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WJEC Criminology at PHS > Unit 2 AC2.2 AC3.2 Describe/evaluate individualistic theories of criminality > Flashcards

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

1
Q

Psychodynamic theories - Freud: Psychoanalysis - Key idea

A

Our early childhood experiences determine our personality and future behaviour including criminality

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2
Q

Psychodynamic theories - Freud: Psychoanalysis -Personality

A

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

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3
Q

Psychodynamic theories - Freud: Psychoanalysis -Link to crime

A

Anti-social behaviour caused by abnormal relationship with parents (neglect or excessively harsh or lax parenting). Conflicts between id, ego, and supergo are unresolved., which leads a to weak, over-harsh or deviant superego.

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4
Q

Psychodynamic theories - Freud: Psychoanalysis -Strength

A

Points to importance of socialisation and early family relationships in understanding criminal behaviour

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5
Q

Psychodynamic theories - Freud: Psychoanalysis -Strength

A

Some influence on policies for dealing with crime and deviance.

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6
Q

Psychodynamic theories - Freud: Psychoanalysis -Strength

A

Critics doubt the existence of the unconscious mind

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7
Q

Psychodynamic theories - Freud: Psychoanalysis -

A

Unscientific and subjective – relies on accepting claims of a psychoanalyst about the unconscious mind of someone else. No way to tell if they’re correct!

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8
Q

Psychodynamic theories -Bowlby: Maternal deprivation -Key idea

A

There is a link between maternal deprivation and deviant or anti-social behaviour

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9
Q

Psychodynamic theories -Bowlby: Maternal deprivation -Attachment

A

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

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10
Q

Psychodynamic theories -Bowlby: Maternal deprivation -Separation

A

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

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11
Q

Psychodynamic theories -Bowlby: Maternal deprivation -Evidence

A

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

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12
Q

Psychodynamic theories -Bowlby: Maternal deprivation -Strength

A

Backed up with evidence from the 44 thieves study

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13
Q

Psychodynamic theories -Bowlby: Maternal deprivation -Strength

A

Shows the importance of parent-child relationships in criminality

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14
Q

Psychodynamic theories -Bowlby: Maternal deprivation -Limitation

A

Retrospective studies rely on memory

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15
Q

Psychodynamic theories -Bowlby: Maternal deprivation -Limitation

A

Doesn’t explain why 61% were not delinquent

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16
Q

Psychodynamic theories -Bowlby: Maternal deprivation -Limitation

A

No evidence of affectionless psychopathy in further studies

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17
Q

Psychodynamic theories -Bowlby: Maternal deprivation -

A

Overestimates how far early childhood affects later behaviour

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18
Q

Psychodynamic theories -Bowlby: Maternal deprivation -

A

Sammons and Putwain: maternal deprivation not linked to criminality

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19
Q

Id

A

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

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20
Q

Superego

A

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

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21
Q

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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22
Q

Weak superego

A

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

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23
Q

Harsh superego

A

Craves punishment to release guilt feelings

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24
Q

Deviant superego

A

Successful socialisation but into deviant moral code

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25
Primary Carer
The main person who looks after the child.
26
Attachment
Describes the relationship between child and primary carer
27
Affectionless psychopathy
Inability to form meaningful relationships as a result of broken attachment before the age of 5
28
Socialisation
Process of learning norms and values
29
Eyesenck's Personality Theory - Key idea
Criminality is the result of a highly neurotic and highly extroverted personality type.
30
Eyesenck's Personality Theory - Personality dimensions
Extraversion vs introversions (E)Neuroticsm vs emotional stability (N) and later added psychoticism (P)
31
Eyesenck's Personality Theory - Link to crime: Extraverts
Have a nervous system with a high need for stimulation so constantly seek excitement through rule-breaking and impulsive behaviour
32
Eyesenck's Personality Theory - Link to crime: Neurotics
Are harder to condition into following society’s rules because high anxiety levels prevent them from learning from punishment
33
Eyesenck's Personality Theory - Link to crime: Psychotics
People with high P score tend to be solitary misfits who are more likely to be criminal and may have serious mental illness e.g. schizophrenia
34
Eyesenck's Personality Theory - Strength
Describes how some measurable tendencies may lead to criminality
35
Eyesenck's Personality Theory - trength
Studies suggest that offenders to tend towards high E, P and N scores.
36
Eyesenck's Personality Theory - Limitation: Farrington
Studies show that prisoners are not often extraverted
37
Eyesenck's Personality Theory - Limitation
E measures two separate things – impulsiveness and sociability. These things don’t always correspond
38
Eyesenck's Personality Theory -Limitation
Personality type and criminality are correlated, but this doesn’t prove personality types causes criminality
39
Eyesenck's Personality Theory -Limitation
Convicted offenders may not be typical of offenders on the whole.
40
Eyesenck's Personality Theory -Limitation
Eysenck used self-report questionnaires – people may lie making the results invalid.
41
Extraversion
An outoging, sociable, excitement-seeking. Impulsive, aggressive personality
42
Introvert
A reserved, inward-looking, serious, pessimistic, self-controlled personality
43
Neurotic
Anxious, moody, depressed, prone to over-reacting.
44
Emotionally stable
Calm, even-tempered, controlled, unworried.
45
Conditioning
Learning through experience to seek pleasure (rewards) and avoid pain (punishments).
46
Genetic Inheritance
Some individuals are born with a nervous system that causes them to develop a criminal personality
47
Psychoticism
Having a personality that is cruel, insensitive, aggressive and lacking in empathy
48
Correlation
Relationship between two variables – not cause and effect
49
Validity
How true a test is – does it actually measure what it sets out to measure?
50
Learning theories - Sutherland: Differential Association- Key idea
Criminality is the result of imitation and learned attitudes in groups that favour law-breaking
51
Learning theories - Sutherland: Differential Association- Study
Group attitudes in the workplace often normalised behaviour. Members able to justify their crimes – everyone else is doing it.
52
Learning theories - Sutherland: Differential Association- Strength
Crime often runs in families
53
Learning theories - Sutherland: Differential Association- Strength: Matthews
Juvenile delinquents are more likely to have friends who commit anti-social acts – they learn from peer groups.
54
Learning theories - Sutherland: Differential Association- Limitation
Not everyone exposed to criminal influences becomes criminal.
55
Learning theories - Skinner: Operant Learning Theory- Key idea
If a behaviour results in a reward it will be repeated. If it results in an undesirable outcome it will not.
56
Learning theories - Skinner: Operant Learning Theory- Link to crime
Jeffrey’s differential reinforcement theory (DRT) suggests that crime must therefore have more rewards for criminals than punishments
57
Learning theories - Skinner: Operant Learning Theory- Strength
If a behaviour results in a reward it will be repeated. If it results in an undesirable outcome it will not.
58
Learning theories - Skinner: Operant Learning Theory-- Strength: Jeffrey
DRT suggests that crime must therefore have more rewards for criminals than punishments
59
Learning theories - Skinner: Operant Learning Theory-Limitation
Animals are not the same as humans
60
Learning theories - Skinner: Operant Learning Theory-Limitation
Theory ignores mental processes such as thinking, attitudes and values
61
Learning theories - Skinner: Operant Learning Theory-Limitation
Ignores free will of humans - Deterministic
62
Learning theories - Bandura: Social Learning Theory-Key idea
Much of our behaviour is learned from imitating others (models)
63
Learning theories - Bandura: Social Learning Theory-imitation
We are more likely to imitate people of higher status than us, and if we see them being rewarded
64
Learning theories - Bandura: Social Learning Theory-Evidence
Bobo doll study. Children most likely to imitate violent adult model when they saw them rewarded.
65
Learning theories - Bandura: Social Learning Theory-Strength
Takes account of our social nature – we learn from others’ experiences.
66
Learning theories - Bandura: Social Learning Theory-Strength
Bandura’s study shows importance of role models in learning deviance
67
Learning theories - Bandura: Social Learning Theory-Limitation
Based on lab studies so lacks validity
68
Learning theories - Bandura: Social Learning Theory-Limitation
Not all observed behaviour is easily imitated – we may see criminals rewarded but lack the skills to copy.
69
Learning theories - Bandura: Social Learning Theory-Limitation
Ignores free will of humans - Deterministic
70
Imitation
We acquire criminal skills through observing those around us.
71
Learned attitudes
Socialisation within a group teaches them attitudes and values about the law.
72
Behaviourism
The idea that rewards and punishments shape our behaviour – even criminality
73
Positive reinforcement
Behaviour is strengthened by a positive outcome (reward)
74
Negative reinforcement
Behaviour is strengthened by removing an undesirable outcome
75
Punishment
Behaviour is stopped by an undesirable outcome.
76
Determinism
The idea that our behaviour is caused by an external force outside of our control – we have no free will.
77
Models
People whose behaviour we imitate.
78
Validity
How true a test is – does it actually measure what it sets out to measure?
79
Cognitive theories - Yochelson and Samenow: Criminal Personality Theory - Key idea
Criminals are prone to faulty thinking and this makes them more likely to commit crime
80
Cognitive theories - Yochelson and Samenow: Criminal Personality Theory - Study
240 male offenders, most of whom had been committed to a psychiatric unit.
81
Cognitive theories - Yochelson and Samenow: Criminal Personality Theory - Thinking errors: Link to crime
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.
82
Cognitive theories - Yochelson and Samenow: Criminal Personality Theory -Strength
This has led to other research e.g. PICTS
83
Cognitive theories - Yochelson and Samenow: Criminal Personality Theory -Strength:
Successful treatments e.g. CBT have been developed from these ideas.
84
Cognitive theories - Yochelson and Samenow: Criminal Personality Theory -Limitation
Yochelson and Samenow didn’t use a control group of non-criminals to compare thinking errors with.
85
Cognitive theories - Yochelson and Samenow: Criminal Personality Theory -Limitation
Their sample was unrepresentative – only males, and mostly in psychiatric hospitals. Can’t account for all criminals.
86
Cognitive theories - Yochelson and Samenow: Criminal Personality Theory -Limitation
High sample attrition rate – only 30 left in study by the end.
87
Cognitive theories - Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory- Key idea
Our ideas of right and wrong develop through a series of levels and stages from childhood to adulthood.
88
Cognitive theories - Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory- Link to crime
Criminals are stuck at a less mature level of moral development and likely to think only of reward and punishment, not about how their behaviour will affect others.
89
Cognitive theories - Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory- CBT
Cognitive theories have led to the development of CBT as a possible treatment for criminal behaviour.
90
Cognitive theories - Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory-Strength
Some studies support delinquents having less mature stage of moral development.
91
Cognitive theories - Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory-Strength: Thornton and Reid
Found the theory to be truer for planned crimes such as theft and robbery than impulsive crimes like violence
92
Cognitive theories - Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory-Limitation
Focuses on moral thinking rather than moral behaviour. Someone may be perfectly capable of thinking morally, while acting immorally.
93
General criticisms of individualistic theories - Artificality
Behaviour in lab experiments is often not the same as in real-life situations
94
General criticisms of individualistic theories -Sample bias
Studies are often only on convicted criminals who may differ from those who don’t get caught
95
General criticisms of individualistic theories -Neglect of social factors
They ignore social factors which may cause criminality e.g. poverty and discrimination
96
Cognition
Thinking /mental processes such as attitudes, beliefs, reasoning, decision-making, self-concept and how we interpret the world around us.
97
Cognitive theory
The idea that how we think, interpret a situation will affect how we respond
98
CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – treatment to ‘correct’ faulty thinking patterns.
99
PICTS
Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles – a questionnaire aimed at revealing criminal thought patterns
100
Representative
If the results of a study can be generalised to the whole population.
101
Attrition rate
The number of participants who drop out of a study.

WJEC Criminology at PHS (30 decks)

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