Psychological Explanations Flashcards
EYSENCK
Personality is biologically based regarding personality traits by extroversion, neuroticism and psychoticism.
Extroverts, neuroticism, psychoticism.
Extraverts- outgoing and sociable people who seek thrill and stimulation. They have an under aroused nervous system and seek stimulation to restore levels of optimum stimulation.
Neuroticism- unstable, overreact to stimuli, guilty, negative,
Psychoticism- higher testosterone, cold, lack empathy, impulsive and aggressive.
AO3 of EYSENCK
- personality is not always consistent, MISCHEL AND PEAKE asked strangers and family to rate 63 students behaviour in a variety of situations and found no correlation. Personality is chosen and changed depending on setting.
- lacks validity due to self report questionnaire.
- practical application for treatment.
Kohlbergs theory
- pre conventional morality.
- Conventional morality.
- post conventional morality
Pre conventional morality
Child shows good behaviour to avoid punishment and punishment equates to wrong doing. Reasoning is based on whether it will lead to punishment or reward.
Conventional morality
Reasoning is based on what others expect of them and due to social order, they commit duties as a citizen.
Post conventional morality
Reasoning is based on what is impartially right, democratic rules can be challenged if they infringe the rights of others, reasoning is based on own ethical principles.
How does Kohlberg link to criminal behaviour?
- criminals are likely to be at pre conventional level.
- pre conventional level is characterised by a need to avoid punishment and gain rewards.
- may commit crime if they believe breaking the law is justified if the rewards outweigh the costs or if punishment can be avoided.
AO3 of kohlberg
- androcentric
- ROSEN- hard for children to choose from Heinzs dilemma as they’re not old enough to empathise and understand marriage and its sacrifices.
Cognitive distortions-
Faulty, biased and irrational ways of thinking that we see others and the world in a way that doesn’t match reality. Usually negative and events perception is wrong but they think it is accurate.
Allows offender to rationalise behaviour.
Hostile attribution bias
Misinterpret other people’s actions words and expressions as aggressive and threatening when they’re not. Allows offender to rationalise their offender by blaming others.
Minimalisation
Attempt to downplay the seriousness of one’s own offend to explain the consequences as less significant than they actually are. Helps individuals to accept consequences of their own offence and remove negative emotions.
AO3 of cognitive explanations
- practical application of CBT
- HOWWIT and SHELDON- self reports with sex offenders who downloaded images and used more cognitive distortions than contact offenders,
