Psychological Explanations of Offending: Cognitive Distortions

Question 1

Cognitive Distortions

Answer 1

Errors or biases in people’s information processing system characterised by faulty thinking

=> research shows this is more common in offenders

Question 2

Hostile Attribution Bias (HAB) - A Cognitive Distortion

Answer 2

Ambiguous situations are judged as threatening and hostile

=> offenders misread non-aggressive cues (e.g. being looked at), triggering a disproportionate + violent response

Question 3

Research on HAB - Schonenburg + Jusyte (2014)

Answer 3

• Presented 55 violent offenders w/ images of ambiguous facial expressions
• Were more likely than non-offenders to perceive them as angry/hostile

Question 4

Research on HAB - Dodge + Frame (1982)

Answer 4

Showed a clip of an ‘ambiguous provocation’ to children

• Those identified as aggressive + rejected prior to the study interpreted situation as more hostile than those classed non-aggressive + accepted

Question 5

Minimalisation - A Cognitive Distortion

Answer 5

Downplaying the significance/seriousness of a crime to reduce guilt

=> offenders will often use euphemistic labels for a behaviour (burglary = ‘doing a job’)
=> common in sex offenders

Question 6

Research on Minimalisation - Barbaree (1991)

Answer 6

Out of 26 incarcerated rapists
- 54% denied they had committed an offence at all
- Further 40% minimised harm they caused

Question 7

Research on Minimalisation - Pollack + Hashmall (1991)

Answer 7

Reported
- 35% of a sample of child molester argues crime was non-sexual but ‘affectionate’
- 36% stated their victim consented

Question 8

(S) Application of Cognitive Distortions to Therapy - CBT

Answer 8

• In CBT, offenders are encouraged to face up to what they did and have a less distorted view of their actions
• Studies (e.g. Harkins et al) suggest reduced risk of denial and minimalisation in therapy is highly correlated with reduced risk of recidivism

Suggests - theory of cog. distortion has practical value

Question 9

(L) Cognitive distortions depend on type of offence - Howitt + Sheldon (2007)

Answer 9

Gathered questionaire responses from sexual offenders

• Found non-contact sex offenders (accessed sexual images online) used more cog. distortion than contact ones (abused children)

-Those who had a history of offending were more likely to use distortions to justify behaviour

Suggests - distortions are not used in the same way by all offenders

Question 10

AO3 Extra: Descriptive or Explanatory?

Answer 10

• Cognitive theories can describe the criminal mind + help reduce reoffending in the long term
• BUT: cognitive theories do not explain or help predict future offender behaviour (distorted thinking doesn’t inevitably mean they’ll be an offender)
• Could be other factors like genes, attachment or abuse etc.

Suggests - explanation isn’t actually explanatory