Social Cognition and Offending

Question 1

What is the distinction between impersonal and interpersonal cognition?

Answer 1

Impersonal cognition refers to our perception and understanding of the physical world, while interpersonal cognition refers to our perception and understanding of the social world

Question 2

What is social cognition?

Answer 2

The perception of social cues which involves understanding social cues and interpreting what is happening in a social situation

Question 3

What is impulsivity in the context of social cognition

Answer 3

Impulsivity refers to acting before thinking, which can affect decision making in social situations

Question 4

What are the differences between concrete and abstract reasoning?

Answer 4

Concrete reasoning involves inflexible thinking focused on the present, while abstract reasoning allows for generalisation and reflection on concepts separate from objects

Question 5

Explain the concepts of locus of control

Answer 5

Locus of control refers to the extent to which individuals believe they have control over events affecting them, with an external locus believing outcomes are due to external factors and an internal locus believing they have control over their outcomes

Question 6

What is empathy

Answer 6

Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s emotional state

Question 7

Define social problem-solving skills

Answer 7

Social problem-solving skills involve choosing the best course of action and foreseeing the consequences of actions

Question 8

How do offenders typically differ in their social cognition

Answer 8

Offenders typically show poorer social skills, including poor self-control, high impulsivity, concrete reasoning skills, external locus of control, less empathy and poor social problem-solving skills

Question 9

What is the relationship between impulsivity and antisocial behaviour

Answer 9

Impulsivity is associated with antisocial behaviour and offending as noted by Farrington 2005

Question 10

What are the two types of empathy

Answer 10

Cognitive empathy (Understanding others’ emotional states) and affective empathy (Sharing others’ emotional states)

Question 11

How does the empathy relate to prosocial behaviour

Answer 11

Higher levels of empathy are associated with increased prosocial behaviour, while offenders typically show lower levels of empathy

Question 12

What did Joliffe and Farrington 2004 find regarding empathy and offending

Answer 12

They found that offenders have lower levels of empathy, with cognitive empathy being more strongly related to offending than affective empathy.

Question 13

What is the six-step model of social information processing (SIP) according to Crick and Dodge (1994)

Answer 13

1. Encoding of social cues
2. Interpretation of social cues and mental representation of the social situation
3. Clarification of goals for the social situation
4. Response access or construction
5. Response decision
6. Behavioural enactment

Question 14

How does SIP relate to offenders

Answer 14

Offenders often interpret social cues differently, resulting in poorer social skills and inappropriate behavioural choices

Question 15

What are some distinct patterns of SIP amongst aggressive individuals and offenders?

Answer 15

They typically show less information collection, attentional biases towards hostile cues, hostile attributional biases, external attributions of causality, inappropriate goals like revenge, reliance on previous responses, and poor social skills in behavioural enactment.

Question 16

What is the difference between reactive and proactive aggression?

Answer 16

Reactive aggression is a reaction to perceived provocation, while proactive aggression is planned and intended to achieve a specific outcome or goal.

Question 17

How do parenting styles influence social information processing?

Answer 17

Harsh parental discipline and endorsement of aggression can lead to poor social information processing and high aggression in children.

Question 18

What did Dodge et al. find regarding SIP and conduct problems?

Answer 18

They found that poor SIP is associated with high conduct problems, and physical abuse correlates with SIP issues and conduct problems.

Question 19

How do gender differences relate to antisocial behaviour?

Answer 19

Males generally show higher levels of antisocial behaviour, aggression, violence, and offending compared to females.

Question 20

What is the link between moral reasoning and offending?

Answer 20

Moral reasoning influences how individuals justify their offending behaviour based on their understanding of moral principles.

Question 21

Describe Gibbs’ four-stage theory of sociomoral development.

Answer 21

• Stage 1: Immature reasoning focused on powerful people and physical consequences.
• Stage 2: Limited understanding of social interactions.
• Stage 3: Mature reasoning emphasizing interpersonal relationships.
• Stage 4: Understanding complex social systems.

Question 22

Can offending be justified according to Gibbs’ stages?

Answer 22

Yes, offending can be justified differently at each stage, with justifications based on avoiding punishment, maximizing rewards, maintaining relationships, or social institution sanctioning.

Question 23

What is Rational Choice Theory in relation to criminal behaviour?

Answer 23

Rational Choice Theory posits that individuals use cognitive strategies to make decisions about committing crimes, weighing the costs and benefits of their actions.

Question 24

How does Rational Choice Theory apply to burglary?

Answer 24

Burglars often engage in offense-specific decision-making, planning targets rather than acting purely opportunistically.

Question 25

What are the implications of Rational Choice Theory for crime prevention?

Answer 25

It suggests that situational crime prevention should aim to reduce opportunities for crime and increase the likelihood of detection.