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AC2.2 Flashcards

1
Q

What do psychodynamic theories suggest about personality?

A

Personality is shaped by powerful urges, feelings, and conflicts within the unconscious mind.

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2
Q

According to Freud, what determines our personality and future behaviour?

A

Early childhood experiences.

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3
Q

What are the three elements of personality according to Freud?

A

The ID, ego, and superego.

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4
Q

What is the primary function of the ID?

A

Driven by unconscious desires, it operates according to the ‘pleasure principle’ and demands instant gratification.

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5
Q

When does the ego develop and what is its role?

A

The ego develops around the age of 2 and acts as a mediator, operating according to the ‘reality principle’ to balance the desires of the ID and the restrictions of reality.

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6
Q

What principle does the superego operate on?

A

The ‘morality principle’. holding moral standards from parents and society.

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7
Q

How does a weak superego relate to criminal behaviour?

A

A weak superego may result from an absent same-sex parent, leading to less control over the ID’s urges and reduced guilt about anti-social behaviour.

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8
Q

What is a deviant superego and how does it influence behaviour?

A

A deviant superego develops from internalizing deviant morals from a same-sex parent, leading the individual to not consider criminal acts morally wrong.

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9
Q

What causes an overly harsh superego?

A

An overly harsh superego can be caused by extremely struct parenting, resulting in constant feelings of guilt.

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10
Q

How can an overly harsh superego lead to criminality?

A

Individuals may become repeat offenders seeking punishment as a release from guilt and anxiety.

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11
Q

What evidence supports Freud’s theory regarding childhood abuse and crime?

A

Research suggests that abuse or neglect can increase the risk of violent crime by 30%.

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12
Q

What limitation challenges the validity of Freud’s theory regarding the absence of a same-sex parent?

A

There is no research evidence indicating that the absence of a same-sex parent correlates with increased criminal behaviour.

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13
Q

Why is Freud’s focus on the unconscious considered a limitation?

A

It is untestable, cannot be directly observed or measured, lacking scientific credibility.

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14
Q

What alternative explanations exist for the criminal behaviour of children raised by deviant parents?

A

Behaviour could be learned from the environment through social learning or due to genetic factors.

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15
Q

What criticism does Freud’s theory face regarding gender differences in superego development?

A

Freud suggested that girls develop weaker superegos than boys, which is a point of contention.

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16
Q

What role does guilt play in the behaviour of individuals with an overly harsh superego?

A

They may crave punishment as a release from their feelings of guilt.

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17
Q

How does Freud view anti-social behaviour in relation to parental relationships?

A

He sees it as caused by an abnormal relationship with parents during early childhood.

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18
Q

What is the relationship between the superego and feelings of guilt?

A

The superego uses guilt or anxiety to punish the ID.

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19
Q

What is the significance of the same-sex parent in superego development?

A

The superego develops as a result of identifying with the same-sex parent.

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20
Q

How does Freud’s theory explain the likelihood of criminal behaviour in individuals from dysfunctional families?

A

Freud’s theory suggests that individuals from dysfunctional families are more likely to have a weak superego and thus engage in criminal behaviour.

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21
Q

What is the impact of a deviant superego on an individual’s moral judgment?

A

An individual with a deviant superego may not view criminal acts as wrong.

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22
Q

What is the role of the ego in managing the ID and superego?

A

The ego tries to manage and control the ID’s desires while balancing them against the restrictions of reality and the superego.

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23
Q

What is Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis?

A

It posits that a strong attachment to the mother is crucial, and disruption during the critical period an lead to affectionless psychopathy and criminal behaviour.

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24
Q

What is the critical period for forming on monotropic attachment according to Bowlby?

A

The first three years of life.

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25
What did Bowlby find in his study of juvenile thieves?
14 of the thieves were affectionless psychopaths, and 12 of these had experienced maternal deprivation in their first 2 years.
26
What is a limitation of Bowlby's study regarding data collection?
The data was collected retrospectively, which may lead to inaccuracies.
27
How did Bowlby's personal involvement in the study potentially affect its validity?
He interviewed and judged affectionless psychopathy himself, which could introduce bias.
28
What is a limitation of Bowlby's theory regarding the outcomes of disrupted attachments?
Not everyone with a disrupted attachment commits crime, indicating the theory is not a complete explanation.
29
What is the different between deprivation and privation in Bowlby's theory?
Deprivation refers to an attachment being disrupted, while privation refers to an attachment that never forms.
30
What are the three dimensions of personality in Eysenck's Criminal Personality Theory?
Psychoticism, extroversion vs introversion, and neuroticism vs stability.
31
What characteristics are associated with a high Psychoticism (P) score?
Individuals tend to be cruel, insensitive, aggressive, and lacking in empathy.
32
What traits are associated with a high extroversion (E) score?
Outgoing, sociable, impulsive, aggressive, short-tempered, and unreliable.
33
What traits are associated with a high neuroticism (N) score?
Anxious, moody, often depressed and prone to over-react.
34
What does Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire measure?
It measures people's personality traits across the three dimensions of personality.
35
What personality profile is common among criminals according to Eysenck?
Criminals often have high scores in extroversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism.
36
What is the implication of having high scores in E, N, and P according to Eysenck?
Such individuals are likely to be outgoing, anxious, and exhibit cruel or aggressive behaviours.
37
What is a strength of Bowlby's theory regarding maternal deprivation and criminality?
There is evidence supporting the link between maternal deprivation and affectionless psychopathy.
38
What is the significance of the control group in Bowlby's study?
Only 2 from the control group had experienced maternal deprivation, highlighting the association with criminal behaviour.
39
What does the complexity in establishing causes of criminal behaviour suggest?
There may be multiple factors, including neurological and psychological influences, beyond maternal deprivation.
40
What is the relationship between maternal deprivation and affectionless psychopathy?
Maternal deprivation during the critical period may lead to the development of affectionless psychopathy.
41
What does Bowlby's theory imply about the effects of maternal attachment on empathy?
Failure to form a strong maternal attachment may result in a lack of empathy and emotional connection.
42
Why is it important to differentiate between deprivation and privation in Bowlby's theory?
Understanding the difference may clarify the varying impacts on emotional and behavioral outcomes.
43
What might be a reason for individuals with privation to be more likely to become affectionless psychopaths?
They may never have formed any attachment, leading to more severe emotional deficits.
44
What does Eysenck's theory suggest about personality types and criminality?
Certain personality types are predisposed to criminal behaviour based on their traits.
45
What personality traits are associated with high extroversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism?
High extroversion is characterised by a constant seeking of excitement and stimulation, often through risky behaviours. High neuroticism is marked by being nervous, jumpy, and over-anxious, leading to emotional reactions. High psychoticism is associated with being cold, unemotional, and prone to aggression.
46
How might high extroversion contribute to criminal behaviour?
Individuals with high extroversion may engage in risky behaviours, including committing crimes, due to their constant search for excitement and stimulation.
47
What role does high neuroticism play in the likelihood of committing crimes?
High neuroticism can lead to overreacting in emotionally charged situations, which may increase the likelihood of committing crimes.
48
How does high psychoticism influence criminal behaviour?
High psychoticism is linked to aggression and violent behaviour, making individuals more prone to commit violent crimes.
49
What evidence supports Eysenck's theory of criminal personality?
Eysenck compared the EPI scores of over 2000 male prisoners with controls, finding higher levels of psychoticism, neuroticism, and extroversion among prisoners.
50
What is a limitation of Eysenck's theory regarding the relationship between personality and crime?
The research only shows a correlation between EPI scores and criminal behaviour, without establishing a cause-and-effect relationship.
51
What criticism exists regarding the self-report measures used in Eysenck's research?
Self-report measures are subjective and can be biased, raising concerns about the validity of the data.
52
Why might personality not be stable according to critics of Eysenck's theory?
Critics argue that personality may change depending on social context, which challenged the idea of a fixed criminal personality type.
53
How does Eysenck's theory oversimplify criminal personality?
It suggests there is one criminal personality type, ignoring the diversity of personality traits among different types of criminals.
54
What is operant conditioning according to Skinner?
Operant conditioning is a learning theory that states all behaviour is learned through the consequences of actions, with no role for biology or mental processes.
55
What are the two principles that facilitate learning in operant conditioning?
Reinforcement and punishment.
56
What is positive reinforcement in the context of operant conditioning?
Positive reinforcement occurs when a behaviour is followed by a pleasant consequence, increasing the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated.
57
What is negative reinforcement in operant conditioning?
Negative reinforcement happens when a behaviour is followed by the removal of something unpleasant, which also increases the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated.
58
What is punishment in operant conditioning?
Punishment occurs when a behaviour is followed by an unpleasant consequence, decreasing the likelihood of that behaviour being repeated.
59
How can positive reinforcement explain criminal behaviour?
Criminal behaviour may be reinforced by rewards such as money, materials, notoriety, power, or protection.
60
How can negative reinforcement explain criminal behaviour?
Criminal behaviour may be reinforced by removal or unpleasant situations, such as preventing poverty or homelessness.
61
How might punishment influence criminal behaviour according to operant conditioning?
If offenders evade punishment, it may encourage them to continue committing crimes.
62
What is a limitation of Skinner's research on operant conditioning?
Skinner's research primarily focused on animals, which raises questions about the applicability of his findings to human behaviour.
63
What is the Skinner box and how is it related to operant conditioning?
The Skinner box is an experimental setup used to demonstrate operant conditioning, where animals learn to perform behaviours for rewards or to avoid punishments.
64
What did Skinner's research with rats and pigeons demonstrate?
It demonstrated the principles of operant conditioning through positive reinforcement, punishment, and negative reinforcement.
65
How does operant conditioning relate to the likelihood of repeating criminal behaviour?
Behaviours that are positively reinforced are more likely to be repeated, while those that are punished are less likely to occur.
66
What is the significance of understanding operant conditioning in the context of criminal behaviour?
Understanding operant conditioning can help explain why certain behaviours, including criminal acts, are learned and repeated based on their consequences.
67
What is negative reinforcement in the context of Skinner's research?
Negative reinforcement involves the removal of an unpleasant stimulus to increase the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated.
68
Why might research conducted on animals be problematic when explaining human behaviour?
Animal research may not be generalisable to humans due to the complexity of human brains and higher order functions.
69
What is a token economy and how is it applied in a practical setting?
A token economy is based on operant conditioning principles and aims to reinforce good behaviour and discourage undesirable behaviours, often used in prison settings.
70
What evidence supports the effectiveness of token economies?
Token economies have shown some effectiveness in modifying the behaviour of offenders.
71
How can operant conditioning concepts be applied in the legal system?
Punishments can serve as deterrents, helping to establish what is considered right and wrong.
72
What are some factors that operant conditioning does not consider in explaining criminal behaviour?
Genetic theories, personality theories, and sociological theories.
73
What does Bandura's Social Learning Theory propose about behaviour acquisition?
We learn behaviour by observing and imitating others, referred to as models.
74
What factors influence who we consider as tole models according to Bandura?
Factors include gender, age, status, fame, and personal identification with the model.
75
How can Bandura's theory explain criminal behaviour?
Individuals may imitate criminal behaviour from role models, such as family members or peers.
76
What is vicarious reinforcement in Bandura's theory?
Vicarious reinforcement occurs when we are more likely to imitate a behaviour if we observe the model being rewarded for it.
77
How might media influence criminal behaviour according to Bandura's theory?
Violence in video games and TV can provide role models for individuals to imitate, potentially leading to copycat crimes.
78
What is a strength of Bandura's Bobo Doll experiment?
It was conducted in controlled laboratory conditions, allowing for easier comparison of behaviour across groups.
79
What limitation did Cumberbatch (1997) find regarding the Bobo Doll experiment?
Children unfamiliar with the Bobo doll were five times more likely to imitate the model, suggesting expectations may influence behaviour.
80
What is a limitation of Bandura's experiment regarding real-life scenarios?
The artificial nature of the laboratory setting may not reflect how children observe and imitate behaviour in real life.
81
Why might Bandura's findings not accurately measure aggression?
Children may have felt pressures to imitate the model's behaviour rather than acting out of genuine aggression.
82
What is the significance of modeling typically occurring within familiar social contexts?
Modelling usually happens within families, where children are familiar with the models, which differs from the stranger interactions in Bandura's experiment.
83
What is the role of imitation in learning criminal behaviour?
Imitation allows individuals to learn techniques for criminal behaviour from role models, such as parents or peers.
84
How does Bandura's theory relate to the consequence of behaviour?
The likelihood of imitation is influenced by whether the observed behaviour results in rewards of punishments.
85
What is the importance of identifying with role models in Bandura's theory?
Identification with role models increases the likelihood of imitation, especially if they share similar characteristics.
86
How does Bandura's theory address the impact of peer influence on behaviour?
Peers can serve as role models, and their behaviours can be imitated, especially if they receive positive reinforcement.
87
What does Bandura suggest about the relationship between observation and behaviour.
Observations of others' behaviours, especially when rewarded, can lead to the learning and imitation of those behaviours.
88
What is a key critique of Bandura's research methodology?
The limited social context and unfamiliarity of models may not accurately reflect typical modelling behaviour in everyday life.
89
How does Bandura's Social Learning Theory contribute the understanding criminal behaviour?
It provides a framework for understanding how individuals may adopt criminal behaviours through observation and imitation of role models.

Criminology (8 decks)

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