F7. Cognitive Explanations For Offending

Question 1

Kholberg 3 levels

Answer 1

Pre-conventional reasoning: based on reward and punishment
Conventional: based on external ethics
Post-conventional: based on personal ethics

Question 2

Which ‘level’ are criminals?

Answer 2

Pre-conventional: childlike and immature sense of reasoning

Question 3

Which ‘levell’ are non-criminals?

Answer 3

Conventional or post-conventional: display more civilised and empathetic behaviours

Question 4

Cognitive Distortion

Answer 4

Thought process with logical errors

Question 5

HAB (Hostile Attribution Bias)

Answer 5

Tendency of offenders to view emotionally ambiguous situations as threatening (automatic reaction to unusual situations).

Question 6

HAB research

Answer 6

55 violent offenders exposed to facial expressions that were neither clearly-hostile nor clearly-neutral. Overwhelming majority viewed expressions as hostile.

Question 7

Minimalisation

Answer 7

Tendency of offenders to under-exaggerate significance of crimes, and consequences for victims. Coping mechanism for guilt.

Question 8

Minimisation - research

Answer 8

35% of child molesters tried justifying crimes as ‘a way of showing affection’. 36% saw no issue as the ‘child consented’

Question 9

+ Eval: HAB

Answer 9

Improved understanding of relationship between cognitive biases and specific crimes. CHT would reduce recidivism rate, inmates would then be rehabilitated and contribute to society. Would also cost less as it’s one less inmate.