forensic psychology

Created by: Smart Bubble
Created on: 20-11-21 16:08

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Psychological explanations
- Eysenck's theory
  - 3 dimensions of behaviour: introversion-extraversion, neuroticism-stability and psychoticism-sociability
  - extraverts: underactive n/s, seek stimulation, hard to condition
  - neurotics: high level of reactivity in sympathetic n/s, behaviour difficult to predict
  - EVALUATION
    - EPQ scores - 2070 prisoners with 2422 controls - prisoners higher average scores than control
    - Farrington - high on P but not E and N
      - also inconsistent evidence of differences on EEG between extraverts and introverts
    - distinction adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent
      - argued offending behaviour reciprocal process between personality and environmental reactions
- Forensic Psychology
  - Biological explanations
    - Genetic and neural
      - genetic
        twin studies
        3500 male twin pairs - 35% MZ twins showed offender behaviour, 13% of DZ offender behaviour
        criminal beh is genetic
        
        EVALUATION
        diathesis-stress model, when bio nor adoptive had records - 13.5% of kids had records, bio with record - 20%, adoptive and bio records - 24.5%
        
        twin studies - lack of validity, cannot be generalised, confounding variables - could be environment not genetics
      - neural
        brain structures, neurotransmitter levels, mirror neurons
        
        71 brain imageing studies show reduced functioning in the PFC in murderers, psychopaths and violent individuals
        
        limbic system - emotion and motivation
        Raine: abnormal asymmetries in limbic system of murderers - reduced activity on left and increased on right
  - Offender profiling
    - Top-down
      - FBI
        from 36 interviews with sexually motivated killers
      - EVALUATION
        analysis showed subset of features of many serial killings matched typology for organised offenders
        
        disorganised-organised is more of a continuum
        
        has been applied to burglary - 85% rise in unsolved cases
        adds 2 categories: interpersonal and opportunistic
        
        wider application
        adds 2 categories: interpersonal and opportunistic
        
        sample of interviews was poor - not random and no variety of offender, not standardised
        no scientific basis
    - Bottom-up
      - developed in Britain
      - systematic analysis of evidence at scene
        doesn't begin with fixed typologies
        data driven - rigorous scrutiny of evidence
      - investigative psychology
        apply statistical procedures alongside psychological theory
        develop statistical database that acts as baseline
        
        interpersonal coherence - interact with victim
      - geographical profiling
        systematic crime location choice - connection to place
        
        comparative case analysis
        
        crime mapping - principle of spatial consistency
        'centre of gravity' include offender's base
        Canter's circle theory
        
        EVALUATION
        120 murder cases, smallest space analysis, revealed spatial consistency in behaviour
        circular effect created around base
        
        quality of data may impact success
        75% of crime is not reported
        critics claim other factors important too - timing of offence, age, experience
        suggests geo alone may not always be successful
  - Dealing with offender behaviour
    - Custodial sentencing
      - Deterrence
      - Incapacita-tion
        depends on severity and provides protection to society
      - Retribution
      - recidivism - 45% in UK
        20% in Norway - more emphasis on rehab
      - EVALUATION
        average suicide 1 every 3 days - most at risk young single men during first 24 hours
        confounding variables - may experience this before prison
        
        Vera Institute of Justice - offenders who take part in education programs - less violent
        
        incarceration may give chance to learn from others and acquire criminal contacts - undermines rehab
    - Restorative Justice
      - new scheme
      - rehabilitation of offenders and reconciliation with victims
      - to see impact of crime and take responsibility
        offender to help healing of victim
      - direct mediation - face-to-face with trained mediator
      - incentive to reduce sentence
      - act alongside prison or alternative
      - Restorative Justice Council - advocates use beyond crime - schools, hospitals etc
      - EVALUATION
        85% victims - satisfied, 78% would recommend, 60% feel better about experience
        2% feel worse
        
        offenders have to be willing and have honourable intentions
    - Behaviour modification
      - token economy
        operant conditioning - token for good behaviour
        
        staff and prisoners need to be aware of scoring and 'worth'
        
        EVALUATION
        Hobbs and Holt - significant difference in positive behaviour compared to non-token group
        
        need consistent approach from staff - high staff turnover
    - Anger management
      - 3 stages:
        1. Cognitive preparation
        
        2. Skills Acquisition
        skills to deal with triggers - positive self talk, effective communica-tion and relaxation training
        
        3. Application practice
      - Keen et al - positive outcomes, increased awareness and control
- Cognitive
  - KOHLBERG -first to apply moral reasoning to offending beh
    - stage theory of moral reasoning
      - level 1 preconven-tional morality
        characterised by need to avoid punishment, gain rewards, immature reasoning
      - level 2 conventional
      - level 3 postconventional
      - higher the stage more sophisticated reasoning
    - AIM
  - cognitive distortions
    - hostile attribution bias
      - misinterpret actions of others
        emotionally ambiguous expressions - violent offenders perceive images as angry & hostile
- DAT
  - SUTHERLAND -values, attitudes, techniques and motives for offending through interaction with others
  - mathematically predict likelihood of offending
  - need to know frequency, intensity and duration
  - if pro crime attitudes outweigh anti - will offend
  - socialisation in prison - learning new techniques
  - EVALUATION
- Psychodynamic
  - BLACKBURN - superego damaged, id has free rein
    - 3 types of inadequate superego
      - weak superego
        same-sex parent not there - cannot internalise superego - no chance for identification
      - deviant
        parent has immoral views so not likely to associate guilt with wrong doing
      - overly-harsh
        strict parents - s.e. need for punishment drive criminality
  - Bowlby 44 thieves -maternal dep caused delinquent beh
diathesis-stress model
- environmental factors - Capsi - 1000 people from birth - maltreatment when babies lead to violent convictions
- genetic
  - twin studies
    - 3500 male twin pairs - 35% MZ twins showed offender behaviour, 13% of DZ offender behaviour
      - criminal beh is genetic
  - EVALUATION
    - diathesis-stress model, when bio nor adoptive had records - 13.5% of kids had records, bio with record - 20%, adoptive and bio records - 24.5%
    - twin studies - lack of validity, cannot be generalised, confounding variables - could be environment not genetics

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