The Psychology of Justice Flashcards
What are the key brain areas that may effect criminal behaviour?
- PFC
- Anterior Cingulate Cortex
- Orbital- Frontal Cortex
Role of PFC
Executive control and emotional regulation
- Monitor our responses and control them
- Inhibits bad responses
- helps empathy
What does PFC damage result in?
Lesions = bad
- impulsive killers often had damaged/ underdeveloped PFC
- in veterans - PFC damage led to increased aggression
Role of anterior cingulate cortex
- risk/reward assessment
- anticipation of consequences
- sensation seeking - desire to seek it
Why might the anterior cingulate cortex damage result in?
- worse risk reward assessment
- key is how it may interact with environment
eg peer pressure or opportunity may increase the risk if there is damage to the ACC
Role of orbital-frontal cortex
- ability to comprehend social norms and rules
- anticipate the consequences of breaking such norms
What would damage to the orbital-frontal cortex result in?
- Decreased empathy
- Poorer social judgment
- Impulsivity
Why might adolescence show more deviant behaviour?
Their PFC may not be fully developed
Retributive vs Restorative Justice
Retributive - the punishment amounts to the harm done
Restorative - about restoring the victim, offender and community
Criticism of Retributive Justice
- Expensive
- Who decides how much harm has been done? –> the victims will always feel more perceived harm
- Jurors emotions will impact their perception of harm done
Pros of Restorative Justice
- increases court attendance
- can reduce re-offending or severity of future offences
Limitations of Restorative Justice
- requires victim and perp to share similar values/be part of a shared community/group membership
- for serious crimes could increase trauma
- only useful for certain crimes
Why theoretically might restorative justice work?
- an offence causes a violation of shared values –> reaching restoration brings re-affirmation of those shared values
Example of Restorative Justice
People within a religious group coming together to sort through a crime committed and reach a place of forgiveness
