Cognitive explanations: Cognitive distortions
- Created by: emmarhianne
- Created on: 21-02-17 11:03
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- Cognitive explanations- Cognitive distortions
- Faulty, biased and irrational ways of thinking that mean we perceive ourselves, the world or others negatively
- Hostile attribution bias
- When someone automatically attributes malicious intentions on another
- When somebody smiles at you but you think that person has negative thoughts about you
- Criminal behaviour: most likely linked with increased levels of aggression
- Minimalisation
- Underplaying the consequences of an action to reduce negative emotions such as feelings of guilt
- Can be used to explain how an offender may reduce any negative interpretations of their behaviour to accept the consequences and reduce negative emotions
- A burglar may thin that stealing a few things from a wealthy family isn't bad because it has little effect on their lives-criminal does not feel bad
- Underplaying the consequences of an action to reduce negative emotions such as feelings of guilt
- Hostile attribution bias
- Evidence to support cognitive distortions: SCHONENBERG: 55 violent offenders were presented with pics of emotionally ambiguious facial expressions, when compared to a control group, they were more likely to perceive them as angry: in line with hostile attribution bias
- Research to support minimalisation: KENNEDY found that sex offenders accounts of crimes were downplayed; suggested the victim's behaviour contributed and some denied it happened
- HELLER worked with a group of young men who were from disadvantaged groups, they used behavioural techniques to reduce cognitive distortions, pps who attended had a 44% reduction in arrests compared to control group- real world application
- Good as describing the criminal mind but not explaining- cognitive distortions are 'after fact', useful when predicting reoffending but not much insight into why an offender commits a crime-limited
- Faulty, biased and irrational ways of thinking that mean we perceive ourselves, the world or others negatively
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