Topic E

GCSE Psychology Topic E Are criminals born or
made?
Key terminology biological explanations for criminality
twin studies research into the similarity of twins, particularly their criminal similarity, to
investigate genetic links.
XYY a rare genetic pattern said to be linked to aggression and slow learning
ability.
chromosome
abnormality
a mutation of genetic material that results as a change in the number or
structure of chromosomes.
Reision notes ! biological explanations for criminality
There are many "ays to see if criminality has a biological basis.
We can compare the family trees of criminals and non-criminals if
many criminals relatives are also criminals, there might be a biological
link. !ewer criminal relatives, the weaker the link.
T"in st#dies mono$ygotic twins share e"actly the same genes. #hristiansen $%&''(
found that from )*+, pairs of twins if an identical twin was a criminal, *-* of the time the
other twin was also a criminal. .n di$ygotic twins the rate was only --/.
We can also look at adoption st#dies these people share genes but not environment so
in these cases we can be sure that genetics are the cause of criminality.
There is evidence to suggest that individuals are more likely to be criminals if their parents
are criminal.
.t could be that it is nothing to do with genetics at all. !amily
members are raised together and treated similarly so therefore
their criminal behaviour could be e"plained by S%T or
obserational learning&
XYY $male( chromosome abnormality causes increased
aggression, being taller and learning difficulties.
0owever, 1ust a handful of murders have been found to have XYY. We cannot find
eno#gh samples of people with the disorder to be certain of the link to violent crime.
Tas' () *or each of the follo"ing+ circle "hether the statement is TR,E or *A%SE&
%( There is only one way to see if criminality has a biological basis. TR,E
*A%SE
-( 2ono3ygotic twins share e"actly the same genes. TR,E
*A%SE
)( .n adoption studies we are looking at people who share genes
and the same environment. TR,E
*A%SE
4( There is evidence to suggest that individuals are more likely to be
criminals if their parents are criminal. TR,E
*A%SE
*( The XYY $male( chromosome abnormality causes increased aggression,
makes men taller, have learning difficulties and shows a link to violent
%
crime. TR,E
*A%SE
Reision notes ! social explanations for criminality
!amily patterns are the e"periences children have during their family life.
.f parents are diorced, individuals are more likely to have criminal tendencies due to
factors such as money difficulties, moving house, arguments in the home etc.
.f children are separated from their main caregiver before the age of
- years old, this can cause problems in later life maternal
depriation& $5owlby(
*amily si$e is also an important factor. 2ore than , children in a
family can result in children being more likely to be criminals.
6n 6ustralian study by Western $-77)( found only a slight lin'
between parental occupation and youth crime. .t seems a fathers
occ#pation was not an indicator but the mothers occupation did have an effect.
.t is difficult to pin down e"actly which social factors influence criminal behaviour because
family circ#mstances are so complex& .t seems likely that a combination of factors
contributes to criminality. 8eprivation from caregivers and bad childhood e"periences
seem to be factors.
Tas' -) ,nscramble the follo"ing anagrams
yamfil spaerntt
2aternal deprivation
yamfil 3eis
toncapucio
cordediv
Reision notes ! childrearing as an explanation for criminality
The way in which parents bring up their children are known as childrearing
strategies. 8ealing with naughty children may involve induction, love
withdrawal and power assertion.
.nd#ction is where parents e"plain to their child what they have done wrong and allow
them to think about the conse9uences. #hildren can then make the right decision the ne"t
time.
%oe "ithdra"al is when parents put conditions on their love, they dont
love their children when they have done something bad. :esults in
children being confused about their identity, unsure as to whether they
are loved or not.
Po"er assertion includes hitting, shouting at children, humiliating them,
grabbing them etc. #an lead to aggression in children.
6lthough this theory seems to suggest parents are solely responsible for producing
delin9uent children, there are many factors that contribute to delin9uency.
Tas' /) 0ra" a pict#re to help yo# remember each of the childrearing strategies&
-
.nd#ction %oe "ithdra"al Po"er assertion
Key terminology ! Self!f#lfilling prophecy as an explanation for criminality
conform to ad1ust to e"pectations made of us.
self-fulfilling
prophecy
when the e"pectations of others influence our behavior.
Reision notes ! Self!f#lfilling prophecy as an explanation for
criminality
.f we are seen as or expected to be criminal, we will behave
in that way this is an e"ample of self!f#lfilling prophecy&
This is where a behaviour that is expected of someone will
come true.
;eople conform to the behaviour that is e"pected of them.
e.g. .f a teacher e"pects a pupil to do badly in a test, they will not offer them help and
focus on others, resulting in the pupil doing badly in the test $the prediction has come
true(.
Rosenthal and 1acobsen $%&,+( conducted an e"periment to test whether achievement
could be self!f#lfilling. They gave children an .< test and then told their teachers which
children were going to be =bloomers and which ones were going to be =average. $this was
a lie it was 1ust a random list of names>(
They found that the teachers didn2t expect m#ch of the
3aerage2 children and gave all the attention to the =bloomers.
The .< of the =bloomers rose and the =average childrens .< fell.
1ohoda $%&*4( studied the 6shanti tribe who had a custom of
naming their children after the day of the week they were born
on. e.g. 2onday boys were called ?wadwo meaning calm and
peaceful whereas those born on Wednesday were called ?wadku meaning aggressive
and angry.
When he looked at the records of boys arrested he found that --/ of boys were born on a
Wednesday with only ,.&/ born on a 2onday, thus the prophecy became self-fulfilling.
Those around them $family, friends, teachers etc.( expected the Wednesday boys to be
aggressive and behave badly and treated them differently because of this.
1ahoda only fo#nd a lin' bet"een the child2s name and criminality by #sing a
correlation. .t would be very unethical to study self!f#lfilling prophecy as a cause of
crime by treating someone differently and seeing if it affected their behaviour& .t can2t be
proed that self!f#lfilling prophecy ca#ses criminality&
6nother weakness of the theory is that many of us re1ect the way we are treated by others
so the prophecy is not fulfilled.
.t doesnt take into account the fact that there are many other reasons for crime, ranging
from our biology to the families we are raised in.
Tas' 4) Complete the APRC table for 1ahoda2s experiment&
Aim) Res#lts)
Proced#re) Concl#sion)
)
Reision notes comparing theories of criminal behaior
Comparing the biological and social theories of criminality
5iological ca#ses of crime Social ca#ses of crime
!ocus on how we are born criminal !ocus on how we are made criminal
We inherit the genes that cause criminal behavior 5eing brought up in a family that makes
criminal behavior more likely
Adoption st#dies show how crime can be
inherited
Separation from parents can cause
distress and mistrust that can affect later
development
677 chromosome abnormality may cause
aggression in males, leading to violent crime
The self!f#lfilling prophecy e"plains how
behavior can be influence by the way we
are treated and e"pected to behave
This theory is "ea'ened by the confusion
between genetics and upbringing in twin and
family studies
This theory cannot separate the infl#ence
of many social factors that influence
criminality, such as peers and other
e"periences
Chromosome research is limited, as only small
samples have been gathered and studied
;eople often rebel against how they are
treated by others@ they do not fulfill the
prophecies that are made.
.n conclusion both sides have evidence but the debate is far from oer&
.t is probably safest to talk about having a biological tendency or social #lnerability to
criminal behavior.
Tas' 8) Ans"er the follo"ing exam 9#estion :; mar's<)
%arry is arrested for shoplifting& ,se both biological and social factors to explain %arry2s
behaior&
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
4
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAA
Key terminology ! Theilgaard :(=>4<) The criminal gene
generalised whether the results can be applied to other people.
correlation 6 measure of an association or relationship between two factors or
variables. e.g. family si3e and crime can be correlated to see if there is a
link between the two.
Reision notes - Theilgaard :(=>4<) The criminal gene
Theilgaard conducted a study on 677 chromosome abnormality
Bo conclusive evidence was found to suggest that 677 gene causes criminality
Aim)
6lice Theilgaard wanted to see if criminals had a particular gene that could be responsible
for their criminal behaviour.
Proced#re)
They took blood samples from over )7,777 men born in the %&47s. Two chromosomal
abnormalities were found an 667 and an 677.
Cut of the )7,777 tested, %, had the 667 and %- had the 677.
They were interviewed by a social worker about their backgrounds and criminal history
and given .< tests. 6 personality test was used to see if they displayed aggression more
than normal XY males.
Theilgaard used a social worker who didnt know the aim of the study to conduct the
interviews therefore avoiding interviewing and researcher bias.
Res#lts)
.t was found that 677 males had slightly lower intelligence than average and were more
aggressive.
0owever, there were far more similarities between 667 males and the 677 males than
there were differences.
Bo solid evidence of a criminal gene was found.
Concl#sion)
This study provides limited evidence for 677 males being more aggressive than 667
males.
Strengths ?ea'nesses
6ll tests and interviews were conducted by an There was only a small sample of men used for
*
Key
st#d
y
independent social worker who didnt know the
aim of the study no researcher or interview
bias.
the investigation. %D%777 males are born XYY.
Cnly %- XYY males were tested we cannot
be sure that all XYY males are more
aggressive or have lower intelligence the
findings cant be generalised.
Esed a vast range of tests to measure different
aspects of the mens lives, background and
personality.
The link between XYY males and aggression is
only a correlation the XYY chromosomal
abnormality may not have caused the
increased aggression at all>
The most obvious reason for aggression in the
males is lower intelligence and delayed speech
this could have made school difficult leading
to frustration and therefore aggression.
What would have happened if the 677 chromosome pattern had been identified as the
criminal geneF Would all males be screened to identify their 677 abnormalityF
0ow would the results like this be usedF Would males with 677 be monitored and
because of e"pectation would they turn to crimeF .f so, could this have led them to crime
as a result of being labelledF
Tas' ;) *ill in the gaps in the follo"ing paragraph)
The aim of Theilgaards study was toA
They took AAAAAAAA. samples from over AAAAAAAA.. men born in the %&47s.
Two chromosomal abnormalities were found an AAAAA and an AAAAA.Cut of the
AAAAA. tested, %, had the AAAA. and %- had the AAAA.They were interviewed by a
AAAAAAA worker about their backgrounds and AAAAAAAA.. history and given
AAAAAAAAA tests. 6 AAAAAAAA.. test was used to see if they displayed
AAAAAAA.. more than normal AAAAAAA males.
Theilgaard used a AAAAAAAA worker who didnt know the AAAAA.. of the study to
conduct the AAAAAAAAAA therefore avoiding AAAAAAAAAA and
AAAAAAAA.. bias.
.t was found that AAAA males had AAAAAAA.. lower AAAAAAAA than average
and were more AAAAAAAA.0owever, there were far more AAAAAAAAAAA
between AAAA.. males and the AAAAAA. males than there were
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.Bo AAAAAAAA evidence of a AAAAAAAAA.
gene was found.
This study provides AAAAAAAAAA. evidence for AAA males being more aggressive
than AAAA males.
Key terminology Sigall and @stroe :(=A8<) Attractieness and B#ry decision!ma'ing
controls ways to keep variables constant in all conditions of an e"periment.
control group a group that does not receive an e"perimental condition. This group
provides a baseline on which to compare those participants who do
e"perience a condition of the e"periment.
e"traneous
variables
any variables that might affect the results of the study that might not be
controlled.
demand
characteristics
when we change our behavior to meet the demands of the situation.
,
Reision notes ! Sigall and @stroe :(=A8<) Attractieness and B#ry decision!ma'ing
They looked at effect of attractiveness on 1ury decision-making.
They found that #nattractie people are more likely to be sent to prison for b#rglary than
attractie people.
Attractie people are more likely to be sent to prison for fraud than #nattractie people
$higher class crime(
Aim)
To see whether attractieness affected 1ury decision-making and
To investigate whether there was a relationship between attractieness and the type of
crime committed.
Proced#re)
They used the crimes of b#rglary and fra#d in their study.
%-7 ;ps were given a piece of card with a crime written on it and a photograph of a
woman known as 5arbara 0elms.
They were split into , groups of -7 ;ps who each saw an attractie or #nattractie photo
of 5arbara and read about a fraud or burglary she had committed. $attractive burglary,
unattractive burglary, no photo burglary, attractive fraud, unattractive fraud and no
photo fraud(
The ;ps rated how attractie 5arbara was to ensure ;ps agreed.
;ps were asked to sentence 5arbara they gave a range of % to %* years.
Res#lts)
Attractie
photo
,nattracti
e photo
Co photo
5#rglary -.+7 *.-7 *.%7
*ra#d *.4* 4.)* 4.)*
;ps gave 5arbara a similar sentence for both crimes with both #nattractie photo and
no photo. 0owever, the attractie photo made ;ps give longer sentences for fra#d but
less time for b#rglary.
Attractie people are associated with crimes like fra#d because they use their looks to rip
people off. 2oreover, #nattractie people are associated with b#rglary.
Concl#sion)
Good!loo'ing people seem to get a"ay "ith some crimes, but if they have used their
looks to commit a crime they are less likely to get away with it.
The study used good controls ;ps were all read the same
instr#ctions, similar cases to read and a sentence to decide. There
were few extraneo#s ariables that could have affected their
decisions therefore the findings are reliable.
This e"periment is not
realistic as it is not
what a 1ury would
normally e"perience. 6
1ury member would see
the defendant in real
life, listen to the
evidence and testimony
and decide as a group.
Esing a photo and only
brief details of a case is
The control gro#p was useful to show whether the photographs did
affect ;ps decisions or not.
'
Key
st#d
y
not realistic&
The ;ps were less likely to g#ess the aim of the study because they
did not know what the other groups were doing demand
characteristics were
reduced.
Guries only normally
decide whether a
defendant is guilty or
not, it is the B#dge that
decides the length of
the prison sentence.
This is another way in
which the study is
#nrealistic.
The study could be used in real life to inform 1urors not to base their
decisions on what a defendant looks like. They should only use the
eidence presented to them.
The ;ps were asked to rate the attractiveness of the photo. Cot
eeryone2s idea of attractieness is the sameD
Tas' A) *or each of the follo"ing+ choose the odd one o#t and explain
"hy&
Reision notes Eadon :-FF4<) self!f#lfilling prophecy and drin'ing behaior
2adon found that if parents expected children to drink large amounts, a year later
they would have conformed to the expectations even if they didnt drink as much before.
Aim)
To see if a parents expectation of their childs drinking habits would become a reality.
Proced#re)
%%* children between %--%) years were 9uestioned. ;arents were also 9uestioned.
;arents were asked to guess how much alcohol their child regularly drank or would drink
in the coming year.
6 year later, the children were asked to say how much alcohol they actually consumed.
Res#lts)
2adon found that children who dran' the most alcohol were the ones whose parents had
predicted a greater use of alcohol.
.t took only one parent to have a negative opinion about their childs drinking habits to
show a relationship with high levels of drinking but the child seemed at greater risk of
higher alcohol use if both parents held negative beliefs.
Concl#sion)
Parent2s predictions of their child2s alcohol #se "as ery acc#rate& The parents
expectations were consistent with alcohol use after %- months.
The drinking behaviour became a self!f#lfilling prophecy because of what parent
expected to come true.
;arents beliefs can have a massive influence on a childs behaviour.
%arge sample of
;ps so the results
can be said to be
valid and reliable.
Parents may not hae infl#enced their child2s behaio#r at all they
were 1ust accurate in 1udging their childs alcohol use. .t may be an
accurate prediction rather than self-fulfilling prophecy.
2any others infl#ence children friends, media, role models etc.
Hives a strong
warning to parents
This study only shows a correlation correlations have less control the
e"periments and the researchers cannot be s#re of a tr#e lin' between
+
good controls
1udge makes
decision
control group
fraud
murder
burglary
*.-
4.)*
'.&
Key
st#d
y
about holding
negatie beliefs
about their children
as it could become
a self!f#lfilling
prophecy&
the variables they are measuring. .n this study, the researcher could not
be %77/ certain of a definite link between parents predictions and a
childs alcohol use. Cther factors could have influenced the child rather
than parental beliefs.
The 9uestionnaire may have had social desirability bias children may
say they drink more to look tough or say they drink less in case their
parents find out. ;arents may predict their children drink more because
they think it is a badge of honour, or predict they drink less because it is
not acceptable.
Tas' >) Spot the fibsD Read the follo"ing paragraph and correct the errors&
a( 2adon found that if parents expected children to drink small amounts, a year later they
would have conformed to the expectations even if they didnt drink as much before.
b( %-7 children between %4-%, years were 9uestioned.
c( 2adon found that children who dran' the least alcohol were the ones whose parents had
predicted a greater use of alcohol.
Reision notes .s criminal research practical and ethical?
Practical iss#es difficulties accessing and researching criminals
Ethical iss#es problems referring to the moral issues, or the rightsDwrongs of this research
Practical problems Ethical problems
Problems
"ith
biologica
l
research
.n a study with %777s of ;ps, only a
handful will have 677 supposedly
linked to criminality lo"ers alidity of
studies due to small sample si3e.
.t is not ethical to say that having a specific
chromosome pattern causes criminality if the link is
not %77/ true. .t could become a self!f#lfilling
prophecy&
#hromosome abnormalities are very
diffic#lt to detect $no obviously
outward signs( gathering ;ps is
therefore difficult.
To tell a criminal their behavior was due to a
chromosomal abnormality might lead them to
believe that they are not responsible for their
actions they can blame their Beans&
There are family lin's to crime and
criminality but there are many different
types of crime a criminal gene
concept is #nli'ely to be fo#nd&
Itudies that have been conducted always maintain
;ps anonymity they arent named nor can they
be identified from the research.
*amily+ t"in and adoption st#dies
rely on conviction rates but not all
criminals get ca#ght so these data will
not be included in the studies.
.f psychologists found a genetic link to criminal
behavior, this knowledge could be used to control
indiid#als with chromosome abnormality before
they even commit a crime. This could be
dangerous and encroach on people2s h#man
rights&
Problems
"ith
social
research
We cannot carry out an e"periment to
make someone a criminal, so any
research 1ust e"amines a lin' bet"een
criminality and social or biological
factors they may be other causes for
the criminal behavior e.g. child rearing.
.f there is a link between the family and criminal
behavior it could be used to blame parents for
their children2s behaior& :esults for these
studies should be treated with care and not used to
hold parents responsible for their childrens actions
if this is not a certainty.
:esearch often involves e"amining why
people have turned to crime. #riminals
and their family are 9#estioned abo#t
past eents that might have caused
.nvestigating the self!f#lfilling prophecy as an
e"planation may create or reinforce e"isting labels
and therefore enco#rage criminal behaior&
&
them to turn to crime. There are
several practical problems associated
with thisJ
Eemory is not ery reliable
after many years, and the
answers given might not provide
an accurate account of what
really happened.
As'ing the criminals
themseles might be
#nreliable because they blame
aspects of their upbringing as a
reason for crime, rather than the
true reasonDs.
.t could be a way for criminals to
aoid ta'ing responsibility&
Tas' =) Ans"er the follo"ing 9#estions)
%( Why is validity an issue in biological researchF
-( Why are there problems with family, twin and adoption studiesF
)( .f you tell a criminal their behavior was due to their genes they mightA
4( .f there is a link between family and criminal behavior there is a danger ofA
Reision notes Gathering information from conicted offenders
#onvicted offenders are sometimes used in criminal research but there are problems with
this type of research.
Practical problems Ethical problems
They may use the research as a way of
gaining early release from prison by telling
psychologists that they are sorry for their
crimes or by underplaying the crimes they have
committed. This may lead to false res#lts.
#riminals who are used in psychological
research should not be treated any differently
from non-criminals, 1ust because they are
criminals and are in prison.
They might try to glorify their crimes to make
them feel more important than they are. This
can lead to #seless st#dy findings&
#riminals, e"-criminals and prisoners have the
same h#man rights as any other member of
society.
They might feel g#ilty about their crimes and
feel #ncomfortable talking about what they
have done.
Kike all participants of psychological research,
convicted offenders should have the right to
gie consent+ be able to "ithdra" from the
st#dy+ hae their priacy respected and be
debriefed. Bo humans should be put at risk for
harm or distress.
They may believe the information they give #riminals might feel g#ilt about their crimes
%7
could be used to conict another criminal
they dont want to grass them up for fear of
their own safety.
and feel uncomfortable talking about them.
They might withhold certain information to
protect themselves, their families or their
criminal group.
#riminals may believe that the information they
give could be used to conict another
criminal. They may fear that the other criminal
might look for revenge. This could lead to
distress.
Tas' (F) @#tline one ethical iss#e "ith #sing conicted offenders in
psychological research& :- mar's<
AAAAA
Key terminology @ffender profiling
criminal consistency the idea that a person will commit a crime in a way that mirrors his or her
own personality and ability. 6n organised person will commit an organised
crime.
profile a list of predicted abilities, personality characteristics, occupation, marital
status, etc., that can be sued to narrow down a list of suspects for a crime.
Reision notes @ffender profiling
@ffender profiling is the name of a process used to help police catch criminals. .t does
not prod#ce the name of the criminal but helps to narro" the n#mber of s#spects that
police should investigate.
6 criminal profile is a prediction of what a criminal is like using evidence and
psychology.
Traditional policing involves the analysis of physical evidence $fingerprints+ bloodstains+
sho" prints+ 0CA etc.( but psychologists believe that the way in which a crime was
committed gives additional clues about the criminal.
6 criminal will leae cl#es at the crime scene such asJ type of ictim+ type of crime+
location+ time of day or night+ specific feat#res of a crime+ "hat is ta'en or left
behind.
There are often similarities between crimes committed by the same person that can be
picked out. The way in which an offender commits a crime is a reflection of their self
they will do things that they normally would do in their criminal behaviour - criminal
consistency&
The profile can help the police predict the type of future victims and offenders. The profile
can give cl#es about evidence that might be found on the criminal, such as so#enirs
%%
taken from the crime scene. .t can also suggest very useful interview techni9ues for the
police to use on the criminal. e.g. a clever criminal will not talk if interviewed in a severe
way.
Creating a profile inoles)
%. Analysis of the crime the police make detailed records of the victim, place,
photographs, 8B6 evidence and time of day.
-. 5#ilding a profile a criminal profiler uses this information to construct a list of
probable features of a criminal.
This can include age+ race+ sex+ marital stat#s+ occ#pation+ intellect#al ability area
lied in+ preio#s criminal actiity&
8oes it workF 6 handful of profiles have been successful but others have led to
ictimisation and entrapment.
#olin Itagg was arrested for the murder of :achel Bickell $%&&-( based on a profile
developed by ;aul 5rittan. There was no physical eidence against him but because the
police thought he was the right man, he was followed by the media and police and made
an o#tcast.
.n -77+ :obert Bapper pleaded guilty and Itagg was given an apology from the police.
2any people argue that offender profiling is nothing more than experienced g#ess"or'
some say it is as acc#rate as horoscopes>
Cffender profiling is 1ust one of the many links in the chain that police use to catch
criminals. .t is unfair to blame the profile for failing to catch the criminal.
2ost police officers believe that profiles are #sef#l, but that they do not al"ays help
solve the crime. Traditional policing is still the most effective way of catching criminals.
Tas' (() Ans"er the follo"ing exam 9#estions)
%-
Reision notes The case of 1ohn 0#ffy 3The Rail"ay Killer2
8avid #anter is a famous forensic psychologist who produced profiles
of offenders.
The profile of Gohn 8uffy was very close to what they offender was
actually like.
#anter reasoned that 8uffy tied his victims up because he was not a
strong man. 5ecause he was small he was able to approach them without them seeing
him as a threat.
0aid Canter2s profile of 1ohn 0#ffy
0aid Canter2s profile *acts abo#t 1ohn 0#ffy
Kived in Kondon
Was married with no children
0ad problems with his marriage
Was a small man
;hysically unattractive
0ad an interest in martial arts
Was a semi-skilled carpenter
Kink to 5ritish :ail
6ges -7-)7 years
Kived in ?ilburn, Kondon
2arried with no children &infertile(
Ieparated
* feet 4 inches tall
Enattractive
2ember of martial arts club
Trained carpenter with 5ritish :ail
L"-5ritish :ail employee
-+ when arrested
8uffy was arrested on '
th
Bovember %&+, and convicted of ) murders and '
counts of rape and sentenced to ) life sentences. 0e also revealed he had
an accomplice, 8avid 2ulcahy $his school friend( committed some of the
crimes with him.
Tas' (-) 1ohn 0#ffy the Rail"ay m#rderer "as arrested+ conicted and
sentenced to life imprisonment for his crimes& 0aid canter helped the police profile Bohn
0#ffy& 0efine the term offender profiling&
Key terminology The Bob of a forensic psychologist
psychopath person suffering from a chronic mental disorder with abnormal or violent
social behavior.
Reision notes ! The Bob of a forensic psychologist
The Bob)
Works in the courts to uncover psychological issues
looks at psychological aspects of criminal activity
Iets up treatment programmes and evaluates them
2aking offender profiles
Working with prisoners to assess the threat to staff etc., working with victims and
witnesses
:esearch and reviewing data
Hive evidence in court and advise parole boards
%)
Working with other agencies, assessing problems, coming up with interventions and
developing policy.
Examples)
6dvising prison governors about prisons, staff, implementing change or other
organisational issues
#arrying out one-to-one assessments and treatments of prisoners as appropriate
6ssessing the risk of reoffending using one-to-one or psychometric tests
#arrying out research pro1ects, anger management pro1ects etc.
8oing crime analysis, such as using offender profiling.
The problem of psychopathic disorders
;eople with psychopathic disorders do not function normally with regard to social norms
and rules.
0ow can their disorder be treatedF They are usually detained in secure hospitals to protect
the public but are not always on a treatment programme. Ihould they be in a min prisonF
2any psychopaths are unable to show progress after their treatment
There are also problems with the diagnosis of psychopathic disorder as this may lead to a
label being applied to the individual making the disorder hard to treat.
Reision notes ! 5ecoming a forensic psychologist
G#alifications)
8egree in psychology
Work e"perience
2asters in !orensic ;sychology $step % of the 8iploma in !orensic ;sychology(
- years supervised practise $step -(
S'ills)
#ommunication listen carefully and speak comfortably
Hood writing skills
;roblem-solving skills
Enderstand body language
5e able to work within the 5;I ethical guidelines
?ho do they "or' for?
02 ;rison Iervice
B0I
Iocial Iervices
Ielf-employed
Chartered stat#s)
Iatisfied all the re9uirements of the 5ritish ;sychological Iociety, and have sufficient
9ualifications to be called a =psychologist.
Tas' (/) dra" a flo" chart to sho" ho" someone becomes a forensic psychologist&
%4
Key terminology Ho" a forensic psychologist might help treat offenders
mandatory has to be done.
personal construct
therapy
a therapy where someone finds their own way of looking at people $their
personal constructs( and uses those constructs, not only to see how they
1udge the people they know but also to measure change after therapy.
Tas' (4)
Reision notes Ho" a forensic psychologist might help treat offenders
!orensic psychologists develop rehabilitation programmes. They may use anger
management, skills training or treatments for addiction.
Personal Constr#ct Therapy
6 therapy where someone finds their own way of looking at people $their personal
constr#cts< and uses their constructs to see how they 1udge the people they know.
The psychologist helps the person to #nderstand their own constructs and then repeats
the task later to help them see how they have changed.
6fter some intervention by the psychologist, $e.g. social skills training( the individual
1udges their own constructs again to see what changes have been made during
treatment.
Treating dr#g ab#se
;rescribing s#bstit#te dr#gs and monitoring the addicts
progress closely and providing s#pport and co#nselling.
2aking sure they have ade9#ate ho#sing and f#nding to
prevent them turning back to drugs.
Treating sex#al offenders
.t is mandatory that sex offenders attend a treatment programme.
What causes se" offendingF .f we know what causes it, we can treat it but we cant be
sure what causes it.
2edication can be prescribed to reduce se" drive
Cognitie 5ehaio#ral Therapy :C5T< involves helping someone to change how they
think about something and therefore behave differently.
Begative thoughts are changed to positive ones.
.ntimacy problems poor childhood relationships can lead to loneliness or a lack of skills
in intimacy. Cffenders may have a distorted view of what is appropriate behaviour.
Social s'ills problems child molesters tend to lack confidence and have difficulty
mi"ing socially.
Problems "ith empathy se" offenders seem to confuse fear, anger and disgust, finding
it hard to separate these emotions.
%*
Cognitie distortions if the se" offender has distorted thinking, they can 1ustify their
behaviour to themselves.
Tas' (8) Ans"er the follo"ing exam 9#estion)
Ho" might a *orensic psychologist help in conicting and treating criminals? :(F mar's<
%,
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Key terminology Ho" defendant characteristics affect B#ry decision!ma'ing
defendant a person who has been accused of a crime and is now in court
verdict a decision made by a 1ury. The verdict can be guilty or innocent.
testimony the evidence given by a witness, e"pert, or a person the defendant knows
well.
stereotype a general view of a person based on little or no factual information.
Reision notes ! Ho" defendant characteristics affect B#ry decision!ma'ing
Ierious criminal offences are dealt with in a court of law, with a B#dge and a B#ry $%-
randomly selected people from the local area(
8uring the trial the B#ry listens to the eidence and testimony presented by the defence
$those who are supporting the defendants innocence( and the prosec#tion $those who
are trying to prove that the defendant is guilty(.
The 1urors then talk to each other in private before making a decision. 6 guilty verdict
results in the B#dge deciding upon a sentence. Iometimes however, innocent people are
sent to prison or guilty people are released due to an imperfect system.
#an 1uries make mistakesF Their decision should only be based on what they have seen
and hear in the courtroom the eidence - but 1urors might be affected by other factors.
0ow a defendant looks, acts or sounds affect how they are viewed by a 1ury. We base our
decisions on the stereotypes we hold.
Race
There is a higher proportion of ethnic minorities in prison $%*/( than in the general E?
population $+/(
.f we have a stereotypical view of a black man as more likely to commit a crime, we are
more likely to find them guilty.
Ikolnick and Ihaw $%&&'( found that the relationship between the race of 1urors and the
race of defendants were both important in the decision-making process. 5oth black and
white 1urors were less likely to find a black defendant guilt $this goes against other
studies(, and that black 1urors were more likely to find a white defendant guilty than a black
defendant.
Attractieness
Taylor and 5utcher $-77'( conducted a mock 1ury study and found that more attractive
people were 1udged as less guilty of a crime and given lower sentences than unattractive
people. 5eautiful people get away with murder>
Accent
.f a defendant is well-spoken, we are less likely to find them guilty of burglary.
6 defendant with a strong regional or =rough accent $e.g. Heordie, Icouser etc.( may be
more likely to commit a crime. $2ahony and 8i"on, -77-(
%'
Tas' (;) Ans"er the follo"ing exam 9#estion) Explain ho" one characteristic of a
defendant may infl#ence B#ry decision!ma'ing& :/ mar's<
%+

Topic E

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Topic E

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

GCSE Psychology Topic E Are criminals born or

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen