Psychological explanations of offender profiling: Cognitive

Question 1

What is meant by cognitive distortion?

Answer 1

A form of irrational thinking where what is perceived by a person doesn’t match reality.

Question 2

What are the two main examples of cognitive distortions?

Answer 2

Hostile attribution bias
Minimalisation

Question 3

Define ‘hostile attribution bias’.

Answer 3

When a person automatically attributes malicious intentions to another

Question 4

Explain hostile attribution bias

Answer 4

‘attribution’ - what we think when we observe someone’s actions and draw an inference about what it means.
In terms of criminal behaviour, hostile attribution bias is most likely to be linked to increased levels of aggression.

Question 5

Define ‘minimalisation’

Answer 5

Underplaying the consequence of an action to reduce negative emotions such as feeling guilty.

Question 6

Explain minimisation as a cognitive distortion

Answer 6

Minimisation can explain how an offender may reduce any negative interpretations of their behaviour before or after a crime has been committed.
This helps the individual accept the consequences of their own behaviour and mean that negative emotions can be reduced.

Question 7

Explain what’s meant by Kohlberg’s levels of moral reasoning

Answer 7

He interviewed boys and men about their reasons for moral decisions and constructed a stage theory of moral development.
Each stage represents a more advanced way of moral understanding, resulting in more logically consistent and morally mature form of understanding.

Question 8

Outline the 3 levels of moral reasoning

Answer 8

1. Pre-conventional level
2. Conventional level
3. Post-conventional level

Question 9

Outline the pre-conventional level of moral reasoning

Answer 9

Children accept the rules of authority figures and judge actions by their consequences.
Actions that result in punishments are bad; those that bring rewards are good.

Question 10

Outline the conventional level of moral reasoning

Answer 10

Individuals continue to believe that conformity to social rules is desirable, but this is not out of self-interest.
Maintaining the current social system ensures positive human relationships and social order.

Question 11

Outline the post-conventional level of moral reasoning

Answer 11

Individual moves beyond unquestioning compliance to the norms of the social system.
The individual now defines morality in terms of abstract moral principles that apply to all societies and situations.

Question 12

Outline Kohlberg’s research that supports levels of moral reasoning (use as A03)

Answer 12

Kohlberg found that 10% of adults reach the post-conventional level, so the most common level is the conventional level of moral reasoning.
Adults at the conventional level of moral development who break the law would feel that their behaviour was justified because it helps maintain relationships or society.
So an offender might accept breaking the law to protect a member of their family or protecting other people.

Question 13

Outline the evaluation points for cognitive distortions (cognitive explanations)

Answer 13

Applications to CBT
Minimisation only for certain crimes

Question 14

Outline the evaluation points for levels of moral reasoning (cognitive explanations)

Answer 14

Gender biased
Kohlberg’s research supports