Individual Differences Evaluation - Cognitive Factors

Question 1

Evaluate research support for hostile attribution bias…

Answer 1

Michael Schonenberg and Aiste Justye (2014) showed emotionally ambiguous faces to 55 anitsocial violent offenders, who were found to interpret the expression as aggression

Indicates that misinterpretation of non-verbal cues may partially explain aggressive-impulsive behaviour in susceptible individuals

Question 2

Evaluate research support for minimalisation…

Answer 2

Henry Kennedy and Donald Grubin (1992) found that a sex offender’s account of their crime was often downplayed with some denying that the crime was even committed

Shadd Mruna and Ruth Mann (2006) stated that minimalisation is part of ‘normal’ behaviour as people often try to blame events on external sources to protect themselves, meaning it is not especially deviant behaviour