Forensic Psychology Year 1

Question 1

mental illness

Answer 1

a variety of psychological conditions in which there is a characteristic disabling and distressing impairment in some aspect of the psychological functioning of the individual

Question 2

forensic psychology

Answer 2

the activities of psychologists whose work is related to and impacts the criminal justice system
‘psychology as it applies to criminal cases and courts’

Question 3

what is the nuremberg code

Answer 3

a set of 10 ethical principles made by the court for permissable medical experimentation on human subjects

Question 4

ethical principles of the nuremberg code

Answer 4

-voluntary consent
-minimising unnecessary harm or injury
-right to withdraw
-must be for the betterment of humanity
-benefits must outweigh the risks

Question 5

declaration of helsinki by world medical association (1964)

Answer 5

-research must undergo review by an independent ethics committee
-INFORMED consent

Question 6

what does the phrase ‘double duty’ refer to for the job of a forensic psychologist

Answer 6

forensic psychologists have a double duty to their clients as well as society

Question 7

categories of the theories of crime (based on the level at which they examine crime)

Answer 7

-the individual: what are the characteristics of individual criminals
-group and socialisation theories: peers and family influences
-community influence - different areas provide different opportunities for progress or crime
-societal / macro-level theories: society is structured in a way that creates crime. laws favour some groups to the detriment of others who want the same things

Question 8

modelling

Answer 8

imitation of behaviour, copied from someone an individual views as a ‘model’ (Miller & Dollard, 1941; Bandura, 1973)

Question 9

social learning theory

Answer 9

Bandura, 1977
people learn about consequences of behaviour
they can learn about consequences from observing others - vicarious learning or observational learning (modelling)
they can also learn directly from family and friends

Question 10

bobo doll experiment

Answer 10

Bandura, Ross & Ross, 1963
young participants observed ‘models’ acting aggressively towards a Bobo doll, except in the control condition
those who observed someone being aggressive towards the doll (in real life, films or cartoons), were more aggressive when provoked, compared to controls

Question 11

reinforcers

Answer 11

consequences that increase chances of a behaviour are called reinforcers

Question 12

examples of reinforcers

Answer 12

-social approval (smile, hugs, kisses, compliments)
-money
-sex
-social inclusion

Question 13

what must research to do be ethical

Answer 13

-not deceive
-not cause harm
-maintain confidentiality
-maintain anonymity
-inform relevant authorities if their researcher uncovers illegal/ harmful activity
-not take part in illegal activity as part of the research

Question 14

stages in the process of crime (Ainsworth, 2000)

Answer 14

-will the victim notice the crime? (e.g. cyber crime)
-will the victim report the crime? (e.g. rape)
-will the police record the crime? (e.g. stalking)
-will the offender be caught by the police? (e.g. card fraud)
-will the offender be prosecuted? (e.g. rape)
-will the perpetrator be found guilty? (e.g. rape)
-will the perpetrator receive a sentence? (e.g. stalking)

Question 15

attitudes towards crime

Answer 15

crime is a public issue - public opinion affects the criminal justice system
the public’s concern about crime needs to be understood, as it may affect how criminal justice is delivered
this is important from prosecution, to sentencing, to disposal of offenders in the community

Question 16

public knowledge of crime

Answer 16

-the public’s perception of rates of crime are often inaccurate (Ainsworth & Moss, 2000)
-it is unrealistic to expect the public to have an accurate perception of crime rates (Howitt, 1992)
-more important is the public’s perception of the extent to which society might be becoming increasingly risky and criminal (Doherty, 1992)

Question 17

social context of crime

Answer 17

the social context of crime includes how we define crime, how we report and address crime, prevention and punishment

crime is not simply limited to a product of the mind of the criminal, it is also a social product

Question 18

fear of crime

Answer 18

the less fear of crime, the better job the government are doing as they try to influence the reduction of fear of crime
this can also be used as political strategy

Question 19

how can fear of crime be used as a political strategy

Answer 19

if a populace feels safe and secure, they are more likely to vote for the current government
therefore reducing fear of crime can be seen as a political concept/ strategy for votes

Question 20

fear-victimisation paradox - Clark

Answer 20

people who are less likely to be victims of crime often have a higher fear of crime, while those who are more likely to be victims of crime tend to have a lower fear of crime
no clear relationship between fear and victimisation rates found from studies

Question 21

what types of people have a higher fear of crime

Answer 21

-elderly report highest levels of fear of crime (Bazargan, 1994)
-women more fearful than men - particularly of violent crime by strangers in a public place (Stanko, 1995)

Question 22

what types of people are the most likely victims of crime

Answer 22

-young males at most risk overall
-men are actually most at risk of an attack by a stranger
-women are more likely to be attacked by someone they know (e.g marital rape)

Question 23

what are some possible explanations for the fear-victimisation paradox (Clark)

Answer 23

-media coverage - may disproportionately affect people’s perception of risk and install fear into people, even those with low risk
-exposure - people in high risk groups may be desensitised due to exposure to crime / development of coping mechanisms to reduce fear
-perceived vulnerability - people who feel physically or socially vulnerable, e.g. elderly or women, may have a higher fear of crime than the actual risk
-environment - living in a perceived safe environment may lead to overestimation of crime risk as crimes in their area are highly publicised, whereas high crime areas are used to it

Question 24

theories of fear of crime

Answer 24

-cultivation theory (Gerbner, 1972)
-availability heuristic theory (Shrum 1996)
-cognitive theory (Winkel, 1998)

Question 25

cultivation theory is proposed by…

Answer 25

Gerbner, 1972

Question 26

availability heuristic theory is proposed by…

Answer 26

Shrum, 1996

Question 27

cognitive theory is proposed by…

Answer 27

Winkel, 1998

Question 28

cultivation theory - Gerbner, 1972

Answer 28

assumption that mass media, television in particular, are means of cultural transmission and affect fear of crime
(e.g. watching lots of tv and being exposed to lots of violence and crime thus thinking this is reflective of reality)

Question 29

availability heuristic theory - Shrum 1996

Answer 29

the availability heuristic is a cognitive bias and mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to mind
this can be affected by the media or other factors an individual is exposed to
these can be easily accessed by the individual
e.g. a woman getting a lift home from a stranger from a nightclub may feel afraid when she remembers a young woman who got murdered recently leaving the same nightclub

Question 30

cognitive theory - Winkel, 1998

Answer 30

fear is hypothesised to be a product of risk X seriousness

cognitive theory suggests that people’s perceptions and thought processes play a significant role in shaping their fears and concerns about crime

how individuals assess and interpret info about crime risks, how they perceive their vulnerability to crime, and how they manage these fears

individual differences can influence the level of fear individuals experience regarding crime

Question 31

subjective victimisation

Answer 31

belief about the likelihood or risk of being a victim

Question 32

downward social comparison

Answer 32

a psychological process where individuals compare themselves to others who they perceive as worse off than themselves on a particular trait or attribute
this can boost self esteem, but is a short term benefit

Question 33

crime phobia - Clark, 2004

Answer 33

-findings suggest fear of crime is not like a phobia
-fear of crime is not dysfunctional or irrational

Question 34

what does research have to say about cultivation theory (Gerbner, 1972)

Answer 34

-the relationship between heavy tv viewing and a distorted perception of crime and violence is statistically weak
-findings are not replicable in other communities
-approach is perhaps too basic (Liska & Baccaglini, 1990)

Question 35

what does research have to say about availability heuristic theory (Shrum 1996)

Answer 35

-findings are supported by other research (Vitelli & Endler, 1993)
-in a study where the content of a tv series had crime and rape as dominant themes, viewers of the programme were quicker in answering questions about rape than controls

Question 36

what does research have to say about cognitive theory (Winkel, 1998)

Answer 36

-evidence to support the theory - Winkel, 1998 - tested with a variety of crime victims and control groups
-evidence remains that some victims are profoundly affected by victimisation

Question 37

perceived negative impact of crime

Answer 37

belief about the seriousness of the consequences of crime

Question 38

what is a possible psychological consequence of being victimised

Answer 38

PTSD
post traumatic stress disorder
includes reliving trauma through intrusive memories, flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, persistent enduring symptoms lasting over a month, avoidance of anything that reminds them of the trauma

Question 39

retribution

Answer 39

focus of punishment for the offender by the criminal justice system

Question 40

restorative justice

Answer 40

focus on repairing the harm caused by criminal activity through cooperation of all parties involved
healing an reintegration are the main objectives

Question 41

who is involved as part of restorative justice

Answer 41

everyone involved
victim, victim’s family, offender, offender’s family, wider community members, etc

Question 42

methods of restorative justice

Answer 42

-victim-offender mediation programme
-conferencing programmes
-community service
-restitution (compensation, often financial)

Question 43

victim-offender mediation programme

Answer 43

meeting between victim and offender aiming to resolve conflict and construct own approach towards justice

Question 44

conferencing programmes as a method of restorative justice

Answer 44

similar to victim-offender mediation programme but extended to families, community support groups, police, social welfare and attorneys

Question 45

factors involved in victims deciding to report a crime (Greenberg & Beech, 2001, 2004)

Answer 45

-talking to others about their victimisation
-type of advice given to the victim - being told to call the police = most influential
-type of crime: burglaries more likely to be reported than theft
-victims’ decision making processes in property crimes: rewards/ cost driven, affect driven, socially driven

Question 46

how is fear of crime influenced

Answer 46

-direct experience of crime/ in area of living
-mass media - focuses on serious crimes
-personality and social characteristics - e.g. feeling alone, lack of education, believing neighbours are untrustworthy, all = increase in fear of crime