Forensics: Cogntive Explanation For Offending Ao1

Question 1

2 cog explanations

Answer 1

Cognitive distortion (hostile attribution bias and minimalisation)
Kohlbergs theory of moral reasoning

Question 2

Cognitive distortions

Answer 2

• Faulty biased and irrational ways of thinking that mean we perceive ourselves other people and or the world in a way that does not match reality and is usually negative
• Therefore a persons perception of events suffering from cog distorttions is often misinterpetd

Question 3

What do cog distortions allow

Answer 3

Allow an offender to deny (reduce neg emotions) or rationalise (justify) their criminal beh

Question 4

2 examples of cog distortions

Answer 4

Hostile attribution bias
Minimisation

Question 5

What is hostile attribution bias

Answer 5

• Tendency to misread/misinterperet other peoples actions words or expressions as aggressive, proactive or threatening when in reality they are not

Question 6

research for hostile attribution bias

Answer 6

schonenberg and justye 2014 found 55 violent offenders were more likely to percieve an emotionally ambigous face as angry and hostile

Question 7

What is minimalisation

Answer 7

• The attempt to downplay the seriousness or trivialising the importance of ones own offence to explain the consequences as less damaging than they really are

Question 8

minimilsation allows for

Answer 8

This helps the individual to accept the consequences of their own offences and reduce their neg emotions such as guilt associated with crime
Eg a burglar thinking stealing some things from a wealthy family won’t really affect their lives

Question 9

what is Kolbergs theory of moral reasoning

Answer 9

Moral reasoning refers to how an individual draws on their own value system to determine whether an action is right or wrong.

Question 9

research for min in sex offenders

Answer 9

kennedy and grubin found that sex offenders often downplay their behaviour through denial or that the victims somehow contributed to the crime

Question 10

how did he measure moral reasoning

Answer 10

looked at peoples judgments to moral dillemas which can then be summarised as a stage in moral development

Question 11

being on a higher stage of moral reasoning meant

Answer 11

more sophisticated reasoning

Question 12

studies show offenders show a ____ level of moral reasoning

Answer 12

low level

Question 13

kohlberg et al found …

Answer 13

a group of violent youths were sig lower in moral development even after controlling for social backround

Question 14

3 levels

Answer 14

Pre conventional morality
Convential morality
Post conventional reality

Question 15

stages of offenders and non offenders

Answer 15

offenders more likely to be classified at pre conventional stage
non offenders generally operate in higher stages

Question 16

describe pre conventional level

Answer 16

• childlike reasoning and less mature
• crime is committed if they can get away with it and gain reward

Question 17

research to support criminals at pre conventional level

Answer 17

study by chandler shows that offenders are more ego centric and display less social perspective talking skills

Question 18

4 characteristics of those that operate on higher level

Answer 18

• sympathising with rights of others
• honesty
• generosity
• non violence