Topic 2: Individualistic Theories of Crime

Question 1

What do learning theories suggest about crime?

Answer 1

That individuals learn through social interaction

Question 2

What is the main idea of social learning theory?

Answer 2

That individuals learn through observation and imitation

Question 3

What is ‘vicarious reinforcement’?

Answer 3

The idea that people can also learn through observing others being punished

Question 4

What was Bandura’s aim of social learning theory?

Answer 4

To investigate the extent to which children would imitate the aggressive behaviour of adults

Question 5

What was the aim of the bobo doll experiment?

Answer 5

To see whether or not there was a correlation between observing and carrying out violent behaviour

Question 6

What was the closest imitation of the bobo doll experiment?

Answer 6

When a child observed an adult of the same sex

Question 7

What were the key results of the bobo doll experiment?

Answer 7

Children who were exposed to violent behaviour played violently, children who were exposed to gentle behaviour played gently– the experiment demonstrated that children are able to learn through social behaviour such as aggression (observation and imitation), supporting Bandura’s theory

Question 8

Give 2 advantages of the bobo doll experiment

Answer 8

• Carried out in a lab, therefore reducing the risk of outside factors, so they won’t influence the outcome
• Controlled group so everything is fair

Question 9

Give 2 disadvantages of the bobo doll experiment

Answer 9

• Ethical issue (wrong to use children– risk of trauma)

- No long term evidence to back it up

Question 10

How can social learning theory explain why people commit crime?

Answer 10

Criminals are conditioned to believe violent behaviour is normal and therefore if children see violent behaviour happening around them, then they may do the same because they believe its normal

Question 11

What is meant by the ‘iceberg’ analogy?

Answer 11

Freud says that the mind is like an iceberg in which the tip can only be seen, the part that can be seen is the conscious mind (the smaller part) and the part that cannot be seen is the unconscious mind (the bigger part)

Question 12

What do psychodynamic theories focus on?

Answer 12

The interactions of drives and forces within a person- particularly the unconscious mind

Question 13

According to Freud, what are the 3 parts of the mind?

• psychodynamic

Answer 13

The id, the ego and the superego

Question 14

Describe the id

Answer 14

Represents the earliest desires, impulses and the need for gratification– the pleasure principle (like the devil on your shoulder)

Question 15

Describe the ego

Answer 15

Represents reality and the ability to delay gratification (controlled/rational decisions), meditates the id and the superego– reality principle

Question 16

Describe the superego

Answer 16

Represents moral and social constraints and controls the id’s impulses, it is the moral conscience that believes society determines how we behave (the angel on our shoulder)

Question 17

What does it mean if someone has a dominant id?

Answer 17

It is hard to control the mind and resist impulses, therefore leading to criminality

Question 18

What does it mean if someone has an overly dominant ego?

Answer 18

They are a perfectionist who can be judgemental

Question 19

What does it mean if someone has an overly dominant superego?

Answer 19

They are rational– leads to living a fixed lifestyle

Question 20

How could Freud’s theory explain criminal behaviour?

Answer 20

Freud believed that children need to progress from the pleasure principle where the id dominates to the reality principle where the ego dominates and to do this they need a stable, loving home

Question 21

What is psychoanalysis (Freud)?

Answer 21

A type of therapy that is used to access the unconscious mind through dream analysis and letting your thoughts flow freely

Question 22

What is maternal deprivation?

Answer 22

Maternal deprivation is where a child is separated from the mother, therefore not getting enough affection from them

Question 23

Who did Bowlby study and what did he find?

Answer 23

44 juvenile delinquents–39% had experienced complete separation from their mothers during for more than 6 months for the first 5 years of their life

Question 24

Define ‘affectionless psychopathy’

Answer 24

An inability to convey empathy, particularly if your the one causing that person’s problems

Question 25

How does Bowlby provide support for Freud’s theory?

Answer 25

That an unstable early home life can be associated with criminality

Question 26

whose theory is linked to Psychological theories

Answer 26

Eysenck criminal personality

Question 27

What was Eysenck’s theory of criminal personality?

Answer 27

He stated that an individual’s personality type can lead to them being more likely to become a criminal

Question 28

What method was used by Eysenck to determine personality types?

Answer 28

He completed a personality questionnaire on 700 soldiers with neurotic disorders and found that behaviour can be separated into two dimensions

Question 29

What were the 2 dimensions that Eysenck identified?

Answer 29

Introversion/extraversion and neuroticism/stability

Question 30

What was the later dimension?

Answer 30

Psychoticism

Question 31

What does introversion/extraversion refer to?

Answer 31

Refers to the amount of stimulation (encouragement) people need

Question 32

What are people with high levels of extraversion like?

Answer 32

Extraverted–tend to be talkative, sociable, at ease when in groups, outgoing and get bored easily with a lack of stimulation

Question 33

What are people with low levels of extraversion like?

Answer 33

Introverted–less likely to engage in social activities, more quiet, uncomfortable with talking to strangers, they are in control of their emotions and are more reliable

Question 34

What does neuroticism/stability refer to?

Answer 34

Refers to the level of emotional stability a person has

Question 35

What are people with high levels of neuroticism like?

Answer 35

Find it harder to cope with stressful situations–experience high levels of anxiety

Question 36

What are people with low levels of neuroticism like?

Answer 36

More emotionally in control and tend to be calmer

Question 37

What is psychoticism

Answer 37

An extreme form of neuroticism which indicates a lack of empathy leading to colder, more aggressive behaviour

Question 38

According to Eysenck’s PEN model, which individuals are most likely to commit crime?

Answer 38

Extraverted, neurotic individuals because they enjoy the thrill, as well as individuals who suffer with psychoticism (aggressive and violent tendencies)

Question 39

Name an individualistic theory that suggest behaviour is a result of nature

Answer 39

Freud–analyses the mind, something we don’t have control over

Question 40

Name an individualistic theory that suggests behavior is a result of nurture

Answer 40

Social learning theory (Bandura, Skinner and Sutherland)–something that is being taught