyy syndrome

A
  1. witkin et al: found (once background variables were controlled for) no direct link between xyy and crime for almost 5000 danish men, t/f reducing validity as xyy is not soley responsible for cb and baclground variables have more impact
  2. re & birkhoff: did a review of evidence gathered on xyy from over 50 years and found no link between xyy and cb, however did find a link between xyy and other factors which lead to crime, t/f reducing validity as xyy is not the sole cause
    3.reductionlist: xyy only considers nature, a gentic mutation causes crime however it fails to conider nurture, the observation and imitation of a crim role model leads to crime, t/f reducing the validity of the theory as it fails to account for the complexity of criminal behaviour
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26
Q

gender and xyy syndrome

A

fails to explain female crime and lathough crime rates for males are higher, the criminal population is not all male

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27
Q

how can slt in general explain crime

A

slt would state that criminal behaviour is a result of the observation and imitation of a criminal role model doing criminal behaviour.
the criminal role model is more likely to be imitated if it is relatable for the individual (eg, the same gender as the individual)

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28
Q

how can the arrm model explain crime

A

Attention, the individual must observe and notice the criminal role models behaviour, eg notice a gang leader noisly stealing
Retention, the individual must remember observing the criminal behaviour, eg rememebering seeing a gang leader noisly stealing
Reproduction, the individual imitating/doing the criminal behaviour that they witnessed the criminal role model do, eg stealing from the same shop that the gang leader stole from
Motivation, individual wants to imitate the criminal behaviour as they see the criminal role model rewarded, eg individual sees the gang cheer for the gang leader

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29
Q

how can vicarious reinforcement explain crime

A

Individual sees a criminal role model be rewarded/positively reinforced for their criminal behaviour, eg seeing a gang leader be called “hero” for stealing from the shop by their gang

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30
Q

3 strengths of slt explaining crime

A
  1. farrington, 4% of 400 families comitted 50% of the crimes across these families, so individuals are imitjating the criminal behaviour from their family members (criminal role models), t/f suggesting that criminal behaviour is learnt via observation and imitation, increasing validity
  2. practical apps, in knowing that cb is learnt via the observation and imitation of a criminal role model, we can put in place “big brother and sister schemes” for vulnerable individuals to give them a positive/non criminal role model to observe and imitate, t/f reducing the likelihood of cb developing, making society safer, increasing validity
    3.bandurra, bandurra 1965 showed 66 children agressive role models either receieving no reinforcement, pos or neg and found pos had highest imitation then no and then neg, t/f suggesting that if a criminal role model is positively reinforced they are more likely to be imitated increasing the valifity of this theory
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31
Q

3 weaknesses of slt explaining crime

A
  1. farrington, the 4% of 400 families making up 50% of convictions could be due to nature, the passing down of a criminal gene t/f we cannot establish that the criminal behaviour was a result of the observation and imitation of criminal family members, reducing the internal validity of this supporting evidence so reducing the validity of the theory
  2. reductionist, slt as an explanation of cb only considers nurture, cb as the result of the observation and imitation of criminal behaviour and it fails to consider nature, criminal behaviour as a result of brain injury to the pfc, amygdala or hypothalamus, t/f slt is a reductionlist theory as it fails to consider the complexity of criminal behaviour, reduicing validity
  3. cannot explain all crimes, slt as an explanation of cb can only explain cb that we can physically observe to imitate eg robbery, however it fails to explain why people commit crimes that cannot be seen eg fraud, t/f reducing the validity of this theory as it cannot explain non observable criminal behaviour.
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32
Q

labelling theory a01

A
  • society creates criminal label to a particular behaviour based on stereotypes
  • authorities are maintaining power structure
  • deviant behaviour is shown by an individual and a label is ascribed to them
  • individual may be treated according to label
  • individual becomes stigmatized within society
  • individual believes label so decreases self image
  • individual feels marginalised within society
  • individaul fulfills label by comitting CB
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33
Q

3 strengths of labelling theory

A
  1. farrington
    found that 4% of 400 families comitted 50% of crimes which suggests that children were given a criminal label based on their parents, and went on to fulfill the label, t/f this suggests that being given a criminal label leads to cb, increasing validity of this theory
  2. lieberman
    found that juveniles who had comitted previous crimes were more likely to commit other crimes than juveniles who had not been previously arrested, t/f suggesting being given a criminal label leads to criminal behaviour, increasing validity of this theory
  3. besemer
    found that children with criminal parents had higher risk of conviction themselves, he also suggested that social factors such as a lower income family increases the likelhood of conviction, t/f increasing the validity of the theory as police may focus more on criminal or low income families leading to increased risk of conviction
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34
Q

3 weaknesses of labelling theory

A
  1. unscientific
    it is difficult to experimentally research labelling theory as you cannot set up an experiment where some ppants are labelled and some are not and analyse the effects on later behaviour, t/f there could be other factors leading to criminal behaviour (eg a pen personality), decreasing the validity of this theory
  2. lemert
    studied cheque forgers who usually came from a good socio economic background and hadn’t been in trouble with law enforcements before this, there criminal label was given after the criminal behaviour had started and thus their self image was not impacted, t/f this theory cannot explain why criminal behaviour happens if no label was given, decreasing validity of this theory
  3. reductionist
    labelling theory can not fully explain cb as it only considers nature, cb as a result of a criminal label. and it fails to consider nurture, eg criminal behaviour as a result of brain injury to the pfc, amygdala or hypothalamus. t/f labelling theory cannot fully explain criminal behaviour as it reduces the complexity of cb to its simplest form
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35
Q

ramoutar and farrington- gender differences in labelling theory

A

found that females are much more affected by parental negative labelling than males and thus females were more likely to display deviant behaviour as a result of parental criminal labels than males

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36
Q

sutherland- gender differences in labelling theory

A

suggested that females and males were socialised differently
girls are sociallised to be supervised and controlled whereas boys are sociallised to take risks and be aggressive
these labels could cause more boys to be involved in asb than girls

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37
Q

self fulfilling prophecy a01

A

deviant labels given to people based on others beliefs towards you
others will then behave towards the person according to the deviant label
because the individual is treated in a deviant way the person internalises the deviant label
the individual then will behave according to the deviant label so the prophecy is fulfilled

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38
Q

3 strengths of self fulfilling prophecy

A
  1. jahoda
    studied a population from ghana where boys were named according to the day of the week they were born and these days each had different souls, eg monday is quiet and peaceful and wednesday is aggressive and quick tempered, based on court records people born on wednesday were more likely to be convicted of crime than monday, t/f suggesting that when given a deviant label, individuals will internalise it and behave according to the label, increasing the validity of the theory
  2. rosenthal and jacobson
    found that children labelled late bloomers has improved IQ scores and continued to thrive for the next 2 years in the class compared to children that hadn’t, t.f suggesting thay if an individual is given a label they will internalise it and act according to the label, increasing validity of the theory
  3. practical applications
    in knowing that being given a deviant label could lead to criminal behaviour we could use this in education by the removal of ‘sets’ so that children do not feel as if they’re unlikely to succeed and fulfill this label, t/f our knowledge of self fulfilling prophecy can benefit society by removing sets in school in order to reduce deviant labels and thus reduce cb in society, increasing the validity of the theory
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39
Q

3 weaknesses of self fulfilling prophecy

A
  1. unscientific
    it is difficult to experimentally research self fulfilling prophecy as you cannot set up an experiment where some ppants are labelled and some are not and analyse the effects on later behaviour, t/f there could be other factors leading to criminal behaviour (eg a pen personality), decreasing the validity of this theory
  2. correlational research
    supporting researcg of self fulfilling prophecy finds a relationship between a criminal label and criminal behaviour however these pieces of research do not show that criminal labels cause criminal behaviour, there could be other factors involved for example the imitation of a criminal role model, t/f self fulfilling prophecy cannot fully explain why criminal behaviour happens, decreasing the validity of the theory
  3. reductionist
    self fulfilling prophecy can not fully explain cb as it only considers nature, cb as a result of a criminal label. and it fails to consider nurture, eg criminal behaviour as a result of brain injury to the pfc, amygdala or hypothalamus. t/f self fulfilling prophecy cannot fully explain criminal behaviour as it reduces the complexity of cb to its simplest form, decreasing validity of theory
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40
Q

jahoda- gender differences in self fulfilling prophecy

A

found that boys expected to have aggressive behaviour based on their names which were based on the days of the week that they were born (eg wednesday) were more responsble for violent crimes than boys names based on days of the week that had calm connotations
girls were not studied

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41
Q

dvir et al- gender differences in self fulfilling prophecy

A

found that a self fulfilling prophecy pccured when men in an officer training course were led by a man who believed his cadets had higher potential than usual, the same was found when women were led by a man
the same was not found when it was women led by women
thus the gender of the person holding the expectations has more of an impact than the gender of the person percieved as a criminal.

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42
Q

criminal behaviour theories that link to individual differences

A

PEN personality
XYY
self fulfilling prophecy (sterotypes based on ID)
labelling (as above)
SLT - who is your role model

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43
Q

criminal behaviour theories that link to developmental psych

A

SLT- RM change over time, as you grow more you observe more
labelling/SFP- labels change over time
PEN- nervous system develops over time
hormones- testosterone develops at piuberty
brain damage- deteriorate over timr, hurt then not hurt

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44
Q

what is a psychological formulation

A

case study of an individual who has comitted a crime
aim to create a hypothesis on why criminal behaviour develops and why its maintained using psych theory
a written report where offenders are analysed based on relationships, life events, behaviour patterns
used in court

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45
Q

what is a case formulation

A

used to identify an effective treatment strategy, educate the offender and provide a risk assessment on the likelihood of reoffending

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46
Q

good idea to use a case formulation if

A
  • offender presents clear problems and treatment is unclear
  • not a lot is known about problem (eg internet porn)
  • standard treatments have not changed behaviour significantly
  • offender doesn’t progress and disrupts other offenders in group therapy
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47
Q

how would social psych explain crime

A

if brought up in a criminal environment or interact with criminals you may act the same
obedience to higher order

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48
Q

how would cognitive psych explain crime

A

may process things irrationally due to faulty cognition

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49
Q

how would learning psych explain crime

A

observe and imitate CB
conditioned to CB through lack of punishment

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50
Q

how would biological psych explain crime

A

XYY
brain damage

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51
Q

how would psychodynamic approach explain crime

A

not fully developed ID so you’re selfish
past trauma

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52
Q

3 strengths of psychological formulation

A

GHADERI- found case formulations can be effective in predicting which treatments will be effective (reduce recidivism)
WHITEHEAD- case formulations worked with Mr C as it worked towards goals he valued, once he was released it kept him on track
ACCOUNTS FOR INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES- looks at individuals past and presents so can give specific treatments to reduce recidivism

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53
Q

3 weaknesses of psychological formulation

A

SCHULTE- found formulation based therapy was less effective than flooding
REDUCTIONIST- looks at seperate parts of the criminals life seperately but underplays the connections between them
SUBJECT TO BIAS- different psychologists may focus on different aspects of the individuals past which may lead to the wrong treatment

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54
Q

how would forensic psychologists use work effectively and communicate with others

A

break confidentiality when necessary (multi disciplinary team)
communicate with other teams
explain all treatments to criminal

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55
Q

how would forensic psychologists use act in best interest of criminal

A

only use treatments that will be effectrive and wont cause psych or phys harm
not let gender/religion/crime influence decisions
break confidentiality if criminal is at risk

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56
Q

how would forensic psychologists use maintain records apprpriately

A

consent and confidentiality of criminal (pseudnym)
keep records up to date
keep record secure (password protected)
gain approval of notes from criminal

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57
Q

how would forensic psychologists use quality of practice

A

regular training to ensure psychologist is up to date on offender treatment
follow BPS guidelines
fully qualified (minimum masters in forensic psychology)

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58
Q

how would forensic psychologists use right to withdraw

A

criminals should have options to leave studies whenever they wish

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59
Q

how would forensic psychologists use confidentiality

A

shouldnt share records with anyone outside the multi disciplinary team and should use a pseudonym

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60
Q

apply case studies to criminal psych

A
  • in depth detailed investigation conducted on a criminal, group of criminals or criminal isntitution
  • use a range of methods by triangulation to study criminals resposne to the treatment using qual and quant methods such as observations brain scans
  • longitudinal, study criminals over a long period of time to see any changes in their offending and see if treatment reduces recidividm
  • can collect primary data (observations) or secondary data (police records)
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61
Q

Blagden et al

A

studied a 54 year old rape offender, analysed his behaviour using a repetory grid
found he blamed his victims and lacked empathy towards them
these findings could explain why he was unwilling to engage in treatment
t/f suggesting that using repetory grids in case formulation can aid treatment suggestions

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62
Q

3 strengths of case studies in crim psych

A

ecological validity
triangulation, qual and quant
prinary and secondary data

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63
Q

3 weaknesses of case studies in crim psych

A

researcher bias
population validity
lacks internal validity

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64
Q

anger management programme AO1

A
  • cbt aims to change faulty cognition and change criminal behaviour to prosocial behaviour. anger is a build up of strong negative emotions, anger could be catharsis so cbt aims to use sublimation instead
  • cognitive preparation: identify faulty cognition, get offenders thinking about patterns of anger, offenders track anger outburst using anger dairy
  • skill acquisition: learn skills to manage anger, cognitive mechanisms (eg imagery, mantra), behavioural mechanisms (eg meditation, breathing)
  • application practice: offender practices skills in a controlled safe environment, criminal roleplays the anger, given homework and record progress in anger diary
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4
5
Perfectly
65
Q

3 strengths of anger management

A

HOWELLS: statistically significant increase in anger knowledge in exp group compared to control group suggests AM helps criminals undesratnd anger
IRELAND: looked at 46/50 young offenders found improvement and reduction in anger felt after anger management therapy
LONG TERM EFFECTS: teaches criminals to control their anger without needing therapy long term, whereas the use of drug therapy needs to be continued

66
Q

3 weaknesses of anger management

A

SHOWS HARM: anger management is oftern delivered as group therapy where offenders talk about their anger, this can give offenders new ways to hurt people, incraesing CB
NOT ALL: in 2022 only 31% of offenders were violent so anger management can only treat violent offenders, and cannot treat the other 69%
REDUCTIONIST: only looks at cognition not biology

67
Q

aim of howells

A

to see whether anger management is more effective in producing change than no treatment for violent offenders
also see if pre treatment offender characteristics can predict any improvement in treatment

68
Q

howells sample

A

418 male participants
mean age 28.8 years
south and west australia
of the 418 partcipants only 21 made it to the 6 month follow up assesment

69
Q

howells procedure

A

a control group was taken from people on a waiting list
offenders had 20 hours of treatment
programmes used cbt principles and is based on novaco’s framework, programmes included cognitive restructuring, relaxation, relapse prevention
measures were taken before and after (2 and 6 months)
- questionairres eg Novaco anger scale, modified overt aggression scale
- staff used staff rating scale for aggression when observing

70
Q

howells findings

A

statistically significant increase in anger knowledge after treatment, 1.80 (control 0.95()- mean changes
slight improvement in anger control mean change 20.7 to 22.2
this was still significant at 2 month follow up but at 6 month follow up it was not significant showing effects are not long term

71
Q

contemporary study criminal

A

howells

72
Q

howells conclusion

A

overall affect of anger management programmes was small and the completion of anger questionairres had a small benefit even without treatment
offenders who were motivated to change showed the greatest improvement and those who were poorly motivated showed the least change
anger management programmes seem to be useful in an educational sense but not for reducing overall aggression

73
Q

what is my biological treatment for offenders

A

hormone therapy

74
Q

3 hormones used in hormone therapy for offenders

A

risperidone
SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
MPA (medroxyprogesteroneacetate)

75
Q

what horomone does risperidone target

A

dopamine

76
Q

what hormone does SSRI target

A

serotonin

77
Q

what hormone does MPA target

A

testosterone

78
Q

how does risperidone work in treating offenders

A

blocking receptors in the brain that dopamine acts on
this prevents the activity of dopamine
as dopamine is known to be invloved in regualting mood and behaviour, reducing dopamine activity will help control the behaviour of the offender and give them a stable mood
thus it will decrease criminal behaviour and recidivism

79
Q

risperidone side effects

A

drowsiness
depression
trouble walking

80
Q

how do SSRIs work in treating offenders

A

SSRIs block the reuptake of serotonin, making more available to improve transmission of messages
as low serotonin levels are linked to impulsiveness, violence and aggression, increasing the levls of them should prevent these behaviours and thus decrease criminal behaviour

81
Q

SSRI side effects

A

confusion
diziness
blurred vision

82
Q

how does MPA work in treating offenders

A

MPA is a synthetic form of progesterone and reduces testosterone levels in the body
it reduces sexual drive which can reduce recidivism in sexual offenders
it also reduces impulsivity and aggression due to the decrease in testosterone levels, this can reduce the recidivism of aggressive crimes and overall criminal behaviour

83
Q

MPA side effects

A

nausea
depression
headaches

84
Q

supporting evidence of risperidone

A

LeBlanc et al- found that adolesent boys diagnose with conduct or oppositional disoreder who took risperidone experienced a 56.4% reduction in their aggressive behaviour

85
Q

opposing evidence of risperidone

A

Couppis and Kennedy- dopamine might be a consequence of aggressive behaviour rather than the cause and thus treating high levels of dopamine fails to treat the cause of the aggression

86
Q

supporting evidence of SSRIs

A

Lievesly et al- found sex offenders reported reduced sexual urges and sexually deviant thinking leading to less sexual criminal behaviour due to the taking of SSRI thus suggesting they reduce sexual recidivism

87
Q

supporting evidence of MPA

A

over a 3 year treatment programme only 1/100 offenders receiving MPA treatment reoffended
thus suggesting it is effective in reducing recidivism

88
Q

My biological treatment offenders STUDY

A

Maletzky

89
Q

Maletzky aim

A

Review sexual offenders who had been treated using MPA to establish how effective MPA is in treating offenders, to clarify what place MPA might have in total treatment of the offender and guidelines that could be used to establish which offenders may benefit most from MPA

90
Q

Maletzky sample

A

Retrospective chart review of 5132 sexual offenders enrolled in a private practice sexual abuse clinic over a period of 16 years
The first 100/5132 given MPA were selected to tale part in the research and 100 offenders not given MPA were matched as a control group

91
Q

Maletzky procedure (TREATMENT)

A

Dosage and duration of treatment were determined by the clinic physician
Patients received MPA via injection averaging 250 mg every 2 weeks
Informed consent was utilised throughout
Control and Experimental group also received combinations of behavioural, cognitive and family therapies - as recommended by their therapist

92
Q

Maletzky procedure (DATA COLLECTION)

A

Chart review noting: type and duration of sexual arousal, number of victims, convictions and general info on the offender
For 3 years after treatment reoffending rate data was collected- determined via offender and significant other on questionnaires and interviews and police records

93
Q

Maltetzky findings

A

over the 3 years only one participant reoffended when taking the drug, after 5 months on MPA he was playing with young girls and lifting them up
whereas in the control group 6 reoffended

94
Q

maletzky conclusion

A

MPA is effective to use with certain sexual offenders enrolled in community treatment programmes as it reduces sexual drive without debilitating side effects
MPA should only be employed within an ongoing therapeutic programme
It should only be used on the most dangerous patients and should not be used long term

95
Q

3 strengths of maletzky

A

Ecological validity- in their natural setting of the private practice sexual abuse clinic
Practical Apps- in knowing MPA can reduce recidvism for sexual offenders we can use it to reduce such crimes in society
Triangulation- whether the offender had reoffended was determined by questionairres and interviews done by the offender and there significant other, thus estblishing similar findings

96
Q

3 weaknesses of maletszky

A

Cause and effect- as the data was gathered when offenders were in a sexual abuse clinic, treated for sexual arousal, they may be motivated to show a fall in sexual arousal or claim they felt less aroused in questionairres to stop them going to prison, t/f the findings that MPA is effective to reduce sexual arousal in men lacks internal validity
Population validity- 100 sexual offenders enrolled in a private practice sexual abuse clinic from across America, t/f ethnocentric and unrepresentative sample so findings that MPA is effective cannot be generalised
Retrospective chart review- maletsky used patient data collected from doctors, therapists and police record, as this data was not collected with a specific hypothesis we cannot be sure the data all holds the same level of detail or that all data was recorded, t/f reducing the validity of the data collected on the effectiveness of MPA to reduce sexual arousal

97
Q

3 negatives of hormone therapy

A

Side effects- altering the hormones in someone’s body usually has side effects and the offender may not want these effects on their body, t/f side effects could lead to the offender stopping taking treatment decreasing the effectiveness of hormone therapy to reduce criminal behaviour
Treats symptom not cause- when taking hormone therapy, CB may decrease however when the offender stops taking the drugs the CB may return, t/f hormone therapy is not effective in treating criminal behaviour as it doesn’t work long term
Reductionist- hormone treatment can only treat CB if it is caused by hormones (nature) and it will not be able to treat CB that is cause by imitation or self fulfilling prophecy (nurture), t/f hormone therapy is ineffective as it cannot treat all CB due to it’s explicit focus on nature and ignorance of nurture influencing CB

98
Q

A01 cognitive interview

A

the aim of the CI is to maximise all cues available so witnesses can use them to ensure accurate recall
1. reinstate context at time of event: witnesses should recall vues from environmeny and how they felt, they can be taken back or shown images of the crime scene to maximise environmental and internal cues
2. report everything: starts with free, uninterupted recall of everything they remember even small details, police do not ask questions in this time, this maximises accurate recall
3. change order in which event is recalled: recall crime chronollogically first then backwards and then from a certain point onwards, to hopefully maximise all cues availabe
4. change perspective: recall crime from their POV, then from someone elses POV eg other witness or victim, to maximise all cues availabe

99
Q

3 strengths of the cognitive interview

A

Geilesman- ppants who watched 2 violent films and were interviewed 48 hours later by police officers, had higher recall accuracy when the cognitive interview technique was used rather than the standard technique, t/f suggesting a CI increases the validity of EWT
Fisher- found after training detetctives gained 47% more useful information from witnesses to real crimes compared to using standard interviewing techniques, t/f suggesting CI increases the accuracy of EWT improving reliability
Holliday- found cognitive interviews were more effective than standard interviews when interviewing children, t/f suggesting that the CI increases the accuracy of EWT, imrpoving the reliability of EWT

100
Q

3 weaknesses of the cognitive interview

A

Geiliseman- found the CI led to slightly more incorrect recall of items so it may not be as accurate as standard interviews, t/f suggesting the CI could lead to innaccurate testimonies and decreasing the reliability of using CI in EWT
Kebbell and Wagstaff- found the police do not use the CI in more serious crimes as they did not have time, as although it provides a vast amount of information it may not always be practical, t/f suggesting the CI is time consuming decreasing the usefulness of it as a tool to improve EWT
Practical issues- the police need to be trained in CI which takes time and money, also the CI takes a long time and often if you have a suspect in custody you have limited time, t/f reducing the usefulness of CI in EWT

101
Q

A01 ethical interview

A

Ethical interviews follow the PEACE model
Planning and preparation: aims/questions/topics are noted prior to the interview, where and when the interview will be will take place, establish how interview will be recorded
Engage and explain: rapport built between interviewer and suspect, they will explain how the interview will take place and answer any questions
Account: suspect gives description of behaviour using “conversation management”- suspect agenda (speak in own words, no interuption), police agenda (topics of interest that were not mentioned), challeneg phase (challenge inconsistencies and inaccuracies from suspect)
Closure: bring interview to good close, maintaining rapport and avoiding anxiety or anger
Evaluate: interviews should be evaluated against the required aims to look at the material obtained

102
Q

3 strengths of ethical interview

A

Kebbell- a group of interview techniques including the ethical interview technique were more effective than others at getting a confession from sex offenders, t/f suggesting ethical interview is effective in providing accurate findings increasing the reliability of using it in EWT
Roberts- found that using ethical interview techniques improved the reliability of the information gathered during the interview, t/f suggesting that the ethical interview is effective in producing reliable and accurate information and can be used to create a reliable EWT
Fewer false confessions- as the ethical interview avoids techniques such as intimidation and sleep deprivation, there is less pressure on the interviewee to give answers to avoid punishment, t/f suggesting there is less psychological distress on the interviewee which increases the validity of the testimonie gathered

103
Q

3 weaknesses of ethical interview

A

Practical issues- specific training is needed for the police to complete the ethical interview and it takes a long time to conduct which may not be possible if a suspect is being held in custody for limited time, t/f information needing to be obtained about a suspect may not be found within custody time limit reducing the usefulness pf ethical interviews
Walsh and Milne- listened to 99 audiotapes of ethical interviews and found the PEACE model is not always followed as there was little evidence of planning and rapport, t/f suggesting the ethical interview is not always administered properly and thus it is not a valid interview technique
Pounds- found that empathy was not always used appropriately in police interviews, t/f suggesting the ethical interview is not always administered properly and thus is not a valid interview technique

104
Q

similarities of cog interview and ethical interview

A
  • both aim not to use leading questions
  • both use free recall
  • both impractical
  • both have supporting research
105
Q

differences of cog interview and ethical interview

A
  • CI looks at multiple perspectives and EI only looks at interviewee perspective
  • CI uses backward and forward recall and EI only looks forward recall
  • CI doesnt have a planand just aims to gather evidence whereeas EI has a clear plan and aim
  • CI main aim is to maximise cues to gain accurate evidence whereas EI main aim is to adhere to ethical standards
106
Q

A01 lab experiments to investigate EWT

A
  • EW placed in a highly controlled artificial setting of a lab for the EWT research
  • researcher will manipulate IV (type of question) and measure DV (accuracy of EWT)
  • extraneous variables that could impact the reliability of EWT (eg distractions) are controlled for
  • therefore we can establish the IV (type of question) caused change in DV (accuracy of EWT) as it is in a highly controlled setting
  • each EW will experience the same teaching and questions so the researcher can establish consistent findings on EWT
  • EW would be randomly allocted to the control (non leading) or experimental (leading) to prevent researcher bias
107
Q

2 strengths of lab experiments to investigate EWT

A

Cause and effect- the extraneous variables such as distractions are being controlled for therefore we can establish that the type of question had the impact on the accuracy of EWT increasing internal validity
Standardised procedure- as the questions are being manipulated only by the researcher and is not naturally occuring the experiment can be easily replicated for EW therefore we can establish consistent findings on the impact the type of question has on EWT increasing reliability

108
Q

2 weaknesses of lab experiments to investigate EWT

A

Ecological validity- the EWT research will bee conducted in a highly controlled lab setting so the environment will be unfamiliar to the EWs therefore the testimony give will not be naturally occuring and cannot be generalised to everyday EWT decreasing the external validity of using lab experiments to investigate EWT
Mundane realism- the EWs have watched a video of the crime they are giving a testimony on which is not a normal task for EWs therefore the testimony given cannot be generalised to everyday EWT decreasing the external validitu of using lab experimets to investigate EWT

109
Q

classic study criminal psych

A

loftus and palmer

110
Q

aim of loftus and palmer

A

investigate how information provided to a witness after an event will influence their memory of that event
specifically whether leading questions would influence the estimates of the speed of a vehicle among eyewitnesses

111
Q

loftus and palmer sample

A

45 american students

112
Q

loftus and palmer procedure

A

45 (9x5) students were shown 7 short film clips of a car crash, after each accident ppants were asked to give an account of the accident that they had seen and were then given a questionairre which asked them specific questions about the accident.
all ppants received the same questionairre apart from one critical question which was different for each experimental condition
one group of 9 ppants were asked “how fast were the cars going when they hit each other”, the remaining 4 groups were asked the same question but “hit” was replaced with “smashed, collided, bumped or contacted”

113
Q

loftus and palmer findings

A

the mean estimate for the speed differentiated for each verb
the results showed that those asked smashed estimated the speed of the car to be 8.7 mph than those who asked contacted
from highest to lowest: smashed, collided, bumped, hit, contacted

114
Q

loftus and palmer

A

a change of word could significantly affect a witnesses answer to a question either because of response bias or false memories

115
Q

3 strengths of loftus and palmers

A

Standardised procedure: the 45 students watched the same 7 video clips and apart from the critical question, the participants received all the same questions in the questionairre, t/f the experiment can be repeated to establish consistent findings on EWT increasing the reliability of the findings that leading questions impact EWT
Internal validity- the 45 students watched the 7 video clips in a highly controlled lab setting where extraneous variables such as distracted by other cars were controlled for, t/f we can establish that it was the verb in the critical question that impacted the speed estimate given increasing the internal validity of the findings that leading questions impact ewt
Researcher bias- as the researchers collected quantitaive data on the speed estimate of the 2 cars the numerical data cannot be subjectivelly interpreted by the researcher, t/f the findings that leading questions impact EWT are objective thus increasing the validity of them

116
Q

3 weaknesses of loftus and palmer

A

Population validity- loftus and palmer used 45 american students to watch 7 short film clips and answer questionairres this sample is ethnocentric and unrepresentative of the whole EW population t/f the findings that leading questions impact ewt cannot be generalised beyond american students thus decreasing the external validity
Ecological validity- the 45 american students watched the 7 video clips in a highly controlled artificial labatory setting that was unfamiliar to them t/f the 45 ppants response to the video clips was not naturaly occuring and the findings that leading questions impact EWT cannot be generalised to everyday EWT, decreasing external validity
Demand characteristics- as the participants new that they were taking part in research they may have guessed that the aim of the study was to investigate the impact of leading questions on EWT and acted in a desireable way, t/f the testimony given by the 45 students was not naturally occuring decreasing the validity of the findings that leading questions impact ewt

117
Q

field experiments to investiagte EWT A01

A
  • the EW is in a natural or familiar setting for the EW that is not artificial or highly controlled
  • the IV (type of question) is manipulated by the researcher and the DV (testimony) is measured by the researcher
  • the studt on EWT is of cause and effect and will involve 2+ conditions
  • extraneous variables (eg things that may distract the EW) are aimed to be controlled although this is hard in a natural setting
  • there is a random allpcation of EWs to the conditions
  • researcher will aim to use a standardised procedure however due to the natural setting it may not all stay same h/e crime used will always be same
118
Q

2 strengths of using field experiments to investigate EWT

A

Ecological validity- the environment will be natural and not artificial making it familiar for the EWs t/f the findings on EWT will be naturally occuring and thus can be generalised to everyday EWT, increasing the validity of using field experiments to investigate EWT
Demand charactersitics- as the EWs are in a natural setting and usually being observed covertly the EWs will not guess that they are apart of research, t/f the EWs behaviour is naturally occuring and representative of EWT and thus the findings on EWT can be generalised to everyday EWT thus increasing the validity of using field experiments to investigate EWT

119
Q

2 weaknesses of using field experiments to investiagate EWT

A

Standardised procedure- as the EWs are in a natural setting that could have other people that the researcher does not have control over it would be difficult to replicate the exact scenario for each EW, t/f the researcher cannot repeat the experiment to establish consistent findings on EWT thus decreasing the reliability of using field experiments to investigate EWT
Extraneous variables- as the EWs aren in a naturally occuring setting, extraneous variables such as other people that may alter the EWT given may be present t/f we cannot establish that the type of question caused the change in EWT given thus decreasing the validity of using field experiments to investigate EWT

120
Q

what did yuille and cutshall find

A

central witness accuracy when using leading questions but in a field experiment (real EWs who witnessed a gun shooting in Canada) was 84.56%
and thus EWT isnt as inaccurate as lab studies may suggest

121
Q

2 similarities of lab and field experiments in EWT research

A

in lab studies the researcher manipulates the IV and measures the DV similarly in field experiments the researcher manipulates the IV and DV, where Iv is type of q and DV is EWT
in lab studies there is random allocation of EWs to conditions similarly in field there is random allocation of EWs tp conditions

122
Q

2 differences of lab and field experiments in EWT research

A

on one hand, lab studies have a highly controlled artificial setting on the other hand field studies use a naturally occuring setting
on one hand lab can easily control for all extraneous variables that may impact the EWT on the other hand field experiments cannot control all extraneous variabkes even though it aims to

123
Q

A01 witness factors influencing EWT

A

the level of stress and arousal that the witness is under when witnessing a crime may cause witnesses to remember or not remember the event well
according to Yerkes-Dodson law our performance impaired when we are either too stressed or not stressed enough

124
Q

2 strengths of witness factors impacting EWT

A

Clifford and Hollin- found the higher the level of violence shown, the poorer the participants recall of the assault was, t/f suggesting that violence causes stress on the EW and thus casues the impaired recall thus increasing validity that stress causes impaired recall
Stanny and Johnson- found that police officers within a hiugh arousal police offcier training that involved a shooting, fewer details were recalled suggesting that arousal level had gone beyond the point of being effective t/f suggesting that when arousal is too high recall is deteriorated and the EWT given will be inaccurate

125
Q

2 weaknesses of witness factors impacting EWT

A

Yuille and Cutshall- found central witness accuracy of 84.6% in a gunshop robbery where witnesses would be highly stressed t/f suggesting stress does not always lead to inaccurate recall and thus decreasing validity of stress deteriorating EWT
Hirst- found flashbulb memories were more accurate than other types of memory, they investiagated flashbulb memories of 9/11 and found that our memories of these events will stay accurate for a period of time but with other types of memory the accuracy of recall deteriorates t/f suggesting stress may not hinder our recall as the emotional significance of the crime may create flashbulb memories which will remain accurate for a period of time thus decraesing the validity of stress leading to inaccurate EWT

126
Q

A01 post event information

A

EW witnesses event, received post event information, hindereed episodic memories of crime
Types of PEI:
Media- news, social media, tv shows
Leading questions- “was the criminal wearing a bulky jacket” could create false mem of bulky jacket
Other witnesses- eg them saying they saw a gun could impact your account
These create different accounts due to a misinformation account
Things impacting effect of PEI:
Time- longer time, more subject to misinformation
Ambiguity- info can be interpretted differently
Central features versus peripheral features- peripheral could easily be reconstructed

127
Q

3 strengths of post event information

A

Loftus and palmer- found the word used to describe a collision (leading question thus PEI) had a significant impact on the prediction of the speed of the car given by the EW, t/f post event information can reconstruct EW memory of a crime thus increasing the validity of the theory that PEI leads can impact an EWT
Loftus et al- ppants watched an accident at a junction with a stop sign, later they were either given PEI that the sign said stop or yield, people told yield were much more likely to recall it as saying yield t/f PEI given to a witness can hinder their recall thus increasing validity of theory
Loftus and Pickrill- ppants read 4 stories of events in their childhood, 3 being true and one of them being getting lost in a shopping centre ppants had to say what they remember about the event and 29% participants falsely recalled that they had been trapped in a shopping centre t/f suggesting that PEI can distort EWT and thus increasing the validity of the theory

128
Q

3 weaknesses of PEI

A

Yuille and cutshall- EWs who witnessed a gun shop robbery in Canada and were asked leading questions and the average witness accuracy was 84.56% t/f suggesting PEI (specifically leading questions) doesnt majorly hinder accounts given by EWs thus decreasing the validity of the theory
Loftus- found if tgere was time between viewing film and answering question ppants were more open to misinformation effect and letting PEI impact memories t/f suggesting time also deterioares memories and thus its not just PEI decreasing the accuracy of EWT thus decreasing the validity of this theory
Reductionist- PEI only considers episodic memory impacting EWT and fails to consider the impact of cue dependent memories in producing inaccurate EWT t/f PEI reduced the complexity of EWT to its simplest form and is reductionist thus decreasing the validity of PEI impacting EWT

129
Q

A01 weapon focus

A

presence of a weapon decreases the witnesses ability to remember details about the event
the attention of the individual is chanelled towards the source of threat and away from other aspects of the scene
thus witnesses are unable to correctly identify a suspect in a lineup because they were too focused on the gun
could be due to:
- stress, presence of weapon causes threat which causes the witnesses memory to deteriorate
- attention, because a weapon is unusual in many cultures it is focused on more at the expense of peripheral information

130
Q

3 strengths of weapon focus

A

Loftus et al: showed participants pictures of customers in a restaurant in one version the cutsomer was holding a gun in the other they were holding a chequebook, participants in the gun version were less likely to identify the customer than the chequebook condition, t/f the presence of a weapon decreases attention on peripheral information such as customers and thus increasing the validity of weapon focus impacting EWT
Fawcett et al: undertook a metaanalysis about weapon focus, they found weapon focus does have a negative effect on memory and ppants are less likely to identify the suspect in a lineup if there is a weapon involved t/f suggesting the presence of a weapon is more likely to distort EW recall thus increasing the validity of weapon focus impacting EWT
Steblay- found when reviewing 19 tests when a weapon was present there was lower accuracy when asked to identify the perpetratot t/f suggesting the presence of a weapon decreases focus on peripheral info thus increasing the validity of weapon focus impacting EWT

131
Q

3 weaknesses of weapon focus

A

Pickel- found it was the usualness of the weapon rather than the threat the weapon poses, items that had high usualness had higher recall than those that had low usualness t/f suggesting that any unusual object will distort recall thus decreasing the validity that just weapons impact EWT
Erikson et al- found that in a picture of a bar scene the ppants were less likely to accurately identify a suspect if they were holding a gun or plastic chicken rather than an empty glass t/f suggesting unusual objects distort recall so it is not just weapons thus decreasing the validity of only weapon focus distorting recall
Supporting research conducted in a lab- research that found that the presence of a weapon will distort recall were conducted in a lab and thus lack mundane realism t/f the EWT given was not naturally occuring and cannot suport weapon focus thus decreasing the validity of weapon focus impacting EWT

132
Q

what is my criminal key question

A

is eyewitness testimony too unreliable to trust?

133
Q

crim psych key question- DESCRIBE A01

A

Eyewitness testimony is information given to the police or in court about what a witness to a crime recalls about the crime.
Juries tend to rely on eye witness testimony when coming to a verdict, especially if the forensic evidence is hard to follow.
If there is no forensic evidence then the testimony of the witness becomes more important
However there is some concern that witnesses are not always accurate when recalling an event.
If the witnesses are not accurate in their recall then the wrong person could be convicted
EG: There were conflicting accounts given by eyewitnesses to Jean Charles de Menezes’ death such as some people thought he had a bulky jacket on and hopped the barrier whereas other EWs thought he had a light denim jacket on and calmly walked through the barrier

134
Q

4 A02 explain points for my crim psych KQ

A

schemas
leading questions
episodic vs semantic memory
weapon focus

135
Q

Crim psych KQ A02 with listed A03: recosntructuve memory

A

witnesses of JCLMs death may have had gaps in their memory such as the type of jacket he was wearing and thus used their past experiences (terrorists wearing bulky jackets on crime show) to fill in the gaps leading to their memory being reconstructed to him wearing a bulky jacket leading to hindered recall and an inaccurate EWT.
+ Bartlett war of the ghosts- came consistent with ppants cultural expectations
- Unscientific- Bartlett did random recall thus no cause and effect

136
Q

Crim psych KQ A02 with listed A03: Leading questions

A

Police interviewing JCLMs witnesses may have asked leading questions such as “he was wearing a bulky jacket wasnt he” which may have distorted the EWs memory of his jacket leading to an unreliable testimony of the jacket that JCLM was wearing meaning the testimony was ureliable
+ Loftus and Palmer- word used to describe how 2 cars crashed majorly impacted collision speed estimate
- Yuille and Cutshall- used a field experiment and found central witness accuracy was 84.56%

137
Q

Crim psych KQ A02 with listed A03: Episodic and semantic memory

A

episodic memories are fragile to reconstruction so when JCLMs witnesses were allowed to give their testimony in the police station it may be unreliable or inaccurate if they were taken back to the station their testimony may have been more accurate as it may be cue dependent, so EWT in a police station may not be reliable.
+ Ostergarrd- anoxic episode could form new semantic memories but not episodic suggesting episodic memory is more fragile
- Reductionist- doesnt consider procedural memory, clive wearing had retrograde and anterrograde amnesia but could still play piano

138
Q

Crim psych KQ A02 with listed A03: weapon focus

A

the presence of a weapon decreases the EWs ability to remember details about the event as the attention is channelled towards the source of threat, eg polices gun so couldnt remember if JCLM jumped barrier
+ Loftus et al- scene of waiter holding gun or chequebook, gun scene had higher recall of peripheral features
- Mundane realism- pictures

139
Q

what is a jury

A

a body of 12 people sworn to give a verdict in a legal on basis of evidence submitted to them in court

140
Q

A01 pre trial publicity

A

Pre-trial publicity means media and other coverage of a case before the trial takes place.
Nowadays, the internet, television and social media make it easy for us to acquire information or to communicate with other people, and not just people known to us.
Publicity surrounding the offence, the defendant or other information about the case can influence the schemas the jury have about those involved.
What is communicated within the media can create a perception of the defendant and other involved parties even before official information has been given within the court.
It is difficult to change such perceptions once they have been formed.
THERE IS:
Factual info: incriminating information about defendant or case
Emotional material: information that will arouse negative emotions eg about victims past

141
Q

3 strengths of pre trial publicity

A

Daftary-kapur et al- mock jurors exposed to pro prosecution (suggests defendant was guilty) jurors were more likely to convict defendant was guilty and pro defense found opposite t/f suggestimg DOES IMPACT
Moran and Cutler- defendant accused of distributing marajunia found the more prior knowledge about the case the more likely they were to convict guilty t/f suggesting DOES IMPACT
Ruva and Lavausser- found jurors exposed to pre trial publicity were either unwilling or unable to adhere to instructions telling them to discuss pre trial publicity t/f suggesting it leads to subjective views of cases

142
Q

3 weaknesses of pre trial publicity

A

Suppoering research used mock jurors or mock trials
Student samples- educated sample
Lab studies- lack eco v

143
Q

A01 gender impacting jury decision

A

Gender bias may impact jury decisions
Because males have testosterone society have generated and aggressive stereotype which means jurors are more likely to convict them of aggressive crimes
However females can be seen as doubley deviant for certain crimes such as abusing their partner as they are deviant for going against societal norms and breaking the law, so females are more likely to be convicted for crimes that are not normal for females

144
Q

A01 physical attractiveness impacting jury decision

A

Physical attractiveness of a defendant may make them less likely to be convicted as guilty
eg the hero is most disney films is attractive whereas the villian is usually ugly eg ugly stepsisters which has led to an attractiveness leniency
Asch has suggested this may be due to a halo effect where the pleasent appereance of the defendant leads to a halo of pleasent characteristics and thus not gettimg convicted
UNLESS the crime is related to attractive like swindling someone, then attractiveness has opposite effect

145
Q

A01 race impacting jury decision

A

Race may impact jury decision making as suggested by Tajfel’s social identity theory as if the juror is the same race as the defendant they may feel in group solidarity or if they are different races they may feel out group hostility causing them to plead guilty

146
Q

strength and weakness of gender bias in jury decisions

A

+ Aloha et al: found in a mock jury trial female defendants semmed to receive shorter sentences than male defendants in crimes such as murder T/F showing gender does impact the jury and their decision making
- Mock trial- lakcs mundane realism

147
Q

strength and weakness of physical attractiveness in jury decisions

A

+ Abwender & Hough (2001) found that female Ps recommended longer sentences for the unattractive defendant than attractive
- H/E found opposite for males, t/f decreasing validity

148
Q

strength and weakness of racial bias in jury decisions

A

+Abwender and Hough (2001) found that in mock trials, black jurors were less likely to find a black defendant guilty
H/E also found Hispanics were more likely to find a Hispanic defendant guilty and white Ps did not show any bias towards defendants of different ethnicities t/f decreasing validity

149
Q

4 general weaknesses with jury decision research

A

mock trials
charismatic leaders
connection to defendant
personal experience of crime

150
Q

aim of crim practical

A

to investigate if the perceived physical attractiveness of a perpetrator affects a juror’s judgement about their guilt

151
Q

IV and DV of crim practical

A

IV: Attractive (tall, good-looking, model) vs unattractive (medium height, average-looking, boxer)
DV: number of years suggested as a sentence

152
Q

crim practical directional hypothesis

A

there will be a statsictically significant more years given to the unattractive boxer compared to the good looking model

153
Q

crim practical null hypothesis

A

there will not be a statsictically significant difference in years given to the unattractive boxer compared to the good looking model

154
Q

crim practical sample

A

37 year 13s from WBS
16 in average condition
21 in attractive
independents groups design

155
Q

crim practical procedure

A

37 students sent email with fake aim: looking at length of sentencing perceived by those who have no criminal knowledge
all students sent same case expect description of individual
Class A told criminal was a average looking boxer who had a distorted face from a boxing accident
Class B told criminal was a good looking model
Students told to give a criminal sentence in years via email

156
Q

crim practical findings

A

mean of average looking was 2.9 years which was less than good looking which was 3.8
SD of average looking was 2.61 which was more spread out than good looking condition of 2.4
Observed value in mann whitney u was 122 which was greater than 77 critical value at P>0.05 for directional hypothesis
thus not significant and accept null

157
Q

crim practical improvements

A

we can conclude the appereance of the defendant has no impact on the sentence given participants
this increases the reliability of jury decision making

158
Q

strengths of my crim practical

A

eco v
standardised procedure
practical apps
qual data
debreif
protection from harm

159
Q

weaknesses of my crim practical

A

pop v
mundane realism
internal validity
deception
informed consent
demand characteristics

160
Q

2 improvements of crim practical

A

sample
mundane realism- photos