Cognitive factors

Question 1

What is argued?

Answer 1

Criminals suffer from cognitive distortions that dont reflect reality

Question 2

What do the distortions allow?

Answer 2

People to rationalise their behaviour

Question 3

what are the two cognitive distortions for criminality?

Answer 3

Hostile attribution bias and minimalisation

Question 4

What is hostile attribution bias?

Answer 4

When people believe someones actions are motivated by malice towards them, which leads to further aggressive behaviour

Question 5

What is minimalisation?

Answer 5

Downplaying the severity of the consequences of their behaviour, justifying their actions. this minimises guilt

Question 6

What attributions do those engaging with criminal behaviour usually give?

Answer 6

External such as environmental or social circumstances

Question 7

What did kennedy and Grubin find?

Answer 7

Sex offenders accounts are often downplayed, suggesting victims behaviour was responsible for crime (minimalisation)

Question 8

What did Maruna and Man find?

Answer 8

Minimalisation is a fairly normal behaviour, everyone uses to protect themselves. Not only used to describe criminal behaviours

Question 9

What is a weakness of cognitive factors?

Answer 9

Doesn’t explain why distortions occur in the first place, meaning that there may be other factors that cause the distortions to happen

Question 10

What is a strength of cognitive factors?

Answer 10

It has led to practical application- cognitive skill programmes teach the offender skills like moral reasoning and anger management. Programmes are successful then criminal behaviours can be reduced