**L6 - Cognitive explanations

Question 1

what is Moral reasoning

Answer 1

MORAL REASONING REFERS TO the PROCESS BY WHICH AN INDIVIDUAL DRAWS UPON THEIR OWN VALUE SYSTEM to DETERMINE WHETHER AN ACTION IS RIGHT OR WRONGr

Question 2

what did KOHLBERG do?

Answer 2

KOHLBERG PROPOSED that the QUALITY OF PEOPLE’S JUDGMENTS of RIGHT AND WRONG can be SUMMARISED BY A STAGE THEORY OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT

KOHLBERG BASED HIS STAGES on PEOPLE’S RESPONSES TO MORAL DILEMMAS

Question 3

what moral reasoning level are offenders likely to have?

Answer 3

OFFENDERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO have their MORAL REASONING AT THE PRE-CONVENTIONAL LEVEL. This means that a PERSON IS PUNISHMENT ORIENTATED (REASONING BASED on WHETHER OR NOT THE ACT WILL LEAD TO PUNISHMENT) and REWARD ORIENTATED (reasoning BASED ON WHAT CAN BE GAINED).

This is IMMATURE REASONING which TYPICALLY LASTS FROM AGES 3-7. TEENAGERS AND ADULTS who STILL REASON IN THIS WAY, MAY COMMIT CRIME IF THEY THINK THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT AND/OR GAIN REWARDS

Question 4

what are the 3 levels of moral reasoning? (in ascending order)

Answer 4

1: PRE CONVENTIONAL (LOWEST)
2: CONVENTIONAL
3: POST CONVENTIONAL (HIGHEST)

Question 5

1: pre conventional reasoning

Answer 5

INDIVIDUAL SHOWS CONCERN for SELF INTEREST and EXTERNAL REWARDS AND PUNISHMENTS

Question 6

2: conventional reasoning

Answer 6

INDIVIDUAL DOES WHAT IS EXPECTED OF THEM BY OTHERS

Question 7

3: post conventional reasoning

Answer 7

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPS MORE AUTONOMOUS DECISION MAKING based on PRINCIPLES OF RIGHT AND JUSTICE

Question 8

EV: (+) PALMER AND HOLLIN

Answer 8

PALMER AND HOLLIN COMPARED MORAL REASONING BETWEEN OFFENDERS and NON OFFENDERS BOTH MALE AND FEMALE USING 11 MORAL DILEMMAS, they found that the OFFENDERS SHOWED LESS MATURE MORAL REASONING THAN NON OFFENDERS

Question 9

EV: (-) LEVEL OF MORAL REASONING MAY DEPEND ON TYPE OF OFFENCE

Answer 9

THORNTON AND REID found that INDIVIDUALS WHO COMMITTED CRIMES FOR FINANCIAL GAIN, such as ROBBERY, were MORE LIKELY TO SHOW PRE CONVENTIONAL REASONING than those CONVICTED OF IMPULSIVE CRIMES (such as ASSAULT), where NO REASONING WAS EVIDENT

This show that the LEVEL OF MORAL REASONING MAY DEPEND ON THE TYPE OF OFFENCE

Question 10

what are cognitive distortions

Answer 10

COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS are FAULTY and IRRATIONAL WAYS OF THINKING that make PEOPLE PERCEIVE THEMSELVES, OTHER PEOPLE and the WORLD INACCURATELY, and OFTEN NEGATIVELY

Question 11

what is hostile attribution bias

Answer 11

HOSTILE ATTRIBUTION BIAS is the TENDENCY TO JUDGE AMBIGUOUS SITUATIONS, or the ACTIONS OF OTHERS as AGGRESSIVE and/or THREATENING when IN REALITY THEY ARE NOT

OFFENDERS MAY MISREAD NON-AGGRESSIVE CUES and this may TRIGGER A DISPROPORTIONATE, OFTEN VIOLENT, RESPONSE

HOSTILE ATTRIBUTION BIAS can lead to the OFFENDER BLAMING THE VICTIM FOR HAVING ‘STARTED IT’

Question 12

what is minimalisation

Answer 12

MINIMALISATION is when a CRIMINAL BELIEVES that their CRIME WAS TRIVIAL and DOWNPLAYS THE IMPACT OF THEIR CRIME ON THE VICTIMS

This is a COMMON STRATEGY that people USE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO AVOID FEELING GUILT. OFFENDERS often use EUPHEMISMS for THEIR OFFENCES, e.g a BURGLAR might say they were ‘just doing a job’

Question 13

EV: (+) TREATMENT OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR

Answer 13

UNDERSTANDING the NATURE OF COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS has PROVEN BENEFICIAL in the TREATMENT OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR, for example with CBT.

This ENCOURAGES OFFENDERS to FACE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE and ESTABLISH A LESS DISTORTED VIEW OF THEIR ACTIONS, when CBT IS SUCCESSFUL and COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS ARE REDUCED, OFFENDERS ARE LESS LIKELY TO REOFFEND

Question 14

EV: (-) nature nurture?

Answer 14

ONE KEY FAILING of the COGNITIVE APPROACH is that it DOESN’T ACCOUNT FOR THE SOURCE OF THESE THOUGHTS - is it NATURE OR NURTURE?

Question 15

EV: (-) COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS can’t be measured

Answer 15

COGNITIVE DISTORTIONS CANNOT BE MEASURED or OBSERVED, this means the COGNITIVE EXPLANATION of CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR is NOT SCIENTIFIC