psych explanation: cognitive approach

Question 1

AO1: level of moral reasoning

Answer 1

pre-conventional stage:
- determines right & wrong by what they get punished or rewarded for
- criminals usually at this stage

conventional stage:
- whatever pleases others, right and determined by majority
- doing duty to society, follows laws and respects society

post conventional stage:
- determined right and wrong by personal views

Question 2

AO1: cognitive distortions

Answer 2

faulty, biased & irrational ways of thinking that means we perceive ourselves, other people and the word negatively

Question 3

• hostile attribution bias
• minimalisation

Answer 3

judging situations as aggressive and/or threatening when in reality they may not be

downplaying the significance of an event or emotion as a means of dealing with guilt

Question 4

AO3: moral reasoning- strength- research support

Answer 4

P: research support for moral reasoning
E: compared moral reasoning in non-offenders and offenders. used 11 moral dilemmas
E: offender group showed less mature moral reasoning
HOWEVER, moral thinking is not the same as moral behaviour. Moral reasoning is more likely used to justify behaviour after it has happened. Hypothetic situations were given, one may think something but not actually do it in behaviour

Question 5

AO3-moral reasoning- limitation- may depend on type of crime

Answer 5

P: may depend on type of crime
E/E: criminals who committed crimes for financial gain were more likely to show pre-conventional morals than these convicted of impulsive crimes.

Question 6

AO3: cognitive distortions- strength- application to therapy

Answer 6

P: application to therapy
E: CBT challenges irrational thinking. Offenders encouraged to ‘face up’ to what they’ve done & established less distorted views of their actions
E: found that reduced incidence of denial and minimising in therapy is associated with reduced risk or reoffending
HOWEVER, CBT is expensive on not regularly given

Question 7

AO3: cognitive distortions- limitation- depends on the type of crime

Answer 7

P: cognitive distortions depend on the type of crime
E: gathered questionnaire responses from sexual offenders
E: found that non contact sexual crimes (sexual images) used more cognitive distortions e.g. minimisation that those with contact sexual crimes (physically abusing children)