Forensics - Cognitive explanations

Question 1

what is level of moral reasoning

Answer 1

• ways a person thinks about right and wrong

Question 2

what is moral development

Answer 2

Kholberg
- created the theory of moral reasoning
- offenders show a lower level of moral reasoning
- found that a group of violent youths were at a significantly lower level

Question 3

what is Kholber’s theory of moral reasoning

Answer 3

Level 1 - pre conventional morality
- rules obeyed to avoid punishment
- rules obeyed for personal gain

Level 2 - conventional morality
- rules obeyed for approval
- rules obeyed to maintain social order

Level 3 - post-conventional morality
- rules challenged if they infringe on rights of others
- individuals have a personal set of ethics and morals

Question 4

what is the link between criminality and moral reasoning

Answer 4

• offenders more likely to be classified at the pre-conventional morality
• at this level offenders can get away with crime and gain rewards

Question 5

what are the strengths of moral reasoning

Answer 5

Palmer and Hollin
- compared moral reasoning in 332 non-offenders and 126 convicted offenders
- answered 11 moral dilemma questions
- offender group showed less mature moral reasoning than non-offender

Question 6

what are the limitations of moral reasoning

Answer 6

Thornton and Reid
- people who committed crimes for financial gain were more likely to show pre-conventional moral reasoning than those convicted of impulsive crimes
- pre-conventional moral reasoning is associated with crimes where offenders believe they have a change of evading punishment

Question 7

what are cognitive distortions

Answer 7

• faulty biased and irrational ways of thinking that mean we perceive ourselves, other people and the world inaccurately

Question 8

what is hostile attribution bias

Answer 8

• tendency to judge ambiguous situations as aggressive and threatening when they may not be

Schoenberg and Justye
- presented 55 violent offenders with images of emotionally ambiguous faces
- violent offenders more likely to perceive the images as angry and hostile

Question 9

what is minimalization

Answer 9

• downplay the significance of an event or emotion

Barbaree
- among 26 incarcerated rapists
- 54% denied they committed the crimes
- 40% minimised the harm they caused

Question 10

what is the strength of cognitive distortions

Answer 10

Real World application
- CBT therapy challenges irrational thinking
- offenders encouraged to face up to their actions and establish a less distorted view of their actions
- reduced denial and minimalization in therapy is highly associated with a reduced risk of reoffending

Question 11

what is the limitation of cognitive distortions

Answer 11

Howitt and Sheldon
- gathered questionnaires responses from sexual offenders
- non-contact sex offenders used more cognitive distortions than contact sex offenders
- those who had a previous history of offending were more likely to use distortions as a justification
- distortions not used in the same way