psychological theories Flashcards
Name 3 key studies to explain psychological theories of criminality
Bandura
Freud
Eysenck
Assumptions of individualistic Theories of crime
Crime is caused by individual differences based on personality types or experiences that people have
The root of crime is in an individual’s psychological make up or the development processes that they have experienced
What was Albert Bandura’s theory of criminality?
Social Learning Theory (SLT)
What was Eysenck’s theory of criminality
Personality theory
What was Freud’s theory of criminality?
Psychodynamic Theory
What is Social Learning theory (SLT)
People learn through watching the behaviour of others. They observe how other behaviour is rewarded or punished. This is called vicarious reinforcement.
What did Bandura’s experiment show
If children watch adults gaining pleasure from an activity such as beating up a Bobo doll (or being punished for doing it), they will either repeat or reject their behaviour.
His experiment showed that aggression can be learned from observing others behave in an aggressive manner
What is Theory of Criminal personality?
There are 3 dimensions of personality. which have a biological basis
Neuroticism (N): Moody anxious, aggressive
associated with dysfunctional limbic system
Psychoticism (P): Lack of empathy remorse or guilt - associated with higher levels of testosterone
Extrovertism (E): Active, impulsive, outgoing - associated with lower level of arousal
Some personalities are more likely to commit crime than others.
How is neuroticism associated with criminal behaviour
Neuroticism has been associated with a dysfunctional limbic system which cannot regulate responses to stress.
This can lead to overreacting with violence in scenarios where it’s not needed.
Therefore people who are high in N are more likely to commit acts such as violent crime due to the moody, aggressive, overreactive behaviour.
How is Psychoticism associated with criminal behaviour
Eysenck said the Psychoticism is associated with higher levels of testosterone. He stated that Psychoticism comes with a lack of empathy remorse or guilt which leads to a decrease in resisting factors that would stop the average person from commiting crimes. Therefore these traits enhance the likelihood of committing criminal behaviour.
How is Extrovertism associated with criminal behaviour
Extrovertism has been associated with lower levels of arousal. This means that extroverts have to actively seek more energising activities to be on par with introverts level of arousal. Therefore, they tend to be more likely to participate in criminal activity due to low levels of arousal and high levels of impulsivity.
What is the psychodynamic theory of criminality?
Freud states that all humans have innate drives (ID) that could lead to criminal tendencies.
Children will automatically have an ego when they are born. If they aren’t brought up with their same sex parent, they will not develop their superego which is responsible for caring about other people’s needs.
This could lead to criminal behaviour because they have a lack empathy and become impulsive when they want something (similar to how children behave).
What does genetic theories assume about criminal behaviour
We inherit certain genes that predispose us to criminal behaviour
What gene did Brunner research?
The MAOA gene on the Dutch Family
What has the MAOA gene been associated with
An increase in aggressive or violent behaviour
What did Brunner’s research on the dutch family show?
The behaviours of participants repeated episodes of aggressive and sometimes violent behaviour, sleep disturbances and night terrors, inappropriate sexual behaviour towards sisters and female relatives, arson (setting things on fire)
A clinical examination of mentally retarded males ( in the Dutch family) was conducted. Only one of them completed primary education. What did the DNA analysis show of these affected males?
All of them had showed genetic mutilations in the genes producing MAOA
MAOA breaks down and removes 3 neurotransmitters
NORADRENALINE - controls arousal
DOPAMINE - emotional arousal
SEROTONIN - mood balance
A decreased level of MAOA will lead to excess levels of these transmitters - what could this contribute to?
Anti-social behaviour
What is the conclusion of Brunner’s study
Brunner concluded that this deficit resulted in a behavioural phenotype that accounted for the aggression and lack of self control.
How would you evaluate Brunner’s study on the Dutch Family
Not all males within the family were affected with violent behaviour; even if the did suffer mental retardation.
This was a unique case study focused on one family, there results cannot be easily generalised
Who did Crowe study?
Adopted children who had biological criminal parent
What crowe’s study conclude?
50% more likely to have a criminal record by 18.
Those adopted whose biological mother was not a criminal had a 5% percent risk.
What was Lombroso’s theory about
The Atavistic Form
What is the Atavistic Form
An early biological explanation which proposed that criminals are a subhuman species of genetic throwbacks that cannot conform to the rules of modern society. Such individuals are distinguishable by particular facial and cranial characteristics. (nature not nurture explanation)
What did lombroso claim there a physical difference between (specialist terminology)
Homo delinquents (criminals)
and Homo Sapiens (non-criminals)
What list of physical atavistic stigmata where there?
Large jaws, forward projection of jaw
Low sloping forehead
High cheekbones
Flattened upturned nose (thieves)
Hawk like nose (murderers)
Dark curly hair
Dark skin
What was lombroso’s assumption on criminality
It’s innate physiological characteristics can cause someone to be a criminal
How did lombroso conduct his experiments
Lombroso based his theory using post-mortem examinations of criminals and studying the faces of living criminals
Anthropometry: the measurement of humans
What was lombroso’s evidence
Over the course of his career, 50,000 bodies were examined
In one study of 383 convicted italian criminals
21% had 1 atavistic trait
43% had at least 5
What was Kretshmer’s theory of criminality
Somatotypes (body types)
what were the 4 somatotypes that Kretshmer identified
Leptosome (tall and thin) - petty thieves
Athletic (tall and muscular) - violent crime
Pyknic (short and fat) - deception
Dysplastic (more than one type) - crimes against mortality
What was Sheldon’s 3 Body shapes about criminality?
Endomorphic - (fat and soft) tend to be sociable and relaxed
Ectomorphic - (thin and fragile) are introverted and restrained
Mesomorphic (muscular and hard) tend to be aggressive and adventurous.
What were Sheldon’s findings for mesomorphic and ectomorphic
Many convicts were mesomorphic, and they were least likely to be ectomorphic.
How would you positively evaluate Lombroso’s theory?
He effectively found forensic psychology/criminology
He rejected the classical view of criminal behaviour was due to free will of the individual
Development of a more scientific and deterministic approach to studying criminal behaviour
How would you negatively evaluate Lombroso’s theory?
1 No control group, therefore he couldn’t compare his results to non-criminals. If he did, he may have found no significant difference
E.G. Goring (1913) compared 3000 criminals with non-criminals found no significant differences
2 Early misunderstanding of evolution. It’s about adaptation, not progress to higher forms of life. These views were held by social darwinists that eventuaally developed into certain aspects of Hitler’s Narzi Ideology
What is neural explanations for criminality
The role of brain abnormalities and neurotransmitters
What happened with Phineas Gage
He ended up with a pole through his skull resulting in brain damage. This lead a number of behavioural and personality changes.
What did Adrian Raine find with psychopaths and murderers in terms of neural explanations.
71 brain imaging studies showed that murderers and psychopaths have reduced functioning in the prefrontal cortex involved in emotional responses, attention and behaviour and judgment. This resulted in activity associated with impulsiveness and loss of control.
What did Raine (1977) find with murderers who were found guilty due to insanity
They found that they had asymmetries in their limbic systems particularly in the amygdala
What is Raine’s theory about the prefrontal lobe and male teenages
Prefrontal lobe develops relatively late, sometimes not fully developed until early 20s. This may explain peak in antisocial behaviour by male teenagers.
There is a correlation between teenagers with antisocial tendencies and either slow maturation of frontal lobe or damage to prefrontal lobe.
What were Seo et al (2008) findings with serotonin?
Low levels can lead to aggression
What can very high or low levels of Noradrenaline
High or low levels of noradrenaline can be associated with aggression.
High levels activate the fight or flight response
Low levels reduce ability to perceive threats.
