INIDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES: Cognitive Factors Flashcards
What is cognitive factors relating to criminal behaviour?
Cognitive explanations for criminal behaviour focus on the influence of our thinking pattens and how our understanding of the world around us can impact our behvaiour.
What are cognitive distortions?
They are a form of irrational thinking where reality becomes distorted.
What does cognitive distortion result in?
It results in a persons perception of events to be wrong, but they think it is accurate. In relation to criminal behaviour, it allows an offender to deny or rationalise their behvaiour
What is hostile attribution bias?
This is when a person draws negative inferences from a person behaviour towards them, they always think the worst from a situation
How does hostile attribution bias link to criminal behaviour?
This links to criminal behaviour as it can cause increased levels of aggression, impulsiveness and Violance
For example if a person bumps into an individual on accident, they may feel they did it on purpose and impulsively react violently as a retaliation
What was Schonenburg et al’s (2014) sudy?
They did a study of 55 incarnated anti-social violent prisoners (who were matched with a control group) and asked them to interpret a number emotionally ambiguous faces, which showed slight-mild signs of anger, sadnesss, happiness. They found that offenders were most likely to interpret aggression, Evan with the slightest sign of anger
This shows that non verbal social cues (facial expressions) can suggest why those susceptible may react to social cues in an impulsively, aggressive way/
What is minimalization?
This is when an offender believes their actions will have minimal effect on people lives, this will reduce the guilt the criminal feels, and helps them accept consequences of their actions. It is under exaggerating consequences of actions
How does Minimalization relate to criminal behaviour?
For example if a person burgles a wealthy family, rather than a poor family, they may feel that the rich family will not feel the financial effects of the missing items as they can afford to replace ect. This would minimalize the guilt felt by the thief
What is levels of moral reasoning
Kohlberg constructed a stage theory of moral delevopment. Each stage represents a more mature and logically consistent form of moral understanding. People progress through these stages due to biological maturity and opportunity to develop their thinking, such as learning to appreciate the persepective of another person
What are 3 levels of moral reasoning?
- Pre-conventional level
- Conventional level
- Post-Conventional level
What is pre-conventional level?
Children accept the rules of authority figures and judge actions but their consequences. Actions that result in punishments are bad, those that bring rewards are good
What is the conventional level?
Individuals continue to believe that conformity to social rules is desirable, but this is not out of self-interest. Maintaining the current social system ensures positive human relationships and social order
What is the post-conventional level?
The realisation that some laws can be changed and some values are relative. Moral behvaiour is guided by the principle of trying to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number.
How does preconventional level link to criminal behaviour?
Breaking the law is justified if the rewards outweigh the cost (most criminals at this level)
How does the Conventional Level link to criminal behaviour?
May break the law to protect their family/other people
