MIdterm 1 Flashcards
What is forensic psychology?
The application and production of psychology on the criminal justice system
2 areas of the legal system?
Civil: private law, do not involve criminal code
Criminal: public law, government enforces
Criminal Behaviour
An intentional act in the violation of the criminal law committed without defense of excuse
- behaviour must be intentional
- violate criminal code
- person must be able to discern right from wrong
Sociological conceptions of crime
Groups of society as a whole and how they influence criminal activity
SAUCER (sex,age,urbanity,class,ethnicity,religion)
Psychological conceptions of crime
Emphases placed on individual differences in variables that contribute to criminal conduct
personal interpersonal community reinforcement (PIC-R) model
explains risk factors and vulnerabilities are expressed in criminal behaviour
Central Eight (PIC-R)
criminal history
procriminal attitudes
procriminal associates
anitsocial peronality pattern
family
school/work
substance abuse
leisure/recreation
Duties of Forensic Psychologist (6)
assessment
research
consultation
treatment
teaching
administration
Provincial systems (5)
- operated by ministry of corrections
- sentences <2yr
- short custody/probation
- larger number of remanded individuals
- responsibility of province
Federal System (5)
- service of Canada
- 2 or more years
- mechanisms of preventative detention and release
- parole board of Canada release decision
- regional treatment facilities
2021 statistics
- Human trafficking: stable
- Child Pron: 31% increase from 2019-21
- sexual violation on child: 14% increase
- Impaired driving: decrease
Crime Severity Index
Advancement on UCR (Uniform crime reporting survey): an index computed by weighting the severity of crimes
Physiognomy
Assessing a person’s psychological characteristics from their facial features of body structure
Phrenology - Franz Joseph Gall (1796)
The brain is an organ on the mind, the more is is used the larger it became.
- contours of the skull were measured to predict personality traits
The Born Criminal
Cesare Lombroso
- believed criminals are more genetically similar to their primitive ancestors than “non-criminal”
- believed they possessed a unique set of physical characteristics (flat nose, large ears) tattoos, slang and orgies
Physique and Crime
Somatotyping: body type classification, 3 types
- mesomorphs more likely to commit crimes
- also those that commit crimes are in prison and workout more which is a possible cause for body type association.
Twin Study
Monozygotic twins show greater concordance on a characteristic than dizygotic twins if there is a genetic basis to that trait
Adoption Study
Children should resemble biological parents more than adoptive
Serotonin and human aggression
aggressive behaviour found to increase as CSF levels of 5-HIAA decrease (children with disruptive behavior disorders)
Norepinephrine (NE)
positive relationship between NE activity and aggression proposed
positive correlation between levels of MPHG and history of aggression in males
Dopamine (DA)
Re-Offenders have lower levels of homovanillic acid
antipsychotic meds
ANS arousal and antisocial behaviour
antisocial = increase underarousal
ANS arousal theories (3)
- Fearlessness theory
- Stimulation-seeking theory
- 2 theories not mutually exclusive
Neuropsychological Deficits (2)
- verbal deficits: linked to left hemisphere
- executive functions: linked to frontal cortex dysfunctions
Evolution by natural selection
process by which individuals better adapted to their environment are selected to survive, reproduce and pass their genes on to succeeding generations
Adaptation
anatomical structure, physiological process, or behaviour pattern that enabled an organism to survive
Psychodynamic Models of Crime (3)
- Behaviour instinctually driven
- Behaviour unconsciuosly determined
- Behaviour is innermost desires and societal expectations (Id, Ego, Superego)
Gluecks Study
Delinquency due to weak superego from faulty parenting = lack of moral compass
Social Control Theories
ties to primary groups
- social and personal controls, without them = criminality
- family most significant
Behaviourism (2) - Watson
- understand, predict, and control human behaviour
- behaviour is based on general principles and adapted by environmental forces
Classical Conditioning - 4 components
- Unconditioned stimulus (US)
- Unconditioned response (UR)
- Conditioned stimulus (CS)
- Conditioned response (CR)
Social Bond Theory (Hirschi) & 4 elements
individuals with weak bond to society = increase crime
1. Attachment: emotional ties to others
2. Commitment: extent to pursue goals
3. Involvement: business with prosocial activities
4. Belief: prosocial values and morality
Operant Conditioning - Skinner
All behaviours are promoted by the environment/punishments and rewards
- Reductionism: complex human behaviour can be broken down into more simple behaviour
3 effects of Operant Conditioning
- Reinforcement: Positive/Negative - increase frequency of behaviour
- Punishment: Positive/Negative - decreases frequency of behaviour
- Extinction: Frequency of a behaviour becomes zero due to a lack of reinforcement
Types of Conditioning (4)
- Positive: Application of stimulus
- Negative: Removal of stimulus
- Reinforcement: increases behaviour
- Punishment: decreases behaviour
Social learning Theory
Examine perceptions, thoughts, expectancies, competencies, and values
- learn through observing and listening to those around us (bandura), vicarious learning and self-efficacy
Reciprocal Determinism
Personal, Environmental, and Behavioural factors all affect each other
Differential Association Theory
Application of social learning principles to antisocial behaviour
- Chronic exposure to delinquent behaviour = increase in favourable attitude towards crime
- 9 principles
Differential Association - Reinforcement Theory (Akers)
integration of core elements of behaviourism, social learning and differential association
- people learn to commit deviant acts through interpersonal interactions in their social environments
Recidivism & 4 subtypes
Commiting a new criminal offense following previous detection or release
1. Violent recidivism
2. Nonviolent recidivism
3. Sexual recidivism
4. General recidivism
Steps in Risk Assessment (6)
- use of multiple info sources
- assess multiple domains of functioning
- use of multiple assessment methods
- evaluate credibility of info sources
- assess static and dynamic risk factors
- assessment of strengths and protective factors
Static & dynamic variables
Static: Age, prior offenses
- tend not to change and are frequently historical in nature
dynamic: attitude, school/work
- have the potential to change from treatment, experience, or other change agents
Challenges in Risk Assessment
low base rates
- rare events are hard to predict
implications: must be aware of base rates
First Generation - Method of Assessment
- Collect info
- make general assessment
- unstructured professional judgment
First generation - strengths & weaknesses
Strengths:
- can explore many different aspects of client situations
- reflect unique circumstances
weaknesses
- subject to personal bias
- overlook/overemphasize info
- over reliance
Second Generation - RA
Use of actuarial tools - predictors associated with recidivism
use easily accessible info in clinical and forensic files
Second generation - strengths & weaknesses
Strengths:
- objective and accountable
- cover important static factors
- clearly articulated rules
- predict recidivism well
weaknesses
- consist of static predictors only
- not capable of measuring change
- item weights not generalized
- atheoretical
SIR Scale
Statistical Information on Recidivism Scale:
- developed using 15 variables
- range (-27 to +30)
- grouped into 5 categories/risk groups
- high risk group (84% rearrested)
- low risk group (32% rearrested)
- excellent predictive accuracy for general recidivism (less so for violent recidivism)
Third Generation
RA tools include both static and dynamic risk items
involves integration of assessment and treatment
Third generation - strength & weaknesses
Strengths:
- assess a much wider range of variables
- static and dynamic variables
- sensitive to change
theoretically based
predict recidivism fairly well
weaknesses
- may not be able to capture change
- not specific
- case closure may not be explicit
LSI - R
Level of Service Inventory-Revised
- adapted for youth and community cases
- 54 items scored present or absent (1-0)
- five risk levels: very low, low, moderate, moderate-high, high
Fourth Generation
guides and follows service and supervision form intake case closure
designed to be integrated into:
- process of risk management
- selection of intervention modes and targets for treatment
- assessment of rehabilitation progress
four generation - strength & weaknesses
strengths:
- assessed variables linked to criminal recidivism
- include static and dynamic variables
- sensitive to change
- follows client to case closure
- predict recidivism well
weaknesses
- none unique to four generation tools
OABs - Offence Analogue Behaviours
- Antisocial behaviours may take on different appearances in controlled settings
- Ability to engage in overt antisocial behaviours may be inhibited by: monitoring, sanctions, absence of victims, unavailable resources
- presence of OABs is a good indicator that the root problems underlying antisocial behaviour are still intact
Example: bar fight
Core Correctional Practice
Interaction Skills
- relationship practices
- dealing with resistance
- reinforcement
- disapproval
- use of authority
Intervention Skills
- anti-criminal modeling
- skill-building
- problem-solving
- cognitive restructuring
Integrated Correctional Program Model (ICPM)
general multitarget program
- RNR based
4 streams for male offenders
1. multarget vs. sex offender
2. indigenous multitarget vs. indigenous sex offender
Variations on intensity
Courage to Change (C2C) seires - workbooks
consists of 9 workbook modules with content closely related to areas of risk:
1. getting started
2. social values
3. responsible thinking
4. self-control
5. peer relationships
6. family ties
7. substance abuse
8. seeking employment
9. recreation & leisure
Responsible Thinking
- Examining the role of thinking on behaviours
- Recognizing criminogenic errors in thinking
- Understanding how errors support a criminal lifestyle
- Applying a strategy for a positive change
Criminogenic Errors in Thinking
- Self-serving kindness
- Making excuses
- Asserting power
- lazy thinking
- Ignoring responsible action
- Getting sidetracked
- Sense of being above the law
The ABCs of thinking
Situation/event - self talk - feelings/behaviours - outcome
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Structured, timed, problem focused, and goal oriented
- learn to identify, question, and change how their thoughts, attitudes, beliefs relate to the emotional and behavioural reactions that cause difficulty for them.
Cognitive behavioural Triangle
Thoughts - Behaviours - Emotions
Does incarceration and punishment work?
lengthier sentences show increases in recidivism
No difference in those with death penalty vs. those without
cost of incarceration - 1 offender
- $115,000 maintain in a CSC
- $35,000 to maintain in the community
