informing individualistic policies

Question 1

what are some examples of individualistic theories influencing policies?

Answer 1

-psychoanalysis (talking therapy)
-token economies (behavioural modification)
-cognitive therapies

Question 2

what is psychoanalysis?

Answer 2

-based on freud’s theory
-aims to access the id and superego to resolve it’s conflicts
-you can access someone’s thoughts through talking therapy and dream analysis

Question 3

evaluate psychoanalysis in reducing crime

Answer 3

strengths:
-44% still improved
weaknesses:
-eysenck found only 44% of psychoanalysis patients treated for neurosis showed improvment against 72% in hospitals
-not cost-effective

Question 4

what is behavioural modification (token economy system)?

Answer 4

-based on skinner’s operant learning theory
-techniques to change/ shape behaviour
-removes undesirable behaviours and encourages good behaviours
-rewards positive behaviours and punishes negative behaviours (e.g., crime = prisons)
-token economy system: way of shaping behaviour in prison - prisoners are rewarded with good behaviour when they have done something good and vice versa

Question 5

evaluate the effectiveness of behaviour modification

Answer 5

strengths:
-effective?? conditions people into learning good behaviour. in theory, it is possible that if lasts when they leave prison
weaknesses:
-not effective for everyone - some people are just not interested

Question 6

what are cognitive therapies?

Answer 6

-also known as cbt
-informed by freud/ eysenck
-stats out thought processes shape our behaviour, including offending behaviour
-offenders have distorited cognitions that lead them to offend
-cbt aims to find the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviours to break that relation to change their behaviour