Criminal Psych Independent Study

Cognition

the mental action of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and senses.

Emotion

a natural state of mind coming from one’s circumstances, mood, or relationships with others.

Behavior

the way in which one acts/conducts oneself, specifically towards others

Cognitive Biases

Systematic, universally occurring tendencies or distortions in human judgment and decision-making that can lead to inaccurate or suboptimal outcomes

Evolutionary Mismatch

A situation where our brains remain optimized for immediate survival in primordial conditions rather than for the abstract, long-term calculations required for modern challenges like climate change

Focus Principle or (WYSIATI)

The tendency to selectively focus on specific pieces of information that "resonate" with what we already know while ignoring information that is not easily visible or comprehensible

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after an outcome is known, that one would have foreseen it all along

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to only see or focus on information that confirms existing ideas and expectations

Status Quo Bias

The tendency to prefer maintaining the current state of affairs and to be afraid of alternative options

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts used to address problems and make judgments

Schemas

Frameworks for thinking that people form and modify.

System 1 (thinking)

The "fast" thinking system. It is automatic, emotional, and relies on patterns or "gut feelings." It requires very little effort but is prone to biases.

System 2 (thinking)

The "slow" thinking system. It is logical, calculating, and conscious. It is more accurate for complex problems but requires significant "cognitive load" (mental effort).

Metacognition

Literally "thinking about thinking." It is the ability to monitor your own mental processes and recognize when your intuition might be wrong, allowing you to manually switch from System 1 to System 2.

Cognitive Reflection

The specific ability to resist a first, "impulsive" response and instead engage in further reflection to find the correct answer.

Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT)

A specific psychological task (the 3 questions about the bat/ball, widgets, and lilies) used to measure if someone can override their initial impulse.

Metacognitive Override

The moment a student realizes, "Wait, 10 cents can't be right," and starts doing the math.

Disposition

A person's natural tendency or "habit" of thinking in a certain way.

Fast-Thinking

automatic, intuitive, impulse thinking (System 1)

Slow-Thinking

analytical, thought-out thinking (System 2)

Algorithm

A defined, step-by-step procedure or formula that guarantees a correct solution if followed exactly.

Bounded Rationality

The idea that decision-making is limited by the information available, the cognitive limitations of the mind, and the finite amount of time.

Availability Heuristics

Estimating the probability of an event based on how easily examples come to mind.

Familiarity Heuristics

A strategy where people favor items or actions that they have encountered before over new ones.

Representative Heuristic

Judging the probability of something based on how well it matches a specific mental prototype or stereotype.

Prospect Theory

People fear losses more than they value gains

Anchoring Bias

The first piece of information you hear heavily influences later decisions.

Overconfidence Bias

People overestimate how accurate their judgments are.

Rational Choice Theory

The idea that offenders commit crimes when they believe the benefits outweigh the risks.