Unit 5: Psychological Theories

Question 1

Psychological theories of crime

Answer 1

Theories about:
- Learned behaviour
- Childhood experiences
- Psychological development
- Personality
- Mental disorders

Question 2

Psychodynamic Theory (sigmund freud)

Answer 2

The theory that human behaviour is influenced by unconscious mental processes and inner conflicts between id, ego and superego

Question 3

Attachment Theory

Answer 3

The theory that the early emotional bond between child and caregiver is critical to child’s mental and emotional development

Question 4

Social Learning Theory

Answer 4

Human behaviour is learned through social interactions (rewards and punishments)

Question 5

Cognitive Theory

Answer 5

The theory that criminal behaviour is based on how individuals interpret, encode, process and respond to information.

Question 6

Personality

Answer 6

The distinct patterns of behaviour, thinking and feeling that characterize a person.

Question 7

Id

Answer 7

Unconcious biological drives for food, sex, other necessities. Often goes against societal norms

Question 8

Ego

Answer 8

Part that balances id and superego. Recognizes that others have needs and being selfish isn’t good in the long run.

Question 9

Superego

Answer 9

The moral part that considered what other people will think and wants to follow societal norms.

Question 10

According to psychodynamics, what are the traits of a criminal?

Answer 10

• aggressive & frustrated
• Dominated by childhood experiences
• Damaged ego = can’t cope with conventional society
• More social skills
• Underdeveloped superego = lack moral understanding
• No self-control

Question 11

Latent Delinquency

Answer 11

People have a predisposition to commit crime. They have certain personality traits that will lead them to crime.

Question 12

What does avoidant attachment look like?

Answer 12

• no distress when mom leaves
• comfortable around strangers or completely avoidant
• no joy/interest when mom returns

Question 13

What are the key features of secure attachment?

Answer 13

1. Separation anxiety - distressed when mother leaves (easily soothed)
2. Stranger anxiety - comfortable with stranger when mother is there, uncomfortable when mother is not
3. Reunion behaviour - happy to see mom again

Question 14

What does an insecure/ambivalent attachment look like?

Answer 14

• extreme stress when mom is gone
• avoidant are fearful of stranger
• will approach mom but may push her away and avoid contact

Question 15

Harlow’s monkey experiment

Answer 15

Babies need attatchment to mother otherwise they have emotional damage. It can be reversed sometimes if not too late

Question 16

What are the three main sources of behaviour for social learning theory?

Answer 16

1. Family interactions
2. Environment
3. Media

Question 17

Based on the cognitive theory, what are possible reasons for crime?

Answer 17

• Fault mental script created through childhood experiences
• Prolonged exposure to violence can change the way we process and respond
• Oversensitivity or overexposure to rejection
• Violence becomes a stable behaviour

Question 18

Antisocial personality disorder

Answer 18

Inability to empathize with others, no remorse

other criminal traits:
- impulsivity
- aggressive
- short attention span

Question 19

Cognitive theory sub-disciplines

Answer 19

1. Moral Development - how people decide what I right and wrong
2. Humanistic psychology - stresses self awareness and getting in touch with feelings
3. Information processing theory - how people retrieve, store and manipulate information to solve problems