Criminal psychology Flashcards
What is operant conditioning?
When we learn from the consequences of our actions
What is positive reinforcement?
When behaviour is rewarded, we are more likely to repeat it
What is negative reinforcement?
Behaviour that results in something unpleasant being avoided
What is a primary reinforcer?
Meets a biological need eg food
What is a secondary reinforcer?
Doesn’t meet a biological need eg money
What are strengths and weaknesses of operant conditioning?
+It can be used to explain a wide range of crimes
-Ignores other reasons why people commit crimes
What is vicarious reinforcement?
When we copy someone else’s behaviour because they got rewarded
What is social learning theory?
Behaviour is learnt by observing and copying other people’s behaviour
What is observational learning?
Learning new behaviours through watching a role model
Explain Charlton et al
On ST Helena, recorded children before and after introduction to TV, no significant change in anti social behaviour
What is recidivism?
The likelihood of a criminal reoffending again
What is restorative justice?
A way of rehabilitating offenders by giving them the choice to be aware of the consequences of their actions
What is community sentencing?
When an offender serves a sentence in the community rather than going to prison
What is Bandura Ross and Ross?
To see if children would imitate aggression observed from a role model
36 girls and 36 boys
Children who saw aggressive role model were more likely to copy them especially if it was the same gender
