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New Criminology Flashcards > Unit 2 AC2.2 AC3.2 Describe and evaluate individualistic theories of criminality > Flashcards

Unit 2 AC2.2 AC3.2 Describe and evaluate individualistic theories of criminality Flashcards

1
Q

What is the id?

A

Instinctive ‘animal’ part of mind – selfish, pleasure-seeking.

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2
Q

What is the superego?

A

Conscience or moral part of mind – acting against it leads to guilt and anxiety.

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3
Q

What is the ego?

A

Referees the urges of id and superego. Tries to satisfy the id’s urges in a socially acceptable way.

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4
Q

What is a weak superego?

A

Less guilt feelings and more likely to act on id’s urges.

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5
Q

State four formal sanctions.

A

Custodial sentences, community sentences, police sanctions, other implications of criminal convictions.

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6
Q

What is a harsh superego?

A

Craves punishment to release guilt feelings.

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7
Q

What is a deviant superego?

A

Successful socialization but into deviant moral code.

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8
Q

What is a primary carer?

A

The main person who looks after the child.

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9
Q

What is attachment?

A

Describes the relationship between child and primary carer.

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10
Q

What is affectionless psychopathy?

A

Inability to form meaningful relationships as a result of broken attachment before the age of 5.

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11
Q

What is socialization?

A

Process of learning norms and values.

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12
Q

What is the key idea of Freud’s psychoanalysis?

A

Our early childhood experiences determine our personality and future behavior, including criminality.

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13
Q

How does Freud use personality to explain crime?

A

3 conflicting elements of the unconscious mind – id, ego, and superego.

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14
Q

How does Freud’s theory link to crime?

A

ASB caused by abnormal relationship with parents. Conflicts between id, ego, and superego are unresolved, leading to a weak, over-harsh, or deviant superego.

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15
Q

State a strength and limitation of Freud’s theory?

A

Strength: Shows the importance of socialization and has some influence on policies for dealing with crime and deviance. Limitation: Critics doubt the existence of the unconscious mind. Unscientific and subjective.

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16
Q

hat is the key idea in Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory?

A

There is a link between maternal deprivation and deviant or antisocial behavior.

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17
Q

What is his theory of attachment?

A

A child needs a close, continuous relationship with a primary carer from birth to 5 to develop normally.

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18
Q

How does Bowlby explain separation?

A

If attachment is broken, even for a short time, it can lead to affectionless psychopathy and criminal behavior.

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19
Q

What evidence did Bowlby use?

A

Study of 44 juvenile thieves referred to child guidance clinic. 39% suffered maternal deprivation before the age of 5 compared with 5% of the control group of non-delinquents.

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20
Q

State two strengths of Bowlby’s theory.

A

Backed up with evidence from the 44 thieves study. Shows the importance of parent-child relationships in criminality.

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21
Q

State two limitations of Bowlby’s theory.

A

Relies on memory, doesn’t explain why 61% were not delinquent, no further evidence of affectionless psychopathy, overestimates how far early childhood affects later behavior (maternal deprivation not linked to criminality).

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22
Q

What is extraversion?

A

Extraversion refers to an outgoing, sociable, excitement-seeking, impulsive, and aggressive personality.

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23
Q

What is an introvert?

A

An introvert is a reserved, inward-looking, serious, pessimistic, and self-controlled personality.

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24
Q

Define neurotic.

A

Neurotic refers to being anxious, moody, depressed, and prone to overreacting.

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25
Q

Define emotionally stable.

A

Emotionally stable refers to being calm, even-tempered, controlled, and unworried.

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26
Q

Define genetic inheritance.

A

Genetic inheritance refers to the passing on of traits and characteristics from parents to offspring through genes.

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27
Q

Define psychoticism.

A

Psychoticism refers to having a personality that is cruel, insensitive, aggressive, and lacking in empathy.

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28
Q

Define correlation.

A

Correlation refers to the relationship between two variables, but it does not imply causation.

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29
Q

Define validity.

A

Validity refers to how true or accurate a test or measure is in assessing what it intends to measure.

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30
Q

What is the key idea in Eysenck’s personality theory?

A

The key idea in Eysenck’s personality theory is that criminality is the result of a highly neurotic and highly extraverted personality type.

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31
Q

What are Eysenck’s personality dimensions?

A

Eysenck’s personality dimensions are extraversion vs. introversion (E), neuroticism vs. emotional stability (N), and later added psychoticism (P).

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32
Q

How do extraverts link to crime?

A

Extraverts have a nervous system with a high need for stimulation, leading them to constantly seek excitement through rule-breaking and impulsive behavior, which can be linked to crime.

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33
Q

How do neurotics link to crime?

A

Neurotics are harder to condition into following society’s rules because their high anxiety levels prevent them from learning from punishment, increasing their vulnerability to engaging in criminal behavior.

34
Q

How do psychotics link to crime?

A

People with high psychoticism (P) scores tend to be solitary misfits who are more likely to engage in criminal behavior and may have serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia.

35
Q

State two strengths of Eysenck’s theory.

A

Eysenck’s theory describes how some measurable tendencies may lead to criminality, and studies suggest that offenders tend to have high scores on extraversion (E), neuroticism (N), and psychoticism (P).

36
Q

State two limitations of Eysenck’s theory.

A

Prisoners are not often extraverted, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire measures two separate things (impulsiveness and sociability) under extraversion, making it difficult to interpret the results.

37
Q

Define positive reinforcement

A

Behavior is strengthened by a positive outcome (reward)

38
Q

Define negative reinforcement

A

Behavior is strengthened by removing an undesirable outcome

39
Q

Define punishment

A

Behavior is stopped by an undesirable outcome

40
Q

Define determinism

A

The idea that our behavior is caused by an external force outside of our control – we have no free will

41
Q

Define models

A

People whose behavior we imitate

42
Q

Define validity

A

How true a test is – does it actually measure what it sets out to measure?

43
Q

What is the key idea in Sutherland’s differential association theory?

A

Criminality is the result of imitation and learned attitudes in groups that favor law-breaking

44
Q

What were Sutherland’s findings?

A

Group attitudes in the workplace often normalize behavior. Members are able to justify their crimes – everyone else is doing it

45
Q

State two strengths of Sutherland’s theory

A

Crime often runs in families; juvenile delinquents are more likely to have friends who commit anti-social acts – they learn from peer groups

46
Q

State a limitation of Sutherland’s theory

A

Not everyone exposed to criminal influences becomes criminal

47
Q

What is the key idea in Skinner’s operant learning theory?

A

If a behavior results in a reward, it will be repeated. If it results in an undesirable outcome, it will not

48
Q

How does Skinner’s operant learning theory link to crime?

A

Jeffrey’s differential reinforcement theory (DRT) suggests that crime must, therefore, have more rewards for criminals than punishments

49
Q

State two strengths of Skinner’s operant learning theory

A

If a behavior results in a reward, it will be repeated. If it results in an undesirable outcome, it will not; DRT suggests that crime must, therefore, have more rewards for criminals than punishments

50
Q

State two limitations of Skinner’s operant learning theory

A

Animals are not the same as humans; the theory ignores mental processes such as thinking, attitudes, and values; it ignores free will of humans - deterministic

51
Q

What is the key idea in Bandura’s social learning theory?

A

Much of our behavior is learned from imitating others (models)

52
Q

What does Bandura mean by imitation?

A

We are more likely to imitate people of higher status than us, and if we see them being rewarded

53
Q

What evidence does Bandura use to support his study?

A

Bobo doll study. Children are most likely to imitate a violent adult model when they saw them rewarded

54
Q

State two strengths of Bandura’s research

A

Takes account of our social nature – we learn from others’ experiences; Bandura’s study shows the importance of role models in learning deviance

55
Q

State two limitations of Bandura’s research

A

Based on lab studies so lacks validity; not all observed behavior is easily imitated – we may see criminals rewarded but lack the skills to copy; it ignores free will of humans - deterministic

56
Q

Define cognition

A

Thinking/mental processes such as attitudes, beliefs, reasoning, decision-making, self-concept, and how we interpret the world around us

57
Q

Define cognitive theory

A

The idea that how we think, interpret a situation will affect how we respond

58
Q

Define CBT

A

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – treatment to ‘correct’ faulty thinking patterns

59
Q

Define PICTS

A

Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles – a questionnaire aimed at revealing criminal thought patterns

60
Q

Define representative

A

If the results of a study can be generalized to the whole population

61
Q

What evidence does Bandura use to support his study?

A

Bobo doll study. Children most likely to imitate violent adult model when they saw them rewarded.

62
Q

State two strengths of Bandura’s research.

A

Takes account of our social nature – we learn from others’ experiences.

63
Q

State two limitations of Bandura’s research.

A

Based on lab studies so lacks validity. Not all observed behavior is easily imitated – we may see criminals rewarded but lack the skills to copy. Ignores free will (deterministic).

64
Q

Define cognition.

A

Thinking / mental processes such as attitudes, beliefs, reasoning, decision-making, self-concept, and how we interpret the world around us.

65
Q

Define cognitive theory.

A

The idea that how we think and interpret a situation will affect how we respond.

66
Q

Define CBT.

A

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – a treatment to ‘correct’ faulty thinking patterns.

67
Q

Define PICTS.

A

Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles – a questionnaire aimed at revealing criminal thought patterns.

68
Q

Define representative.

A

If the results of a study can be generalized to the whole population.

69
Q

Define attrition rate.

A

The number of participants who drop out of a study.

70
Q

What is the key idea in Criminal Personality Theory?

A

Criminals are prone to faulty thinking, and this makes them more likely to commit crime.

71
Q

How did Yochelson and Samenow carry out their study?

A

They studied 240 male offenders, most of whom had been committed to a psychiatric unit.

72
Q

How do thinking errors link to crime?

A

Criminals show a range of biases and errors in their thinking and decision-making, which may lead to crime (e.g., lying, secretiveness, the need for power and control, super-optimism, lack of trust, lack of empathy, uniqueness, and a victim stance).

73
Q

State two strengths of Yochelson and Samenow’s research.

A

This has led to other research (e.g., PICTS). Successful treatments (e.g., CBT) have been developed from these ideas.

74
Q

State two limitations of Yochelson and Samenow’s research.

A

They didn’t use a control group of non-criminals to compare thinking errors with. The sample is unrepresentative, as it only includes males and mostly those in psychiatric hospitals.

75
Q

What is the key idea in Kohlberg’s moral development theory?

A

Our ideas of right and wrong develop through a series of levels and stages from childhood to adulthood.

76
Q

How does moral development theory link to crime?

A

Criminals are stuck at a less mature level of moral development and are likely to think only of reward and punishment, not about how their behavior will affect others.

77
Q

How does Kohlberg’s theory link to CBT?

A

Cognitive theories (including Kohlberg’s theory) have led to the development of CBT as a possible treatment for criminal behavior.

78
Q

State two strengths of moral development theory.

A

Some studies support delinquents having a less mature stage of moral development. The theory has found to be truer for planned crimes such as theft and robbery than impulsive crimes like violence.

79
Q

State one limitation of moral development theory.

A

It focuses on moral thinking rather than moral behavior. Someone may be perfectly capable of thinking morally while acting immorally.

80
Q

Why have individualistic theories been accused of artificiality?

A

Behavior in lab experiments is often not the same as in real-life situations.

81
Q

Why have individualistic theories been accused of sample bias?

A

Studies are often only conducted on convicted criminals, who may differ from those who don’t get caught.

82
Q

Why have individualistic theories been accused of neglect of social factors?

A

They ignore social factors that may cause criminality, such as poverty and discrimination.

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