Cognitive explanations of crime

Who developed the level of moral reasoning theory?

Kohlberg

What type of theory is Kohlberg’s?

A stage theory

How many levels & stages were in Kohlberg’s theory?

• 3 levels

• 6 stages

What are the names of the stages within Kohlberg’s theory?

• Pre-conventional morality

• Conventional morality

• Post-conventional morality

What stage are criminals said to be in?

Pre-conventional

What type of morality is displayed within pre-conventional morality?

• Less sophisticated & more simplistic views of morality (e.g. rules are obeyed for personal gain)

• Characterised by a need to avoid punishment, gain rewards & is associated with less mature, child-like reasoning

What term refers to someone only looking at things from their perspective & being unable to see the perspectives of others?

Egocentric

Why might children & adults at the pre-conventional level commit crimes?

They think that they can get away with it or gain rewards (e.g. money, increased respect, etc)

What is an example of a moral dilemma that Kohlberg used?

Heinz dilemma: hypothetical scenario where Heinz considers stealing an overpriced drug to save his dying wife

What are cognitive distortions?

Errors or biases in individual’s information processing system characterised by faulty thinking

When do criminals use cognitive distortions?

When interpreting others’ behaviours or justifying their own actions

What are two examples of cognitive distortions?

• Hostile attribution bias

• Minimalisation

What is hostile attribution bias?

Misinterpreting the actions of others by assuming they are being confrontational when, in fact, they’re not → may result in an aggressive, violent response

What are examples of hostile attribution bias?

• Interpreting someone accidently bumping into you in a crowded bar as a personal attack

• Interpreting someone simply looking at you as threatening

What is minimalisation?

An attempt to downplay or deny the seriousness of an event

What are examples of minimalisation?

• Burglary as a means to “support my family”

• Child molesters “showing affection”

• Rapists minimising the harm they caused to their victim

Describe & evaluate cognitive explanations for offending (16 marks)

Write your AO1 paragraph

• Firstly, one cognitive explanation for offending is Kohlberg’s levels of moral reasoning, which propose that people’s decisions & judgements on issues of right & wrong can be summarised in a stage theory of moral development from pre-conventional, conventional & post-conventional morality. Kohlberg used a series of moral dilemmas (e.g. Heinz dilemma) to determine people’s level of moral reasoning & found that criminals tend to fall into the pre-conventional stage.

• Pre-conventional morality is the first stage which has less sophisticated, more simplistic views of morality (e.g. rules are obeyed for personal gain). It is characterised by a need to avoid punishment, gain rewards & is associated with less mature, child-like reasoning. Individuals at this level may commit crime if they can get away with it or gain rewards (e.g. money, increased respect, etc).

• Secondly, another cognitive explanation are cognitive distortions, which are faulty thinking patterns that justify or maintain criminal behaviour. These distortions help offenders maintain a positive self-image & rationalise their behaviour, avoiding responsibility. Two key distortions are: hostile attribution bias (misinterpreting others’ actions as threatening & blaming the victim for provoking the offence) & minimalisation (downplaying or denying the seriousness of the offence to reduce guilt).

Describe & evaluate cognitive explanations for offending (16 marks)

Write your strength AO3 PEEL (CBT)

• Point: One strength of cognitive explanations for offending is that they have improved the treatment of criminal behaviour.

• Evidence: For example, the main approach in the rehabilitation of sex offenders is CBT, which encourages them to confront what they have done & establish a less distorted view of their actions.

• Explain: Research has found that reduced incidences of denial & minimalisation in therapy is correlated with a reduced risk of recidivism, as accepting responsibility is a key aspect of rehabilitation.

• Link: Therefore, this application of psychological research could reduce the cost offending has on the economy.

Describe & evaluate cognitive explanations for offending (16 marks)

Write your limitation AO3 PEEL (Farrington et al.)

• Point: One limitation of cognitive explanations for offending is that they fail to consider individual differences.

• Evidence: For example, the longitudinal Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development by Farrington et al. followed 411 working-class boys from a deprived inner city area of South London - data was collected through interviews with the boys & their parents, teacher reports, criminal records & peer/self-reports.

• Explain: Results found that 41% of boys were convicted of at least one offence by age 50, with low IQ & poor school achievement in childhood being significant predictors of later offending.

• Link: Overall, this suggests that Kohlberg’s stage theory oversimplifies the causes of crime, as lower intelligence may contribute to criminal behaviour, meaning poor moral reasoning could be a result of low IQ rather than its cause.

Discuss cognitive explanations for offending behaviour (16 marks)

Write your limitation AO3 PEEL (lack of objectivity)

• Point: One limitation of cognitive explanations for offending is that they are argued to be less objective than other explanations for criminality.

• Evidence: For example, Kohlberg’s research is based upon a series of hypothetical dilemmas (e.g. Heinz dilemma) & in reality, people may behave very differently, as there are real consequences.

• Explain: This is in comparison to biological explanations for crime, which are based upon more scientific principles, such as Raine et al.’s research into the role of the amygdala & pre-frontal cortex in crime using PET scans.

• Link: Overall, this reduces the external validity of Kohlberg’s artificial dilemma situation, which causes us to question cognitive explanations of crime as a whole.