Introduction to forensic Psychology: Social Factors and offending Flashcards
What is criminal Psychology
The application of psychological theory, knowledge and techniques to offending and the legal system, including: understanding offenders, investigating crime and the psychology of the courtroom
What key areas do you look at in criminal psychology
Offending behaviour, police investigations, psychology in the courtroom, officer treatments and prison psychology
How is crime defined?
An act of commission, possession or omission typically requiring “Actus rea” (The guilty act) and “mens rea” (The guilty mind) unless it’s a crime of strict liability
What are the main psychological explanations for crime
Psychobiological, psychodynamic, behavioural and cognitive
What does the psychobiological perspective question about crime?
Whether criminals are born or made and if people are genetically predisposed to crime.
Who is Cesare Lombroso and what was his contribution to the psychobiological explanation to crime
Lombroso proposed that criminals have distinct physical features similar to primitive humans, but this notion has been comprehensively debunked
What methods are used in psychobiological research to study crime
Family studies, twin studies and adoption studies are used to assess genetic and environmental influences on behaviour
What did Rhee and Waldman find regarding antisocial behaviour in their 2002 paper?
They found that environmental factors were stronger influences on antisocial behaviour than genetic ones
How is criminal behaviour likely influenced according to current psychobiological theories
Multiple genes acting in combination with environmental triggers are believed to contribute to criminal behaviour
What theory is associated with psychodynamic explanations of crime
Attachment theory, primarily developed by Bowlby and Ainsworth
What criticisms exist regarding psychodynamic explanations
Criticisms include weak research methodology, excessive emphasis on maternal influence and the idea that damage is irreversible
What is Social Learning Theory in the context of criminal behaviour
It posits that criminal behaviour is acquired through direct reinforcement from the environment and modelling or imitation of others such as family and peers
What is the difference between risk factors and causal relationships in crime
Risk factors are associated with or predictive of later offending, while causal relationships explain how a risk factor leads to offending behaviour
What is the difference between cross-sectional and longitudinal research?
Cross-sectional research looks for differences between offenders and non-offenders at one point in time, while longitudinal research follows individuals over time to study the development of antisocial behaviour
What findings were reported from “The Cambridge study”
It found that predictors of delinquency included poor parenting, parent conflict, family criminality socioeconomic deprivation, and childhood behaviour issues