Criminal Psychology

Question 1

how does damage to PFC effect CB

Answer 1

damage effects ability to consider alternative behaviours
aggressive personality
make poor decisions

Question 2

how does damaged/overactive hypothalamus effect CB

Answer 2

responsible for hormones
increases testosterone = aggressive behaviour

Question 3

how does damaged/overactive amygdala effect CB

Answer 3

damage can increase fight or flight response
act more impulsively

Question 4

what did Hyde et al find about amygdala and CB

Answer 4

conducted a study using both male and female participants to investigate the role of the amygdala in criminality; they found that the amygdala might be involved in criminal and ASB (e.g. higher scores for psychopathy were associated with lower amygdala activity and that higher scores in ASB were associated with higher amygdala activity) but did not comment on any gender differences.

Question 5

what did shirtcliff et al find about neurobiology of ASB

Answer 5

found that the neurobiology involved in emotions such as empathy and callousness is different for males and females. had previously mentioned that the amygdala is critical in the regulation of emotions.

Question 6

2 strengths of brain damage explaining CB

Answer 6

Williams et al (2010) found that 60% of 196 prisoners had brain injury due to
falling, car accidents or sports activities.more likely to enter prison when
they were younger and were more likely to reoffend.

Pardini found that 26 year old men with lower amygdala volumes were three times more likely to be
aggressive, violent & to show psychopathic traits

Question 7

2 weaknesses of brain damage explaining CB

Answer 7

Fallon looked at the brains of many individuals using MRI scans and identified one brain with a small
amygdala, and thus as being psychopathic. But it was incorrect and he later found out that the brain he had
been looking at was his own

Kreutzer (1995) found that without the presence of substance use history, traumatic brain injury was not
a risk factor for criminal behaviour

Question 8

what does PEN stand for

Answer 8

Psychoticism - no remorse, lack of empathy, hostile
Extravert - outgoing, like spending time with others, seek sensation
Neurotic, emotionally unstable, impulsive

Question 9

how does psychoticism effect CB

Answer 9

Less clear on how P is related to
the functionality of the nervous
system. It has been suggested
that it could be linked to male
hormones such as testosterone,
but there is little research to
suggest this.

Question 10

how does extraversion effect CB

Answer 10

RAS regulates arousal that
inhbits incoming sensations. So
the indidual will seek external
stimulation to readdress the
balance and reach their optimum
level of arousal. Low levels of
arousal and therefore needs
stimulation from the
environment.

Question 11

how does neuroticism effect CB

Answer 11

Linked to levels of reactivity of
the ANS. A neurotic has a more
reactive ANS, specifically the
sympathetic bran that is
responsible for the fight or
flight response. It is quick to
‘turn on’ and release adrenaline,
and slow to ‘turn off’.

Question 12

2 strengths of Eysencks PEN personality

Answer 12

Practical applications. Eysenck’s Personality Questionnaire (which is based on EPT) could be used to identify individuals that might be at risk of committing crime so preventative steps can be taken.

Boduszek et al (2013) found that there were higher levels of extraversion amongst inmates who had high levels of recidivism. Therefore showing that Eysenck’s theory has validity

Question 13

weakness of Eysencks PEN personality

Answer 13

Hollin (1989) notes a similar pattern of findings: offenders generally show higher P & N scores but not necessarily higher E scores.

Question 14

how des XYY syndrome effect CB

Answer 14

XYY syndrome is a genetic condition that occurs when a male has an extra male (Y) chromosome within the 23rd
pair of chromosomes, instead of the usual one (XY). They therefore have a total of 47 chromosomes.

Many men with XYY do not even know that they have an extra chromosome. Most boys with XYY will have a
normal development although some may grow faster and taller than their siblings. Some studies have shown
they may have a slightly lower level of intelligence, around 10-15 IQ points below, in comparison to their
siblings, although still within the normal rang. Men with XYY may be more impulsive than XY boys, and also may
be more active physically. XYY syndrome has previously been thought to make men overly aggressive and lack
empathy, leading to it being known as a ‘super-male’ syndrome.

Question 15

3 strengths of XYY

Answer 15

Gosavi et al (2009) 94 criminals convicted of murder in India found an association between criminal behaviour and XYY syndrome. Therefore, suggesting the theory is valid as the mutation is found within criminals.

Briken et al (2006) found 3 out of 13 sexual offenders analysed for XYY syndrome had this condition. Therefore, increasing validity of XYY syndrome as mutation is found in sex offenders.

Stochholm et al (2012) significant increase in the number of convictions amongst Danish men in all crimes (except drug and traffic related crime) in comparison to a control group. Therefore, increasing the validity of the theory as the research showed tat the risk of conviction was increased for XYY males.

Question 16

3 weaknesses of XYY

Answer 16

Witkin et al (1976) found no direct link between crime and XYY syndrome once background variables were
controlled for, amongst 4,591 Danish men. Therefore, reducing the validity of the theory - suggesting that
XYY is not solely responsible for criminal behaviour and hat nurture (background variables) has ore of an
impact.

Re & Birkhoff (2015) did a review of evidence gathered over the last 50 years relating to XYY syndrome
and concluded that there is no direct link between this condition and crime. However, they did find a link
between this condition and other factors which may then lead to criminal behaviour (e.g. language and speech
delays, learning disabilities, poor writing ability and social and emotional problems). Therefore, reducing the
validity of the theory as other factors must be responsible for criminal behaviour.

Reductionist

Question 17

2 strengths of social learning theory to explain CB

Answer 17

Farrington found that a large percentage of crimes are committed by members of few families: 4% of 400 families accounted for 50% of convictions of all family members. social learning theory can explain this because they are imitating CB from role models in their family. T/F suggesting CB is learnt via observation and imitation, increasing validity

practical applications

Question 18

2 weaknesses of social learning theory to explain CB

Answer 18

does not account for all types of crime
reductionist

Question 19

what are the 8 stages of labelling theory

Answer 19

1. society creates deviant label based on stereotypes
2. authorities maintaining their power structure in society
3. label ascribed to an individual who displays deviant behaviour
4. the individual may be treated according to that deviant label
5. this can lead to the individual becoming stigmatised within society
6. the individual will believe the label and have low self image of themselves
7. others will treat them based on the label, individual feels marginalised in society
8. this can lead the individual to go on and fulfil the label and commit more criminal behaviour

Question 20

2 strengths of labelling theory to explain CB

Answer 20

Besemer et al (2013) found that children of convicted parents had a higher risk of conviction themselves.
Besmer et al also suggested that environmental factors (social circumstances) may make it more likely that
a conviction is made. These included low family income, poor housing. Therefore, this increases the validity
of the theory as it might be the police are more likely to focus on certain families as they have been
labelled as criminal, which means that they are more likely to get caught and prosecuted.

Lieberman et al. (2014) found that juveniles who had been previously arrested were more likely to commit
other crimes compared with juveniles who had not been previously arrested

Question 21

2 weaknesses of labelling theory to explain CB

Answer 21

Unscientific It is difficult to experimentally research labelling theory. It is hard to isolate labelling and to
just measure the effect of this variable on criminal behaviour. It would not be possible to set up an
experiment where some Ps are labelled and others are not, to see what effect this has on later behaviour.

Lemert (1962) studied cheque forgers. These criminal often came from a good socio-economic background
and had not been in trouble with law enforcements before starting their chosen deviant act. They work on
the principle that they wanted to live well. They usually work under a pseudonym and no labelling occurred
before their criminal career began, thus had been active before they had been labelled, so their self-image
is not affected by the label.

Question 22

what is self fulfilling prophecy

Answer 22

self-fulfilling prophecies occur when beliefs or expectations about behaviour for which there is no evidence come true when the beliefs are fulfilled.

Question 23

what is the pygmalion effect

Answer 23

our actions towards others > others beliefs about us > others actions towards us > our beliefs about ourselves

Question 24

2 strengths of self fulfilling prophecy as a social explanation of crime and ASB

Answer 24

Jahoda (1954) studied the Ashanti (a population from Ghana), where boys were named according to the day
of the week that they were born; and each day of the week has a different ‘soul’. E.g. the soul of children
born on Mondays was that they would be quiet and peaceful, whilst the soul of children born on Wednesdays
was that they would be aggressive and quick tempered. Jahoda discovered from court records that children
born on a Wednesday were more likely to be convicted of crimes against the person than children born on a
Monday

Madon et al. (2003) used self-report questionnaires and measured whether mothers expectations about
their children’s future alcohol use would reflect actual alcohol use. She found that parents who
overestimated their child’s alcohol use showed a positive correlation to actual alcohol use a year later

Question 25

2 weaknesses of self fulfilling prophecy as a social explanation of crime and ASB

Answer 25

Practical issues. Given that by definition, a self-fulfilling prophecy requires that the original label be false, so that the behaviour of the individual or group changes to fit the label. It is difficult to find a false belief in naturalistic studies because in order to establish the belief was false self-report measures would need to be used. These require insight, honesty & disclosure, which may not occur due to demand characteristics or social desirability bias. In addition, it would be unethical to give a group of Ps a label that is false, because this could damage their self-esteem. reductionist

Question 26

what is offence analysis

Answer 26

Offence analysis refers to the process of trying to understand why a crime occurred, including assessments of the offenders.

Question 27

what are psychological formulations

Answer 27

Psychological formations is like a case study of an individual who has committed a crime. Psychological formations aim to create a hypothesis to explain how criminal behaviour develops and why it is maintained, using the application of psychological theory to the offender.

Question 28

2 strengths of psychological formulations

Answer 28

Ghaderi (2006) found that case formulations can be effective at predicting which treatments will be effective (and ineffective) for different criminals. Whitehead et al. (2007) found that case formulation did work with the case of Mr C, due to the fact it worked towards goals that were valued by Mr C. It helped him keep on track once he was released

Question 29

2 weaknesses of psychological formulations

Answer 29

Schulte et al (1992) found that formulation-based therapy was less effective than flooding reductionist

Question 30

what is anger management

Answer 30

a type of cognitive behavioural therapy, which teaches relaxation techniques to deal with the physiological response to anger

Question 31

what are the 3 stages of AMP

Answer 31

cognitive preparation skill acquisition application practice

Question 32

what are 3 strengths of AMP

Answer 32

Howells Ireland - 50 young offenders, self report data, offenders given anger management assessment questionnaire. found 92% of offender showed an improvement and a reduction in the anger felt keen et al - assessed progress of young offenders taking part in the national anger management package, found participants became more self aware and able to control anger

Question 33

howells et al aim

Answer 33

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

Question 34

howells et al procedure

Answer 34

- 418 male participants mean age 28.8 - south and western australia - sentences ranged from 1 month to 26 years and 4 months - 73% not completed AMP before, 20% had completed AMP before, 4% completed more than once, 3% had tried but not completed - 14% had committed a non violent offence, 42% had committed a violent offence but without bodily harm, 30% had committed violence with bodily harm, 8% had committed GBH and 6% had committed injuries causing death. - all participants deemed high risk of reoffending - 285/418 completed post-intervention assessment

Question 35

howells et al findings

Answer 35

- overall prisoners showed improvement in anger knowledge - mean change 1.80 compared to prisoners in the control group mean change 0.95 - in anger management group there was a slight improvement in anger control after anger management from a mean of 20.7 to a mean of 22.2 after treatment - still significant at the 2 month follow up but not at the 6 month follow up

Question 36

howells et all conclusion

Answer 36

- the overall impact of the anger management programmes was small and the completion of an anger questionnaire, even without treatment, may have a small benefit in itself - offenders who were motivated to change showed greatest improvements and those who were poorly motivated showed less or no change - anger management programmes appear to be useful in an educational sense but not overall for reducing aggression

Question 37

Maletzky aim

Answer 37

To review sexual offenders who have been treated using MPA to establish how effective MPA is in treating offenders, to clarify what place MPA might have in the total treatment of the offender and what guidelines might be helpful in selecting those offenders most likely to benefit from MPA.

Question 38

maletzky sample

Answer 38

retrospective chart review, 5132 sexual offenders enrolled in a private practice sexual abuse clinic over a period of 16 years first 100 given MPA selected to take part 100 offenders not given MPA randomly selected as control group

Question 39

Maletzky procedure

Answer 39

MPA group was not preselected for drug treatment but received MPA after recommendation by the physician and the patients therapist. side effects discussed and consent for signed to receive drug. dosage and duration of treatment determined by the clinic physician injection, 250mg every two weeks on average control group received combinations of behavioural, cognitive, group and family therapies.

Question 41

Maletzky data collection

Answer 41

in a chart review the following were noted: type and duration of sexual arousal, number of victims, situational or predatory pattern, use of force, past sexual convictions, presence of central nervous system damage, age, employment, and marital status. In cases of multiple diagnoses, the dominant paraphilia was selected as the index diagnosis. data collected on re-offence rate while receiving the medication and for up to 36 months after initiating treatment.

Question 42

Maletzky findings

Answer 42

1% of patients reoffended while receiving the drug, one patient with hyper sexuality and moderate developmental disability was reported to be playing with young children and lifting girls in the air, perhaps to see under their dresses. this occurrence is best seen as a relapse after 5 months on MPA control group: 2 reoffended within 4.5 months and, over a 3 year span, 4 more reoffended so 6 reoffenders overall

Question 43

Maletzky conclusion

Answer 43

MPA is effective to use with certain sexual offenders enrolled in community based treatment programs as it reduces sexual drive in men without debilitating or dangerous side effects.

Question 44

what is the cognitive interview technique

Answer 44

Geiselman et al devised the cognitive interview technique to get the most accurate memories from eyewitnesses which would hopefully lead the police to make accurate convictions

Question 45

what are the 4 main techniques used in cognitive interview

Answer 45

reinstate the context at the time of the event report everything change the order in which the event is recalled change perspective

Question 46

what are the positives of the cognitive interview technique

Answer 46

Geiselman et al found that pp who had watched two violent films & who were then interviewed 48 hours later by trained police officers, were more likely to remember more correct items if the interviewers had used the cognitive interview technique (39.46 items) than if a standard interview fisher et al also found that after training, detectives gained as much as 47% more useful information from witnesses to real crimes compared to when they had been using standard interview techniques holliday found cognitive interviews were more effective than standard interviews when interviewing children

Question 47

what are the weaknesses of cognitive interviews

Answer 47

geiselman et al found the cognitive interview left to slightly more incorrect items being recalled so i may not be as effective as standard interviews kebbell and wagstaff found many police officers did not use the CI technique in less serious crimes as they did not have the time. the CI may produce a vast amount of information but it may not always be practical or helpful in terms of allocating the police to efficiently investigate incidents

Question 48

what is the ethical interviewing technique

Answer 48

shepherd was the first to use the term ‘ethical interviewing’ this technique requires that the suspect should be treated with respect as equals and with the same rights to dignity and self-determination and choice as people who are not suspected of committing a crime.

Question 49

what is the PEACE model

Answer 49

P - planning and preparation E - engage and explain A - account C - closure E - evaluate

Question 50

what are the strengths of using ethical interviewing techniques

Answer 50

kebbell et al found that some interviewing techniques were more effective than others at getting a confession from sex offenders robert found that using ethical interviewing techniques improved the reliability of the information that was gathered during he interview 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 void a particular situation or punishment

Question 51

what are the weaknesses of using ethical interviewing techniques

Answer 51

walsh and milne found evidence to suggest that even though the PEACE model is the required standard it is not always used fully. they found that of the 99 audiotapes of interviews of benefit fraud suspects were analysed, there was not much evidence of planning, little rapport, little focus on points which needed proof and not enough summarising pounds found that empathy was not always used appropriately within police interviews

Question 52

what is weapon effect in relation to eyewitness testimony

Answer 52

This is where the presence of a weapon decreases a witnesses' ability to remember details about the event.

Question 53

what is the supporting evidence for weapon focus effect

Answer 53

Loftus et al, showed participants a series of slides of a customer in a restaurant, in one version the customer was holding a gun and in the other a cheque. pp who saw the gun version tended to focus on the gun. as a result were less likely to identify the customer in an identity parade Fawcett et al, undertook meta-analysis using studies that have investigated the weapon focus effect. found that the weapon focus effect does have a negative effect on memory: Ps are less likely to remember correct details and to make the correct identification of a suspect from a line-up.

Question 54

weaknesses of weapon focus effect

Answer 54

Pickel, found that it was the unusualness of the weapon rather than the presence that distorted recall. Erikson et al, found participants were less likely to identify a suspect from a photo of a bar scene if one of the customers was holding a gun or a plastic chicken than if one of the customers was holding an empty glass.

Question 55

how does gender effect sentencing

Answer 55

males are more likely to be convicted of crime than females

Question 56

what did Ahola et al find about gender and sentencing

Answer 56

found in a mock jury trials that female defendants seemed to receive shorter sentences than male defendants in certain crimes, including murder.T/F showing gender does impact the jury and their decision making

Question 57

how does physical attractiveness effect sentencing

Answer 57

the more attractive a defendant is deemed to be the less likely they are to be found guilty of a crime

Question 58

what did Asch find about the Halo effect

Answer 58

when people know one good thing about a person then a ‘halo’ of pleasant characteristics is imagined

Question 59

how does race effect sentencing

Answer 59

race may affect the jury decision making process, if the jury is mainly white they are more likely to find people of a different race guilty

Question 60

what did bradbury and williams find about race and sentencing

Answer 60

black defendants are less likely to be found guilty by juries composed of a higher proportion of black jurors and are more likely to be found guilty by juries composed of a higher proportion of black and hispanic jurors