Topic 6-Criminal Psychology

Question 1

Strengths and Weaknesses Of Operant Conditioning

Answer 1

+Can Be used to Solve a wide range of crimes
+Explains how punishment can remove undesirable behaviour
-Biological reasons and not just reinforcement

Question 2

Strengths and Weaknesses of Social Learning Theory

Answer 2

+Bandura 1960 found aggressive behaviour was copied if there wass a reward
+Can explain reinforcement without reinforcement
-Murder cant be explained
-Only measures Short term effects

Question 3

Strengths and Weaknesses of Bandura

Answer 3

+Standardised Procedures- Controlled environments
+Matched Groups based on Aggressive Model
-Unfamiliar environment
-Unethical

Question 4

Charlton et al 2000

Answer 4

+Natural environment
+Same schools were used
-Ungeneralisable-Results applied to this community
-Williams 1981 found TV increased aggression

Question 5

Twin Studies

Answer 5

Christansen 1977-35% Monozygotic were the most likely to become criminals
Hutching and Mednick-21% of biological father became criminals, 10% from adopted fathers

Question 6

Personality Theory

Answer 6

+Farrington et al- found a relationship between high P and high N scores
+ Holisitc-takes consideration to all the factors
-Assumes Personality is fixed
-Unreliable as research and evidence were from questionaires and are self-reported.

Question 7

Token Economy Program

Answer 7

+Hobbs and Holt found 3 prisons significantly increased prosocial
+Easier to implement
-Tokens don’t exist in the real world
-Requires motivation from staff

Question 8

Anger Management Program

Answer 8

+ Helps with assumption that crimes link to anger
-Rice found that psychopaths used the program to manipulate others
-Howells et al found no improvements
- Dowden, Blanchette and Serin found high risk offenders are less likely to reoffend

Question 9

Prison

Answer 9

+Public Safety
-Cant commit crimes in Prison
-Uk-25% reoffend within first year of release
-Prisoners exposed to role models- Reinforcement of crimes prison outweigh punishment

Question 10

Community sentencing

Answer 10

+Gives back to the community
+No role models- avoids negative reinforcement
-30% reoffending
-More than 10% did not finish

Question 11

Restorative Justice

Answer 11

+85% satisfaction rate
+14% reduction of recidivism
-Stress to offender and Victim
-Expensive