Lesson 6: Cognitive explanations Flashcards
What is moral reasoning?
the process by which an individual draws upon their OWN value system to determine whether an action is RIGHT or WRONG
According to Kohlberg (1973), what can the quality of people’s judgement of right or wrong be summarised by?
a STAGE theory of MORAL DEVELOPMENT
What are the Three stages of Moral development?
1) Pre-conventional
2) Conventional
3) Post-conventional
Outline the PRE conventional level
stage of moral development theory where an individual shows CONCERN for SELF-INTEREST + EXTERNAL rewards & punishments
Outline the Conventional level
Stage of moral development theory whereby an individual does what is EXPECTED of them BY OTHERS
Outline the Post-Conventional level
Stage of moral development theory whereby an individual develops more AUTONOMOUS decision making based on principles of RIGHT + JUSTICE
What level of moral development theory are offenders most likely classified as?
Pre- conventional
Why are offenders’ moral reasoning classed as pre-conventional
-They are PUNISHMENT orientated ( reasoning based on whether or not the action will lead to a punishment)
-REWARD orientated ( reasoning based on what can be gained)
-this level of reasoning is IMMATURE + typically lasts from ages 3-7
State a POSITIVE evaluation of moral reasoning
(Hint: female + male non offenders vs offenders)
+ Palmer and Hollin (1998) compared MORAL REASONING between
210 female non-offenders,
122 male non-offenders
126 convicted OFFENDERS using 11 moral
dilemmas, such as not taking things that belong to others.
The offenders showed less MATURE moral reasoning than the non-offenders.
State a NEGATIVE evaluation of moral reasoning
(Hint: type of offence)
- The level of moral reasoning may depend on the type of OFFENCE.
Thornton and Reid (1982) 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.
What are cognitive distortions?
FAULTY + IRRATIONAL ways of thinking that make people perceive themselves, other people+ the word INACCURATELY and often negatively
What are the two types of cognitive distortions
1) Hostile Attribution bias
2) Minimalisation
What is Hostile attribution bias?
-The tendency to judge AMBIGUOUS situations or the actions of others as AGGRESSIVE/ THREATENING when in reality they are NOT.
-offenders may misread non-aggressive cues which may trigger a violent response
What is minimalisation
when a criminal believes that their crime was TRIVIAL and DOWNPLAYS the impact of their crime on their victims.
This is a common strategy people use to avoid feeling GUILT
-Offenders may use EUPHENISMS for their offences e.g a burglar may say they have been “doing a job”
Positive evaluation of Cognitive Distortions
(Hint: lead to beneficial treatment of criminal behaviour)
+ Understanding the NATURE of cognitive distortions has proven beneficial in the
treatment of criminal behaviour.
The dominant approach in the rehabilitation of
sex offenders is COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY.
This encourages offenders to ‘face up’ to what they have done and establish a less DISTORTED view of their actions.
A reduced incidence of COGNITIVE distortions in therapy is highly correlated with a reduced risk of OFFENDING.
