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Psychology P3 > Forensic Psychology > Flashcards

Forensic Psychology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is offender profiling?

A

Used to identify suspects
Determine most likely characteristics

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2
Q

Outline Top Down approach

A

FBI interviewed 36 sexually motivated killers to gain insight on patterns in behaviour and thinking

  • based on intuition and deductive reasoning (not empirical data)
  • appies theories and concepts to information at the crime scene

follows stages developed by FBI (see later)

data from interviws and crime scenes helped identify 2 catagories of offenders
- organised and disorganised

found these characteristics often related to their personal life and the crime scene
- helps identify characteristics

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3
Q

Characteristics of an organised offender

A

Personal life:
- intelligent - employed
- socially competent - have friends and relationships

Crime scene:
- no forensic evidence
- planned
- shows control

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4
Q

Characteristics of a disorganised offender

A

Personal life:
- unemployed/ low skilled
- behaves impulsively
- socially incompetent - few friends/ loner

Crime scene:
- forensic evidence
- unplanned
- shows no control

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5
Q

FBI stages in developing a profile

A
  1. Assimilating data - collecting all information from scene and victim
  2. Crime scene classification - organised or disorganised
  3. Crime scene reconstruction - recreate behaviour and actions of offender and victim
  4. Generate a profile - make judgement of possible physical and lifestyle characteristics
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6
Q

Strengths of Top Down

A

+ Copson, 90% senior officers would use it again
real world application

+ makes use of expertise
Based on intuition so utilises the experience of profilers to make judgments that a model couldn’t make - may be more accurate

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7
Q

Weaknesses of Top Down

A
  • small sample size, can’t be generalised to all crimes, 36
  • based on self report interviews, subjective and unreliable (likely to lie)
  • temporal validity - interviews in 70s
  • can’t be categorised into one of 2 categories, may be mixed - less valid/useful
    Canter (2004)
  • Allison, 50% officers said profile was accurate when it was fake (distinctly different to actual offender)
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8
Q

Outline Bottom Up approach

A

developed by David Canter
- based on statistics and past cases rather then deduction
- uses data at scene as source of information to develop a theory (of offender)

investigative psychology - applying psychological research to investigations
- Interpersonal coherence - offender behaves consistently so crime scene reflects everyday behaviours
- forensic awareness - how well crimes were covered could indicate past convictions

geographical profiling - uses location as clues to offenders job, life etc
- circle theory - offenders commit crimes in certain radius of where they live (marauder) or where they know well (commuter)

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9
Q

Strengths of Bottom Up

A

+ emphasis on data, more scientific, uses more objective techniques
Less intuition
therefore more reliable

+ Canter and Larkin, support for circle theory in 45 sexual assults

+ Copson - 75% police officers said useful

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10
Q

Weaknesses of Bottom Up

A
  • circle theory oversimplified

more useful for some crimes
- 85% murder
- 50% theft
effectiveness

  • Copson - only 3% officers found it helped to actually identify offender
  • Petherick - claimed geographical profiling encourages officers to look in wrong direction, may not always be certain radius
    Less useful
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11
Q

issues with offender profiling

A

Holmes
in 192 cases using offender profiling
only 88 arrests made
profiling helped with 17% of these

only useful for limited range of crimes
- not useful for material gain eg theft

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12
Q

Biological approaches to offending behaviour

A

Lombroso - atavistic form
Genetic
Neural

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13
Q

Outline Lombroso

A

Linked physical characteristics to crime (those with features had innate criminal tendencies)
Criminals more likely to have atavistic features (primitive)
- strong jaw
- heavy brow
- large ears

Believed criminality came from primitive instincts that had survived evolution - ‘genetic throwback’

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14
Q

Strengths of Lombroso

A

+ highlighted role of biology
+ suggests interactions between biology and environment, highly influential
+ scientific for the time - studied criminals systematically with over 50,000

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15
Q

Weaknesses of Lombroso

A
  • didn’t use non criminal control, features not unique to criminals
  • ethnocentrism - problematic views on different races, believed they were born criminals (evolutionary throwback)
  • unethical - prejudice towards those with characteristics
  • reductionist - explains complex idea through physical characteristics, ignores environment
  • biological determinism, innate and inherited, can’t be blamed
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16
Q

Genetic explanations for offending behaviour

A

Gene predispose individuals to criminal behaviour
- evidence from twin and adoption studies
Candidate genes found
- mutation of MAOA - causes abnormal serotonin levels (warrior gene)
- Brunner et al, violent male family members, inherited - all had MAOA

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17
Q

Evidence for genetic explanations

A

+ Raine, concordance rates in delinquent twins
- 52% MZ
- 21% DZ

+ Mednick, 14,000 adoptees
15% sons adopted by criminal families
20% biologically related to criminals became criminals
Shows genes more influential than environment

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18
Q

Neural explanations for criminal behaviour

A

Abnormal transmission of neurotransmitters
- serotonin - inhibitory neurotransmitter
- low levels linked to impulsive offending behaviour

Differences in brain functioning
- less activity in prefrontal cortex - linked with regulating emotion and moral behaviour
- leads to impulsiveness

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19
Q

Evidence for neural explanations

A

+ Raine, PET scans
Murderers shows reduced activity in prefrontal cortex
Associated with regulating emotion
Shows dysfunctional brain processing in criminals

+ Seo et al, low levels of serotonin
Predispose people to aggression and crime

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20
Q

Weaknesses of genetic explanation

A
  • no study found 100% concordance rates, must involve other factors
  • biological determinism
  • reductionist
  • Caspi - those with MAOA gene only became violent if mistreated in childhood
    Interactionist approach
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21
Q

Weaknesses of neural explanation

A
  • biological determinism
  • reductionist
  • correlation doesn’t mean causation
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22
Q

Strengths of genetic and neural

A

+ research support
+ Raine, Mednick and Brunner

+ can be tested scientifically, more reliable

23
Q

Psychological explanations for offending behaviour

A

Eysneck’s theory - personality types
Cognitive explanations - distortion and moral reasoning
Differential association theory

24
Q

Outline Eysnecks theory

A

Explained criminal behaviour by personality types
Determined through personality questionnaire
- high score = criminal personality

Suggested a genetic predisposition to certain types but environmental factors too

Personality dimensions:
neuroticism vs stability
- neurotics less emotionally stable and more unpredictable

extroversion vs introversion
- extroverts seek new experiences and stimulation

psychotisism (how vulnerable to psychotic breakdown)
- high = aggressive, more criminal

25
Q

Evaluation of Eysnecks theory

A

+ influential
+ considers biological and psychological factors = holistic

+ Dunlop - extra version and psychotisism good predictors of delinquent behaviour = useful

  • lacks reliability, data from self report questionaire
    only uses closed question = limited data
  • reductionist - personalities change between situations, don’t just fit into catagories
  • doesnt explain why = incomplete
26
Q

Outline cognitive approach (distortions)

A

Suggests criminal have cognitive distortions
- irrational thought patterns causing a distorted view of reality

  • minimisation, playing down seriousness of offences - rationalise actions, alleviate guilt
  • hostile attribution bias, misinterpreting others actions, believing other have hostile intentions, out to get them - leads to perceive threats that don’t exist, aggression
  • blaming others
27
Q

Outline cognitive approach (moral reasoning)

A

Criminals could have different levels of moral reasoning

Kohlberg - develops in stages as we age
Found 3 stages to moral reasoning

Allen - criminals have lower levels of moral reasoning
- pre-conventional stage (right behaviour is that of own interest)
- don’t have moral principles to prevent crime

+ supported by Allen

28
Q

Strengths of cognitive explanations

A

+ Yochelson and Samenow
Criminals share common thinking patterns and errors
+ Kennedy and Grubins - interviewed sex offenders, only 1/3 believed they’d harmed victims (minimisation)
+ Dodge - aggressive children more likely to misinterpret others action
(HAB)

+ Allen
Criminals have lower levels of moral reasoning, don’t progress through stages

29
Q

Weaknesses of cognitive explanations

A
  • rely on inference (machine reductionism)
    can’t directly observe thoughts so assumptions made, less objective and scientific
    Therefore only a partial explanation, others better? (Eg DAT)
  • reductionist
    may be due to biological factors
30
Q

Outline differential association theory

A

Criminal behaviour + attitudes learnt through interactions with other deviant individuals
biggest influence from closest relationships
Explains why minor criminals may reoffend - learn more methods in prisons
Teach people:

specific criminal acts
- learn best techniques and methods through interactions

Pro criminal attitudes
- learn motivations and attitudes to offending
- taught it isn’t negative but desirable
- more pro-crime attitudes = more likely to offend

31
Q

Strengths of differential association theory

A

+ accounts for all types of people

+ Short
Questionnaire on children on delinquent behaviour
Found correlation between behaviour and association with other criminals

+ Reiss and Rhodes - boys in friendship triads more likely to show criminal behaviour if other members were offenders

32
Q

Weaknesses of differential association theory

A
  • doesn’t consider individual differences, not everyone influenced
  • reductionist, doesn’t consider biological (eg Mednick and Raine)
  • correlational data, doesn’t mean it’s the cause
  • prejudice against children of criminal
    + but could prevent crime as could help at risk youths
33
Q

Outline psychodynamic explanations

A

Freudian - children go through phalic stage, identify with same sex parent = superego develops
- suggests criminals have issues with superego

Use defence mechanisms unconsciously to justify criminal behaviour
Eg rationalisation - rich people deserve to be robbed, more than everyone else
- displaced aggression, creates antisocial behaviour
- triggering stimuli might release repressed anger - aggression

Bowlby: maternal deprivation = affectionless psychopathy (lack of emotion and empathy)
- therefore ‘primed’ to be criminals, according to Bowlby

34
Q

Weak superego

A

Same sex parent absent (in phalic stage)
Can’t identify with them
Superego underdeveloped
- can’t make them moral, listen to id

35
Q

Deviant superego

A

Same sex parent deviant
Learns deviant morals and values
Superego has poor morality
Leads to offending behaviour

36
Q

Over harsh superego

A

Superego harsh so causes them to feel extreme guilt
Feel they should be punished
Leads to criminal behaviour as punishment

Caused by parents being overly harsh

37
Q

Evaluation of psychodynamic explanation

A

+ Bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves - higher levels of affectionless psychopathy in theives

  • hard to test scientifically, consider unconscious processes
    So less reliable and valid
    Lacks falsifiability
  • psychic determinism - behaviour determined by unconscious mind due to childhood experiences, offenders not responsible
  • evidence for biological
  • ethical issues - discrimination against children with single parents
38
Q

Ways of dealing with offending behaviour

A

Custodial sentencing
Token economies
Anger management
Restorative justice

39
Q

Aims of custodial sentencing (5)

A
  1. Punishment (aims to reduce reoffending)
  2. Rehabilitation
  3. Protects public
  4. Deterrence (discourage others, vicarious reinforcement)
  5. Retribution (atone for wrongdoing)
40
Q

effects of custodial sentencing

A

mental health issues
- emotional distress
- high rates of depression and suicide (men 3.7x more likely to commit suicide in prison)
- shown by Zimbardo, effects of imprisonment

reinforces criminal behaviour
- differential association theory
= high recidivism rates (70% young offenders reoffend in 2 years)

de-individuation
- shown by Zimbardo, loss of identity

  • could be positive eg rehabilitation
41
Q

positives of custodial sentencing (prisons)

A

+ can for fill aims - eg protects public
+ positive psychological effects - rehabilitation (reduce reoffending, CBT, employment etc)

42
Q

negatives of custodial sentencing (prisons)

A
  • prison increases likelihood of reoffending - interacting with other criminals
    70% young offenders reoffend within 2 years
  • Prison Reform Trust - 46% adults reconvicted within a year of release, ineffective
  • other methods may be better - eg community service, keeps social life
  • negative psychological effects
43
Q

what is recidivism?

A

repeating an undesirable behaviour after punishment (reoffending)

Prison Reform Trust - 46% adults reoffending within 1st year out

reducing this has good economic impacts

44
Q

outline token economies in prisons

A

behaviour modification method based on operant conditioning - behaviourist treatment

rewarded for good behaviour - reinforce
punished for bad behaviour - discourage

rewarded with tokens to spend on rewards (secondary reinforcers)
Removed for undesirable behaviour

45
Q

strengths of token economies

A

Hobbs and Holt - effective
- aim to decrease inappropriate behaviour in adolescent offenders
- 4 groups and 1 control

  • average 27% increase in desirable behaviour, no change in control

+ based on scientific evidence
Behaviourism, focus on observable and empirical data

46
Q

weaknesses of token economies

A
  • Kirigin et al
    -short term effects
    reduced rates of undesirable behaviour during, rates returned after
  • lacks ecological validity
  • individual differences - not effective for all offenders, some unable to control behaviour/ not respond to conditioning
47
Q

outline anger management

A

therapeutic programme used on violent criminals
assumes violence caused by anger

  • aims to help them control anger
  • encouraged to monitor own behaviour for patterns and changes, more self aware
48
Q

how is anger management done? (3 stages)

A

Cognitive preparation
- help patient identify triggers

Skill acquisition
- teach patients strategies for reducing anger eg deep breathing

Application practise
- role play
- allows patient to rehearse situations and controlling anger

49
Q

strengths of anger management

A

reland
- aggression level of 50 inmates measured before and after course
- improvement in 92%

+ more long term and transferable to real life then other treatments - such as token aconomkes

50
Q

weaknesses of anger management

A
  • Howells et al
    no significant difference in anger before and after
  • not helpful for all offenders - not all crimes caused by anger
  • requires trained therapists, limited availability in prisons, less useful
51
Q

what is the restorative justice system?

A

aims to make amends to victims
repair damage they caused, restore situation to before it happened
Based on communication between victim and offender - understand and take responsibility for consequences

Aims
- reduce recidivism (more than prisons)
- allow for atonement
- also helps victim feel less like a victim

52
Q

strengths of restorative justice

A

+ Smith Report 2007 - many advantages
reduced PTSD in victims
both offender and victim more satisfied

+ UK Restorative Justice Council
14% reduction in reoffending after - economic benefits (cheaper in long run then prisons)

53
Q

weaknesses of restorative justice

A
  • can’t be used on all offenders
    not all take responsibility or admit
    can’t be used for murder, can’t undo action
  • not all victims will agree
  • ethical issues for offender (extreme blame and guilt) and victim (feel worse after)
54
Q

Explanations

A

Biological:
- Lombroso
- genetic
- neural
Psychological:
- Eyesneck
- Differential association theory
- Cognitive - distortions and moral reasoning
- Psychodynamic - superego

Psychology P3 (4 decks)

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