Cognitive Explanation

Question 1

Outline cognitive theory of offender behaviour

Answer 1

Kohlberg suggested criminals tend to show lower level of moral reasoning than non criminals , proposed peoples decisions judgements of right + wrong cn be summarised in stages

Question 2

Outline stages of moral reasoning

Answer 2

Level 1 - preconevntional morality
Stage 1 : rules obeyed to avoid punishment
Stage 2: rules are obeyed for personal gain
Level 2 - conventional morality
Stage 3: rules are obeyed for approval
Stage 4: rules obeyed to maintain social order
Level 3 - post conventional morality
Stage 5: rules are challenged if they infringe on the rights of others
Stage 6: individuals have their own set of ethical principles
- higher levels = more sophisticated moral reasoning

Question 3

Which stage of morality is associated with criminality?

Answer 3

Associated with level 1 (preconventional morality)
- characterised by avoiding punishment + gaining reward
- more likely to commit crime if they are likely to get away with it or gain something from it
- characterised as being more egocentric (view things only from own perspective), cannot empathise with rights of others

Question 4

Define cognitive distortion

Answer 4

Habitual ways of thinking which are often inaccurate

Question 5

Outline cognitive distortions in offender behaviour

Answer 5

Hostile attribution bias
= tendency to judge ambiguous situations as aggressive / threatening when they are not
- may trigger overreaction which can lead to violent responses
- research suggests may have roots in childhood; children deemed as previously aggressive/rejected were more likely to interpret situations as aggressive
Minimalisation
= type of deception which involved downplaying significance of an event or emotion; strategy used to deal with guilt
- commonly used amongst individuals who commit sexual offences —> 35% of child molesters argued crime they committed was not sexual + they were just being affectionate

Question 6

Give strengths of cognitive explanation for offender behaviour

Answer 6

Research support —> Palmer + Hollin, compared moral reasoning of 126 convicted offenders vs non offenders with SRM-SF questionnaire, contains 11 moral dilemma questions
- offender group showed less mature moral reasoning than the non offender group, consistent with Kohlbergs predictions
Real world applications
- CBT challenges irrational thinking such as cognitive distortions
- offenders are encouraged to face what they have done to establish a less distorted view of behaviour
- found reduced denial + minimalisation is associated with reduced risk of offending
= gives it practical value

Question 7

Give limitations of cognitive theory of offender behaviour

Answer 7

Not universal
- level of moral reasoning may be dependent on type of offence
- e.g it was found people who committed crimes for financial gain (robbery) were more likely to show pre conventional morality than those convicted of impulsive crimes (assault)
- suggests Kohlberg’s theory limited to only certain offences
Androcentrism + cultural bias
- Kohlbergs research based on male sample only, therefore theory is based on male perspective
-Gibbs also argued it only reflected a Western culture, making it ethnocentric + culturally biased —> collectivist cultures’ moral judgements may emphasise group harmony + community rather than personal rights
- may not be applicable to all cultures