Week 2 Flashcards
Biological theories
Biological theories tend to be deterministic and are based heavily on the body. In the 4th century, theorists that employed biological explanations for criminal behaviour first postulated that the humours—basic biological states—were reasonable predictors for criminal behaviour.
Hippocrates and Galen argued that personality is based on the imbalance of fluids (which they called the humours) in a person.
In 1796, Franz Joseph Gall suggested that individual personality was based on the shape of the skull. This biological study, known as phrenology, was used by the British ruling class to demonstrate the inferiority of colonial subjects.
The three Body Types
Endomorph - A love of comfort, good-natured and relaxed—people of this type were said to have a need for attention and be unlikely to have criminal tendencies.
Mesomorph - Adventurous, with a desire for power and dominance—people of this type were said to love risk, be indifferent to what others think, and tend towards violent crimes requiring strength or speed.
Ectomorph - People with this body type were seen as socially anxious and mentally intense, tending to commit non-violent crimes.
Modern biological/neurological theories - relate biological theories to crime
Hormonal changes
Neurological damage and violent crimes
Biomechanical reactions: the ‘Twinkie Defence’ - Suggests that diet and lack of sleep effect
Theories - define the four theories of psychological perspectives on personality.
1890 - 1930: Psychoanalytical perspective (Sigmund Freud)
Personality is composed of 3 structures:
Id: Unconscious and concerned only with gratification of our unconscious instincts Ego: Both unconscious and conscious state, acting as a referee between Id and Superego Superego: Represents the quest for moral perfection.
1930 - 1950: Behavioural perspective (John Watson, B.F. Skinner)
B.F. Skinner extended Watson’s work to develop models of complex behaviour that did not require an association with an unconditioned response. Skinner’s model focused on punishment and positive reinforcement.
Operant conditioning model:
Specifically identify the goal.
Select the general reinforcement type:
Primary reinforcer – A stimulus that is naturally reinforcing to an individual.
Secondary reinforcer – A stimulus that is only reinforcing to an individual through association with a primary reinforcer.
Select specific reinforcement type:
Punishment – When applied after response, decreases likelihood of recurrence of response.
Positive reinforcement – When applied after response, increases the likelihood of recurrence of response.
Identify most effective response type for the individual.
Select schedule of reinforcement.
Continuous reinforcement – following every correct response.
Partial reinforcement – reinforcement is provided on interval (time) or ratio (number) schedule.
Fixed interval – administered after a specific amount of time has elapsed following correct response.
Variable interval – administered after a variable amount of time following a correct response.
Fixed ratio – reinforcement is administered after a specific number of correct responses have occurred.
Variable ratio – reinforcement is administered after a varying number of correct responses have occurred.
1950 - 1980: Humanistic perspective (Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow)
Rogers: The path to self-actualisation has been psychologically or physically blocked, leading to an abnormal response.
Altering the criminal personality
Growth is facilitated through the relationship with a significant other who is:
genuine accepting empathetic listens actively – the listener demonstrates they are engaged through the use of verbal and non-verbal indicators.
Maslow: Offenders engage in criminal or abnormal behaviours in order to gratify lower-level needs and to assist the individual. We must therefore identify normal (acceptable) paths for achieving self-actualisation.
1980 - Present: Cognitive perspective (Ulric Neisser)
The basis of personality: the result of our behaviours and mental processes. Cause of criminal behaviour: abnormal mental processes and/or behavioural patterns. Altering the criminal personality: training and learning (e.g. cognitive behavioural programs).
Read What is ‘person-centered’? A posthumous conversation with Carl Rogers on the development of the person-centered approach (PDF 454 KB) (Links to an external site.) (Kirschenbaum, 2012, pp. 14-30).
- PCT is that people need to self-actualise to grow
What are the four psychological perspectives covered this week?
Psychoanalytical, behavioural, humanistic, cognitive
The psychoanalytical perspective is composed of:
3 structures - Id, ego and superego
According to Kohlberg’s model of Moral Development, rewards and punishments are stages that occur during the:
pre-conventional level
In the operant conditioning model, a secondary reinforcer is:
a stimulus that is only reinforcing to an individual through association with a primary reinforcer.
According to Freud’s theory of psychosexual stages, which stage is not related to self-control?
phallic, latency and oral - all of the above
According to Carl Rogers, which of the following does NOT facilitate growth through the relationship with a significant other who is:
confident
Kohlbergs Stages
Stage 1: Obedience and punishment. …
Stage 2: Self-interest. …
Stage 3: Interpersonal accord and conformity. …
Stage 4: Authority and maintaining social order. …
Stage 5: Social contract. …
Stage 6: Universal ethical principles. …
Pre-conventional level.
