Psychological explanations - Cognitive distortions Flashcards
What does attribution theory consider?
The reasons individuals give for their behaviour - internal and external
What is the hostile attribution bias?
A cognitive distortion that assumes other people’s reactions are a negative reaction to the self - linked to impulsive aggression
What did Gudjonsson’s research on the hostile attribution bias reveal?
Levels of blame and guilt depended on the crime committed
Who found a link between the hostile attribution bias and domestic violence and what did they use?
Holtzworth-Monroe and Hutchinson; using hypothetical vignettes and convicted domestic abusers
What types of crime does the hostile attribution explain?
It is linked to some aggressions and not others; it is linked to impulsive aggression, but not premeditated aggression done to achieve goals, such as planned murder, probably because it is not an immediate action to a misinterpretation
What is minimalisation?
A type of cognitive distortion that downplays criminal behaviour by the offender
Who suggested that some crimes more than others use minimalisation, and which crime did they study?
Kennedy and Grubin; sex offenders, who blamed the victim extensively or even suggested their victim had gained something from the assault
