Yochelson And Samenow: The Criminal Personality (Cognitive)

Question 1

Method?

Answer 1

Interviews with PPs over several years.

Question 2

PPs?

Answer 2

255 males from various backgrounds (White, Black, City, Suburbs etc.) all diagnosed not guilty by reason of insanity

Question 3

Procedure?

Answer 3

Freudian based therapy which attempted to find root cause of their criminality

Question 4

Additional info about PPs?

Answer 4

• most PPs dropped out; only 30 completed

* only 9 genuinely changed according to standards at start

Question 5

Results?

Answer 5

According to Y+S, criminals:
• are restless, dissatisfied + irritable
•whilst at school, found requests from teachers+parents as impositions
•continually set themselves apart from others
•are habitually angry as a way of life

Question 6

What are the 3 broad categories Y+S established?

Answer 6

• criminal thinking patterns: simultaneous fear + need for power/control
• automatic thinking errors: lack of empathy + failure to accept obligations, secretive communication style
• crime related thinking errors: optimistic fantasising about criminal acts with no regards for deterrents

Question 7

Conclusions?

Answer 7

• offenders have cognitive processes which lead to a distorted self-image resulting in criminality+denial of responsibility
• offenders in control of lives, criminality a result of choices made at an early age; high influence of parents

Question 8

Strengths?

Answer 8

• high population validity as range of backgrounds
• useful as CBT now the most common method of therapy
• longitudinal= gain an understanding of how thinking patterns developed over time

Question 9

Weaknesses?

Answer 9

• small sample who acc completed; even smaller who said they felt a difference
• use of interviews= social desirability
• reductionist as only considers internal thinking patterns; environment?

Question 10

Aim?

Answer 10

1. To understand the makeup of the criminal personality

2. Establish techniques which can alter personalities