THEORIES MIDTERM DONE

what is psychopathy?

set of broad personality traits including superficial charm, a grandiose sense of self-worth, a tendency toward boredom and need for stimulation, pathological lying, an ability to be cunning and manipulative, and a lack of remorse

primary psychopathy

a subtype of psychopathy, best represents a true psychopath, some genetic basis

secondary psychopathy

individual with psychopathic characteristics, but who commits antisocial acts because of severe emotional problems or inner conflicts

behavioral characteristics of psychopathy

-superficial charm

-average to above average intelligence

-friendly and outgoing

-many interests

-verbally skillful

-little evidence of mental illness

psychopathy and suicide

-used to be seen as unlikely to commit suicide (like narcissists)

-but if they are about to lose all control (such as by being sent to prison) suicide may seem preferable

principal traits of psychopaths

-selfishness

-inability to love or give affection

-egocentricity

the criminal psychopath

-about 1% of general population

-most violent and persistent offenders

-high rates of recidivism, unable to learn from experience

-most research has been done on criminal psychopaths

-primary psychopath

psychological measures of psychopathy

psychopathy checklist (PCL-R), by far most respected

Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R)

-measurement of psychopathy

-not really a checklist

-has categories one must assess through multiple data sources

-affective (emotional), interpersonal, behavioral, and social deviance facets

-may be less effective in identifying psychopaths who don't engage in criminal behavior

two factor model of psychopathy

-factor 1: interpersonal and emotional components (manipulation, remorselessness, selfishness, callousness)

-factor 2: socially deviant or antisocial lifestyle (impulsive, proneness to boredom, excessive need for stimulation, lack of realistic goals)

-factor 1: instrumental violence, factor 2: impulsive (reactive) violence

three factor model of psychopathy

1) arrogant and deceitful interpersonal style- grandiosity, superficial charm, etc

2)impulsive and irresponsible behavioral style

3) deficient affective or emotional experience- little remorse, guilt, conscience, anxiety, empathy

-interpersonal, lifestyle, affective

four factor model of psychopathy

1. interpersonal

2. lifestyle

3. affective

4. antisocial tendencies

Psychopathy (Dark Triad)

-a cluster of personality traits that are associated with criminal psychopathy

-includes psychopathy, narcissism, and machiavellianism

-dark personalities do not inevitably commit crime

-socially aversive and unlikeable

the female psychopath

- Less prevalent than males

- Lower scores on PCL-R

- Lack of realistic long-term goals

- Numerous marital relationships

-wide range of crime

gender and cultural issues in psychopathy

-psychopathy construct most valid for white males

-female psychopaths exist but less overly violent, more skillful than males and less likely to get caught

Juvenile Psychopathy

-ethical considerations: labelling, self fulfilling prophecy, treatment options

-youth who demonstrate psychopathic characteristics also seem to be heavily involved in antisocial behavior

-controversial

neurobiological factors and psychopathy

-genetic factors

-temperament

-neuropsychology: central nervous system, peripheral nervous system

Autonomic nervous system research (psychopathy)

-psychopaths appear to be both autonomically and cortically underaroused

-need for stimulation

-psychopaths appear to be deficient in avoidance learning

psychopathy and depersonalization

-comparing persons classified as psychopathic (PP) and with depersonalization derealization disorder (DDD)

-both demonstrate autonomic hyperarousal

-in response to emotional stimuli, both PP and DD demonstrate frontal hyperactivity and limbic (amygdala) underactivity

-PP can correctly recognize emotional responses in others, while DDD participants cannot

Difference between APD and psychopathy

-APD by definition always includes criminal behavior, psychopathy doesn't

-psychopathy is a continuum, while APD you either have it or you don't

What is a theory?

a set of interrelated concepts, definitions, and propositions that present a systematic POV

Thomas Kuhn (1922-1996)

Believed that the activities of members of a scientific community are governed by a shared set of beliefs called a paradigm. This paradigmatic, or normal, science continues until an existing paradigm is displaced by another paradigm.

'Normal' Science

-science conducted within an existing paradigm (a research tradition they share with the rest of the scientific community), as defined by Thomas Kuhn

-while being trained to be a member of a specific community, students are taught a specialized language to use and how to interpret situations

abnormalities

unpredicted observations

Kuhn's ideas

There is no such thing as observations independent of theory

scientists embracing different paradigms live in different worlds and cannot communicate effectively with one another (ex. different political parties)

What is a crime?

-criminal behavior is behavior in violation of the criminal code

-conduct or failure to act

-in violation of a law forbidding or commanding it

-for which a range of penalties exist upon conviction

3 ways of measuring crime

1. official police reports

2. self-report studies

3. victimization studies

Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

crimes known to police and arrests

8 major crime categories (within violent crimes, property crimes, and other offenses)

clearance rate

UCR problems

hierarchy rule- when a number of offenses have been committed during a series, only the most serious offense is included

dark figure- criminal offenses unknown or undetected

national incident reporting system

provides expanded and more detailed information than the UCR

Group A and Group B offenses

Self-report studies

People report their own criminal activity

interviews or questionnaires

drug use self report surveys

victimization surveys

victims provide information on the crimes committed against them (usually to census workers)

national crime victimization survey

Classical Theory

Theory of human behavior that emphasizes free will and freedom of choice as a core concept

Deterrence Theory

people will avoid committing crime if the possibility of punishment is great enough

modern version of classical theory

Positivist Theory

Theory that argues prior experiences or influences determine present behavior.

determinism

Conformity Perspective

humans are born good and try to do the right thing

strain theory- crime occurs when there is a perceived discrepancy between the materialistic values and goals held in high esteem by society and your availability to reach these goals by legit means

Nonconformist perspective

humans are undisciplined and need to be held in check with social controls

social control theory

general theory of crime/self control theory

crime is due to deficits in self control or self regulation

learning perspective

human beings are born neutral and subject to developmental changes throughout the life course

social learning theory

differential association theory

disciplinary approach to crime

sociological- examines relationships of demographic and group variables to crime, structure of society and culture of subgroups

psychological - individual criminal behavior, the behavior, emotions, biology, and the mental processes of the offender

psychiatric criminology- interplay between social environment and psychobiological determinants of behavior

Sociological Criminology

Examines relationships of demographic and group variables to crime: focuses on the structure of society and the culture of groups and how these influence criminal behavior.

underlying social conditions

psychological criminology

The science of the behavior and mental processes of the person who commits crime.

cognitive approach, neurological or biological approach, developmental approach, trait approach

Psychiatric Criminology

Focuses on individual aspects of behavior, such as internal forces and unconscious drives

-psychiatrists can prescribe drugs

The Developmental Perspective

views the life course of all humans as following a path (or trajectory) with numerous risk and protective factors

protective factors

personal characteristics or experiences that can shield children and adolescents from serious antisocial behavior

risk factors

Characteristics or experiences that place children at risk of antisocial or criminal activity

cumulative risk model

exposure to multiple risk factors is most likely to increase the probability that a child, adolescent, or adult develops antisocial behavior and other maladaptive behaviors

ACE study

adverse childhood experiences; childhood abuse, neglect and exposure to traumatic stress correlated with specific health and relationship problems

important findings from the ACE study

-predicted all problems

-Odds Ratios (how much ne factor influences another) high for alcohol and injected drugs

-"dose response" relationship consistently found (the more of x you have, the more of y)

-risk of perpetrating intimate partner violence

extent of comorbidity

the higher the ACE score, the higher the mean number of comorbid outcome (clear dose relationship example)

Developmental Cascade Model

-assumes that development in one domain will shape development in other domains (one problem leads to another)

-focus on development of protective factors

-also known as dynamic cascade model

-development of competence and resilience to reduce maladaptive development

cumulative risk

suggests that an accumulation of risk factors and insufficient protective factors lead to antisocial and criminal activity in children and adolescents

resilience

a crucial protective factor in the individual that resists the influence of multiple risk factors

-NOT bouncing back, but the ability to adapt successfully

-3 conditions: significant threats, positive adaptation, sufficient protective factors

Family Risk Factors

-poverty

-abuse, neglect

-conflict, disorganization, stress

-single parent households

poverty

-adverse effect on child development

individuals in poverty most -likely to be victims, not offenders

-not direct cause and effect, other factors involved (usually accompanied by discrimination, racism, family disruption)

single parent households

-what goes on within the family

-Delinquents were more likely than nondelinquents to come from homes where parents were divorced or separated

-Children from conflict-free single parent homes are less likely to be delinquent than children from conflict riddled 2 parent homes

-composition of the family must be considered

Parental Styles and Practices

4 main: authoritarian, permissive, authoritative, neglect

other: tiger, helicopter

parents dealing with emotions

how are emotions dealt with in a family? anger and grief

many parents don't know how to handle their kids's anger

attachment theory

-the idea that early attachments with parents and other caregivers can shape relationships for a person's whole life

-secure attachment, insecure attachment, anxious/ambivalent attachment, avoidant

-bowlby, mary ainsworth

Bowlby's attachment theory

-children are biologically predisposed to develop attachments with caregivers as a means of increasing the chances of their own survival

-protection from predators

individuals not only flee from danger but towards security

-exploration of environment can only occur with safety (safe haven and safe base)

strange situation

a behavioral test developed by Mary Ainsworth that is used to determine a child's attachment style

insecure attachment

distressed despite not appearing so

have trouble in later intimate relationships

2 forms

insecure avoidant children: probably have learned that the caretaker withdraws when the child's needs are expressed too strongly, minimizes expression of needs in order to not overwhelm parent. often have aloof parents that avoid intimacy. little distress whether parent is present or not

insecure resistant/ambivalent- probably results from highly inconsistent caretaking

expressions of attachment needs are increased with the hope that proper care will occur. child becomes anxious and distressed from separation

internal working model

infant's understanding of how responsive and dependable the mother is; thought to influence close relationships throughout the child's life

authoritarian parenting

style of parenting in which parent is rigid and overly strict, showing little warmth to the child

permissive parenting

A parenting style characterized by the placement of few limits on the child's behavior.

authoritative parenting

parenting style characterized by emotional warmth, high standards for behavior, explanation and consistent enforcement of rules, and inclusion of children in decision making

neglectful parenting

a parenting style characterized by a lack of parental involvement in the child's life

disorganized attachment

-occurs when the parent is a source of fear for the infant

-also occurs when parent appears frightened (for no reason) or absent

-chronic failure to comfort an infant will cause this

secure attachment

a relationship in which an infant obtains both comfort and confidence from the presence of his or her caregiver

peer acceptance- relevant factors

-bigger children and those considered physically attractive have an advantage

-academic and social competence

-in adolescence, some antisocial behavior considered "cool" (more for boys than girls)

-best possible outcome

peer rejection- relevant factors

-aggressive, disruptive, uncooperative behaviors

-poor control of emotions

-withdrawn, silly, socially awkward

-poor outcomes later in life

peer neglect

-children who prefer to play alone

-outcomes not necessarily negative, loneliness and depression may ensue

association with antisocial peers

Strong predictor of adolescent substance use and delinquent behavior

peer rejection

The rejection of a child perceived to be antisocial by conventional peers, prediction of school failure which may lead to association with antisocial peers, less opportunity to learn social and interpersonal skills

ADHD

3 central behaviors: inattention, impulsivity, excessive motor activity

antisocial behavior, aggressive behavior, and an ADHD diagnosis places someone at higher risk of criminal activity as an adult

psychological risk and protective factors

-preschool experiences (quality of care is important)

-academic failure (cascading effect)

-reading achievement (high is protective, low is risk)

-lack of empathy

-theory of mind

-language deficiencies (may interfere with socialization and increase frustration levels)

-intelligence and delinquency (inverse relationship between IQ scores and delinquency, intelligence is a protective factor)

theory of mind

Closely related to empathy

Refers to a capacity to recognize the thoughts and feelings of other people

empathy

an understanding of another's feelings

differential susceptibility model

the belief that there is an indirect association between traits and crime

orchids- more sensitive/vulnerable

dandelion- maintainable in any environment

vulnerability and sensitivity

what if some people were not simply vulnerable, but just more sensitive to their environment under positive and negative conditions

Factors vs Perspective

factor- implies a variable that is independent of other variable, a circumstance, fact or influence that contributes to an outcome

perspective- derives from vision, a particular attitude towards or way of regarding something, POV

neuropsychology and behavior

neuropsychology deficits, in combination with a variety of risk factors, are often found in antisocial or criminal offenders, especially persistent, serious, violent ones

self-regulation

capacity to control and alter one's behavior and emotions, can someone soothe themselves, calm themselves down, can be taught

executive function

higher level cognitive functioning that plans behavior and executes goals

neuroplasticity

brain's ability to change throughout the life span

especially a feature of young brains (but still a feature of adults)

behavior genetics

the role genes play in the formation and development of human and animal behavior

environment has an impact on how gene is expressed (doesn't change the gene itself, just how it is presented)

molecular genetics

structure and function of genes at a molecular level

twin studies

A research design in which hereditary influence is assessed by comparing the resemblance of identical twins and fraternal twins with respect to a trait.

The Twins' Early development study

heritability seems to play a modest role in antisocial behavior, interaction of biological factors and environmental influences

adoption studies

assess hereditary influence by examining the resemblance between adopted children and both their biological and their adoptive parents

**prenatal influences cannot be subtracted from experience even if a child is adopted

Conclusion of twin and adoption studies

some people may be born with a biological predisposition to behavior that runs counter to social values and norms, but environmental factors may either inhibit or facilitate it

temperament

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity. assumed to have a constitutional or biological basis, appear in infancy and continue throughout life, be influenced by the environment

temperament and differential susceptibility

children with difficult temperaments are more susceptible to their environments, high neural sensitivity to both positive and negative environmental influenced

dominant model diathesis-(vulnerability) stress

some people are resilient- they do ok whether environment is doing bad

some people are vulnerable- do ok when environment is good, do poorly when environment is bad

gene alleles

different variations of a gene

The MAOA/MAOA-L gene

believed to play an instrumental role in antisocial behavior, either preventing it or-in low form- contributing to such behavior. Known as the "warrior gene"

MAOA and Differential Sensitivity

negative environment- higher likelihood of criminal behavior

positive environment- lower likelihood of criminal behavior

seotonin

low levels linked to aggression

ADHD and plasticity genes

ADHD closely related with conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder

"difficult" temperament

children w difficult temperaments often have one alleles that are associated with stronger responses to the environment (for better or for worse)

relationship of serotonin gene allele

short allele (S) generally been associated with reduced expression of the serotonin transporter molecule (sensitive group, higher levels of ADHD)