Forensic Psychology Year 1 Flashcards
mental illness
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
forensic psychology
the activities of psychologists whose work is related to and impacts the criminal justice system
‘psychology as it applies to criminal cases and courts’
what is the nuremberg code
a set of 10 ethical principles made by the court for permissable medical experimentation on human subjects
ethical principles of the nuremberg code
-voluntary consent
-minimising unnecessary harm or injury
-right to withdraw
-must be for the betterment of humanity
-benefits must outweigh the risks
declaration of helsinki by world medical association (1964)
-research must undergo review by an independent ethics committee
-INFORMED consent
what does the phrase ‘double duty’ refer to for the job of a forensic psychologist
forensic psychologists have a double duty to their clients as well as society
categories of the theories of crime (based on the level at which they examine crime)
-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
modelling
imitation of behaviour, copied from someone an individual views as a ‘model’ (Miller & Dollard, 1941; Bandura, 1973)
social learning theory
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
bobo doll experiment
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
reinforcers
consequences that increase chances of a behaviour are called reinforcers
examples of reinforcers
-social approval (smile, hugs, kisses, compliments)
-money
-sex
-social inclusion
what must research to do be ethical
-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
stages in the process of crime (Ainsworth, 2000)
-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)
attitudes towards crime
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
public knowledge of crime
-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)
social context of crime
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
fear of crime
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
how can fear of crime be used as a political strategy
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
fear-victimisation paradox - Clark
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
what types of people have a higher fear of crime
-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)
what types of people are the most likely victims of crime
-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)
what are some possible explanations for the fear-victimisation paradox (Clark)
-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
theories of fear of crime
-cultivation theory (Gerbner, 1972)
-availability heuristic theory (Shrum 1996)
-cognitive theory (Winkel, 1998)
