Psychological explanations: Cognitive explanation

Question 1

Who came up with the cognitive explanation for offending

Answer 1

Kohlberg

Question 2

What did Kohlberg say about those who are at a pre-conventional level

Answer 2

Criminals have a lower level of moral reasoning
than others. Criminals do not progress from the
pre-conventional level of moral reasoning – they
seek to avoid punishment and gain rewards. They
have child-like reasoning.

Question 3

What did Kohlberg say about those who have post conventional moral reasoning

Answer 3

Non-criminals tend to reason at higher levels and sympathise with the rights of others, exhibiting honesty, generosity and non-violence (post-conventional moral reasoning)

Question 4

For Level of moral reasoning refer to the textbook

Answer 4

Textbook mate

Question 5

Cognitive Distortions

Answer 5

Faulty, biased and irrational ways of thinking that mean we perceive ourselves, other people and the world inaccurately and usually negatively

Question 6

Two examples of cognitive distortions

Answer 6

Hostile attribution bias
Minimalisations

Question 7

Hostile attribution bias

Answer 7

Tendency to judge ambiguous situations or actions of others as aggressive and/or threatening when in reality they may not be

Question 8

Minimalisation (or minimisation)

Answer 8

Type of deception that involves downplaying the significance of an event or emotion. A common strategy when dealing with feelings of guilt.

Question 9

Support for hostile attribution bias (Schonenberg and Justye)

Answer 9

Schonenberg and Justye (2014) 55 violent offenders
were presented with images of emotionally ambiguous facial expressions. When compared with a control group, offenders were more likely than non-violent PPs to perceive the images as angry/hostile.

Question 10

Support for hostile attribution bias( Dodge and Frame)

Answer 10

Dodge and Frame (1982): children were shown an
“ambiguous provocation” where the intention was
neither clearly hostile or accidental. Prior to the study, children who had been judged as aggressive were more likely to perceive the situation as hostile.

Question 11

Support for Minimalisation (Barbaree)

Answer 11

amongst 26 convicted rapists, 54% denied they had committed an offence at all and a further 40% minimised the harm that they had caused the victim.

Question 12

Support for Minimalisation (Pollock and Hashmall)

Answer 12

Pollock and Hashmall (1991): 35% of a sample of
child molesters said that the crime they committed
was non-sexual (they viewed their actions as
affectionate). 36% said that the victims had
consented.