Forensic Psychology - Intro

Question 1

What are the two historical perspectives of crime

Answer 1

Classical School of Criminology:
> Law breaking occurs when people are faced with a choice of right or wrong and freely choose wrongly.
> They should be punished in a way which is proportionate to the crime

Positivist School of Criminology:
> Emphasises factors of criminal behaviour rather than just free will.
> Punishment should fit the criminal rather than the crime
> Seeks to understand crime through the scientific method and analysis
> Actual physical attributes of the criminal

Question 2

Ernest Hooton positivist experiments

Answer 2

Took physical measurements and classified burglars and robbers into physical categories etc.

Question 3

What are the 4 modern theories of crime?

Answer 3

1. S ocialogical Theories
2. B iological Theories
3. P hysiological Theories
4. S ocio-psychological Theories

Question 4

What is the Scoiological Theory of crime?

Answer 4

Explains crime as a result of cultural or social forces eg. social class, the environment, political

It deemphasises individual differences

Question 5

What are the two types of Sociological Theories?

Answer 5

1. Structural:
   People have similar interest and motivations but have different opportunities to employ their talents
   Discrepancies between aspirations and means leads to strains and crime
2. Subcultural:
   Crime originates when groups come together and support values different to cultural norms eg gangs

Question 6

What are the cons of Sociological Theories?

Answer 6

Crimes are often committed by people who have never been denied opportunities
Applies to only certain cases
Doesn’t explain why some people offend and others don’t

Question 7

What are the two types of biological theories?

Answer 7

1. Constitutional:
   Sheldon suggested three somatotypes and suggested that the more muscular, athletic etc was most suited to criminal behaviour
   Combination of body type and environment

Cons: correlation between physique and behaviour doesnt mean causation

2. Genetic:
   Adoption studies:
   > men w/criminal bio parents 4x more likely to commit and 2x more likely if adopted parents were crim and bio not
   > 14x more likely for both parents criminal

Unsure of what is being inherited

Question 8

What are the three psychological theories of crime?

Answer 8

1. Psychoanalytic:
2. Personality Traits:
3. Personality Disorder:

Question 9

What are the psychoanalytic theories of psychological crime?

Answer 9

A weak ego and super-ego which cant control the urges of the ID

Question 10

Personality Traits theory of psychological crime

Answer 10

Eyesenck three factor model of personality:
> Extraversion
> Neuroticism
> Psychoticism
According to Eyesenck, criminals show HIGHER levels on all of these factors

Question 11

Personality Disorder theory of psychological crime

Answer 11

Antisocial personality disorder:
> a continuing disregard for the rights of others
Psychopathy:
> typically engage in frequent criminal activity for which they feel no remorse
> small percentage of criminals, but high percentage of violent crimes

Question 12

What are the three types of Social-Psychological Theories

Answer 12

1. Control Theories:
   Control is mediated by a combination of learnt behaviours from the external environment and rules etc and from inner controls
2. Learning Theories:
   Operant learning: criminal behaviour is rewarded by thrill experienced, obtaining money etc
   Socical learning: behaviour is learned through observation and modelling.
3. Social-labelling:
   Deviance is created by the labels that we give certain acts.
   Self-fulfilling prophecy!

Question 13

What are the two historical perspectives of crime?

Answer 13

Classical:
> believed that a criminal act came from a decision of whether to do the right or the wrong thing - free will.
> believed that the punishment should fit the crime

Positivist:
> believed more in the factors that determined criminal behaviour rather than free will
> believed that the punishment should fit the person
> looked into physical traits and their scientific relationship to criminal activity.

Question 14

What are the four modern theories of crime?

Answer 14

1. Sociological
2. Biological
3. Psyhcological
4. Social-psychological

Question 15

What is the sociological theory of crime?

Answer 15

> The social and cultural factors that are external of one self.
It de-emphasises individual differences
is the effect of political, social, environmental factors, which affect a large group of people.

Question 16

What two parts is sociological theory split into?

Answer 16

1. Structural explanations

2. Subcultural explanations

Question 17

What are the three psychological theories to crime?

Answer 17

1. Psychoanalytical
2. Personality traits
3. Personality theories

Question 18

What are the two parts that biological theory is split into?

Answer 18

1. Constitutional theory

2. Genetic theory

Question 19

What are the three parts that social-psycholgical theory is split into?

Answer 19

1. Control theory: we all have criminal behaviour but the sociatal constructs control our behaviours. When the external constraints go down, our internal constraints must rise
2. Learning theory: we learn criminal behaviour from the different types of learning eg operant learning and social learning theory
3. Social labelling: self fulfilling prophecy