Criminology

Question 1

What does operant conditioning suggest?

Answer 1

That we learn from the consequences of our behaviours. Therefore criminals behaviours are repeated (or not) due to their consequences.

Question 2

Positive reinforcement

Example

Answer 2

Adding something pleasant/good after a behavior, which encourages repitition

If someone commits vandalism and they get prasied by their friends it encourages the individual to repeat this criminal behaviour

Getting stickers from a teacher makes us want to work hard again

Question 3

Negative reinforcement

Example

Answer 3

Removing something unpleasant after a behaviour which encourages repitition.

If someone hits someone and it stops them getting bullied it encourages the individual to repeat the criminal behaviour

Getting a detention removed after helping someone

Question 4

Positive punishment

Example

Answer 4

Adding something unpleasant after a behaviour which discourages repitition

If someone commits a crime and they have to go prison, this discourages the individual to repeat the criminal behaviour

Getting a time out

Question 5

Negative punishment

Example

Answer 5

Removing something pleasant after a behaviour, which discourages repitition

If someone goes to prison the won’t see their pleasant family which will discourage the individual to repeatthe criminal behaviour

Getting electronics taken away

Question 6

Primary reinforcer

Answer 6

A reinforcer (something that encourages repitition of a behaviour) that meets a basic need e.g. food,water

A person could commit a crime because they need to satisfy a basic need e.g someone in provery stealing food

Question 7

Secondary reinforcer

Answer 7

A reinforcer (something that encourages repetition of a behavior) that does not meet a basic need directly

E.g. a credit card is a piece of plastic but it can be used to buy goods such as food

Question 8

Strengths of operational conditioning

Answer 8

Supporting evidence - The theory can explain a wide range of crimes

Application - The theory is useful as it suggests we can punish crimes to stop them being repeated, positively or negatively e.g. fines or prison

The theory is useful as it suggests ways we can treat offenders to encourage pro-social behaviour

Question 9

Weaknesses of operational conditioning

Answer 9

Objection - The theory doesn’t explain why some crimes are repeated, even if they are punished

Differences - The theory ignores the role of biological causes of criminality such as a personality disoreder

Question 10

What does the social learning theory claims?

Answer 10

That we learnt by observing and imitating our role models. Therefor criminal behaviours are learnt bt observing other people oberving other people comminting crimes

Question 11

Role models

Answer 11

Someome who we look up to (due to their high status) or someone we identifiy with due to being similar (same characteristic)

The role model will model a behaviour which could be a crime

Question 12

Modelling

Answer 12

Learning a new behaviour through paying attention to, retaining and reproducing the behaviour of a role model

Question 13

Identification

Answer 13

Seeing yourself as similar to a role model in some way

Question 14

Observational learning

Answer 14

Oberservational learning is learning a new behaviour through paying attention to, retaining and reproducing the behaviour of a role model

Bandura believed we learn observing and imitating by ARRM

Question 15

Vicarious reinforcement

Answer 15

When someone else is rewared for a behaviour, which encourages you to imitate their behavior.

The consequence of a role model’s behaviour encourages you to imitate thier behaviour

Someone else getting punished by affected to aswell
For example if someone talks during a test and get sent out, you don’t talk after that aswell

Question 16

ARRM

Answer 16

Attention - the individual pays attention to a role model
Retention - The individual remembers specific details about role models behavior
Reproduction - The individual reproduces the behavior they saw, if they are able to do it themselves
Motivation - The person needs to be motivated to reproduce the behavior, perhaps by the role model being reinforced

Question 17

Strenghts of social leaning theory

Answer 17

Supporting evidence - The theory is supported by Bandura, Ross study showing that children will imitate aggresive acts seen by a role model in particular same sex model showing that behaviours can be caused by observational learning

Application - The theory is useful as it has led to awareness that violence in media could lead to young people imintating this. This had led to things like age rating for films and games

Question 18

Weaknesses of social learning theory

Answer 18

Objection - It doesn’t explain all types of crimes like it’s rare that someone would witness murder in real life

Differences - The theory ignores the role of biological causes of criminality, such as having a personality disorder

Question 19

Personality

Answer 19

The group of characteristics that we have that make us who we are

Question 20

Eysenck theory

Answer 20

Criminality is caused by a specific personality type the ‘pen’ personality type, when someone has high levels of the traits psychoticism, extraversion and neuroticism

Question 21

Psychoticism

Answer 21

Lack of empathy towards other people

Question 22

Extraversion

Answer 22

Outgoing and sociable - you need a lot of simulation from your enviroment and others

Question 23

Neuroticism

Answer 23

Highly emotional and small things irritate you

Question 24

How can you measure personality?

Answer 24

Eysenck created a personality test called ‘Eysenek Personality Questionaires’ which measures wether you are psychotic or not, neurotic/stable and extravert/introvert

Question 25

Strenghts of Eysenck theory

Answer 25

Supporting evidence - The theory is supported by Farrington et al, who found that there was a link between high P and N scores and criminality

Application - The theory is useful as it can help us idenitify those who are at risk of becoming criminals. People who have high PEN on their EPQ could have early intervention to prevent from becoming criminals.

Question 26

Weakness of Eysencks theory

Answer 26

Objection - The theory was supported by Farrington et al who found a link between P and N criminality. So perhaps extraversion isn’t a predictor of criminality.

We measure personality with questionaires and interviews which are a self-report technique and people can often be inaccurate when reporting about their own personality so lots of data is in valid (people may lie for social desirability)

Differences - The theory ignores the role of the learning theories such as social learning theory, where people become criminals due to imitating actions seen by role models

Question 27

Reductivism

Answer 27

This is another term for reoffrnding - it refers to when a criminal is punished for their crime, but then they commit another crime after their punishment
Called a recidivist

Question 28

Prison

Answer 28

For serious crimes, a prison sentence is often given as a punishment. The period of custody/detention depends on the crime that has been commited

It can also be a negative reinforcement as for some people prison provides shelter, stability, routine and friendship - things some people may not have

Question 29

Strenght for preventing recidvism

By prisons

Answer 29

Prisons stop the criminal having the opportunity to commit a crime as they are under surveillance

Prison removes the offender from pubilc, so it keeps the public safe and can be reassuring

Question 30

Weakness of preventing recidivism

by prison

Answer 30

In the UK, within the first yearof release from prison, about a quarter of offenders reoffend

Prisoners are exposed to other offenders, who may be role models. This can lead to crimes taking place within prisons too.

Once released the offender may find it hard to get a job because of their criminal record - so they might return to crime to for finantual reason

It may seem unethical to remove someones basic rights and privillages