CRIME PSYCHOLOGY

evaluation of cooper and mackie

✅lab exp controlled environment so reduces extraneous variables

✅ethical as consent was given by parents

❌lacks ecological validity as children would normally be playing at home in familiar environment not in a lab with strangers a this may affect their behaviour

❌PoP broken as exposed to violent media , girls left study in more a violent state.

how are dopamine and psychotism linked?

psychotism is the result of having too many dopaminernic neurons which can cause too much dopamine in the brain. Too much dopamine leads to inhibition of our urges so we become more impulsive and reckless which may increase risk of crime

describe the aim , hypothesis , method , IVs and sample in cooper ans mackie

A-to investigate how computer generated games showing a lot of violence affected children and whether it affected gender diff

H-boys and girls will perceive VG diff, aggression VG will impact children’s behaviour more then non AGG

M- lab exp, independent measures design

IV- whether players placed in HA, LA or control Or whether pps were players or observers

S- 84 4th and 5th graders USA

describe the procedure of copper and mackie

pps randomly allocated into pairs , one player one observer , and randomly assigned to high aggression , low aggression or control . One player played one observed . Then they were sent too a toy room were an observer covertly recorders what toys were used . Meanwhile observer pps were sent too measureinterersonal aggression by pressing a buzzer to show level of punish or reward, timed by how long the buzzer was pressed for .

All pps finally then completed a manipulation questionaire on how mcuh they liked each game ( p) or how much they wanted to play the game .

the role of rehabilitation and what we can do

restorative justice- Offender meets with victim and victim can explain how they caused an affect and impact on them. Offender listens and hopefully fees guilty and therefore prevents further crime being committed.

Peer mentor schemes - assign offender a mentor , spends sessions and can observe non criminal behaviour which hopefully leads to imitation.

evaluation of eysencks theory

✅validated by research heavens study found link between PEN, providing support between personality and crime.

✅Could be useful , potential for early intervention here if we know people who score highly on PEN are more likely to commit crime.

❌Reductionist , focus on biological factors causing crime whcih ignores environmental factors that could influence someone’s behaviour eg. SLT

❌Labels people who do score highly on PEN as ‘criminals’ people may believe their going to commit crime therefore become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

what does the role of punishment do to a criminal?

receiving bad consequences for a crime makes them learn via what they’ve done and hopefully makes them aware of what happens . Hopefully makes them not want to repeat it as wanting to avoid further punishment eg prison.

what are the five types of crime and examples

sexual-Offender forces victim to do something against their will eg rape.

Drug related - selling drugs

Anti social- Something that causes disruption to society eg drunk in public

Acquisitive- taking someone’s belongings eg theft

Violence- acts with intended harm to victim eg murder

what does it mean by ‘crime as a social construct’ ?

idea that criminal behaviour is determined by what is considered criminal by a society , often based on what’s acceptable at that point in time .

Based off the norms and values of society

how is crime measured ?

via official crime statistics

self report : questionnaires

what are the problems with how crime is measured ?

issues with under-reporting so the statistics are lower then the actual crime as people may feel scared to report or fee they might not be believed.

People also might lie

what are the 6 stages of the social learning theory

Nurture- someone’s environment

Observation of a role model - seeing big brother steal

Vicarious reinforcement- seeing them be rewarded for crime

Imitation-stealing yourself

direct reinforcement- being rewarded your self

Internalisation - it becomes part of you

evaluate the social learning theory

✅useful as it suggests we learn criminality so we can prevent this by placing interventions eg, parenting advice , media restrictions , placing youth centres in high crime area which prevents obsv of crime and also provides better role models.

❌reductionist , too simplistic as it only suggests we learn to be a criminal . This ignores burger eg criminal biology like our genetics.

Describe heavens study ( A, M, S,Pr,R)

A- to test the model that PEN traits are significant predictors of self reported delinquency.

M- longitude study and self report

S- Beginining -282 End-235

Pr- Questionaires completed anonymously, tested on two occasions.

R- M more likely to engage in delinquency then F both times , higher levels of psychotism (rebellious) were associated with higher self reported delinquency, findings overall support eysencks theory to a degree . Personality only explained a small percentage of delinquency.

Results of cooper and mackie

Children who played / watched aggressive games spent more time with aggressive toys.

Girls showed bigger increase more then the boys

Type of game didn’t affect interpersonal aggression scores

evaluate heavens study (pp attrition)

❌ Pp attrition occurred as longitudal design was used , 20% people dropped out therefore data was lost which could be their data results on personality and delinquency may be different.

✅ Longitudal designs are good as we can track data over time and see how behaviour changes

What is central nervous system and extroversion how are they linked

The RAS is part of the brainstem that links the brain to the spinal cord and regulates the stimuli sent to the cerebral cortex. Eysneck argued that in extroverts the cerebal cortex is ‘under arousrd ‘ because the stimuli is restricted by the RAS. The verbal correct is therefore hungry for stimulation which could be satisfied via environmental stimulation eg being socialable , risky or even breaking the law .

How is the ANS system and neuroticism linked?

Neuroticism is related to activity in the ANS. The ANS is activated during emotional situations . Eysenck said that the ANS becomes over active in Neuortic people leading to higher levels of emotion which could lead to violence and aggression. The likbic system is also part of the brain that is over active in neurotic people leading to heightened emotions eg agression.