Unit 6 Criminal Psychology
6.1 Content
Explanations of crime and anti-social behaviour, with consideration given
to gender differences
- 6.1.1 Biological explanations, including brain injury, amygdala and
aggression, XYY syndrome and personality.
- 6.1.2 Social explanations, including labelling, self-fulfilling prophecy.
Understanding the offender, offence analysis and case formulation
- 6.1.3 Cognitive interview and ethical interview techniques.
- 6.1.4 The use of psychological formulation to understand the function
of offending behaviour in the individual. Two treatments for
offenders, including strengths and weaknesses and one study for each
that considers their effectiveness
- 6.1.5 One cognitive-behavioural treatment e.g. CBT, social skills
training, anger management, assertiveness training. 6.1.6 One
biological treatment, e.g. improved diet, hormone treatment. 6.1.7
Factors influencing eye-witness testimony, including consideration of
reliability (including post-event information and weapon focus).
Studies can be the same as those used for the methodology section of
criminological psychology.
- 6.1.8 Factors influencing jury decision-making, including
characteristics of the defendant and pre-trial publicity, including
studies in this area.
- 6.1.9 Individual differences
- 6.1.10 Developmental psychology
6.3 Studies
Classic study
- 6.3.1 Loftus and Palmer (1974) Reconstruction of auto mobile
destruction: An example of the interaction between language and
memory.
One contemporary study from the following:
- 6.3.2 Bradbury M D and Williams, M R (2013) Diversity and Citizen
Participation: The Effects of Race on Juror Decision Making. 6.3.3
Valentine T and Mesout J (2009) Eyewitness identification under
stress in the London Dungeon
,6.1.1 Biological explanations: brain injury (8)
A01: Traumatic brain injury occurs directly A01: The personality of an individual may
as a result of trauma on the brain, such as change as a result of brain injury or the
being involved in a car accident, falling person may start to behave in ways that are
and injuring the head or being assaulted in atypical of them pre trauma. Sometimes the
the head. Injuries affect development of behaviour that people engage in can be
temperament, temperance, social reckless or involve aggression towards
judgement and control impulses. The others.
injury may also contribute to a greater
level of risk taking behaviour making it
more likely an individual may become
involved in anti-social activity.
A03: Williams et al 2010 found that 60% of A03: However, both studies have problems
the 196 prisoners had received some form whereby the relationship between brain injury
of traumatic brain injury due to falling, and crime is not casual and other factors may
car accidents and sports activities. have been of influence. Williams doesn't
Therefore, supporting brain injury as an identify which area of the brain was damaged
explanation of crime/ antisocial and the research was correlational. Brower
behaviour. Fazel found that 8.8% of those and Price suggested frontal lobe injury is
with TBI had committed a violent crime linked to crime but frontal network
compared to 3 of the matched control dysfunction isn't. Fazel found that those with
group, supporting the idea that physical brain injury are more likely to have a mental
trauma may be a precursor of crime. illness or abuse of drugs or alcohol. These
factors may create a predisposition rather
than brain injury itself
A01: Brain injury can also be caused by A01: The consequences of brain injury are
long term alcohol or drug use. Alcohol has dependent on the area of the brain that has
a toxic effect of the central nervous been injured as different parts of the brain
system CNS and interferes with the are responsible for different functions.
absorption of vitamin B1 thiamine which Damage to the amygdala which controls and
is an important brain nutrient. As regulates emotions leads to an increase in
drunkenness can impair balance or impulsivity, aggression, and criminal
decision making it also contributes an behaviour. Damage to the prefrontal cortex
increase in fall for accidents that injure leads to reduced awareness of emotions, loss
the brain of memory and concentration, poor impulse
control, social judgement and crime
A03: Kreutzer et al 1991 investigation of A03: However, the researchers believed that
74 patients, found that 20% had been substance abuse which was most common
arrested pre-injury and 10% post injury. among those younger than 35 years.
Most arrests occurred after the use of Following further research. Kreutzer et al
alcohol or other drugs. Supporting the fact 1995 concluded that without the presence of
that criminal behaviour may be as a result a substance use history traumatic brain
of substance abuse and that traumatic injury was not a risk factor for criminal
brain injury & crime were interconnected. behaviour.
Issues and debates: In conclusion the Issues and debates: However, when reviewing
study is supported by evidence for the influence of brain injury on criminal
instance Phineas gage. behaviour other conditions should be
considered. Many offenders have a history of
substance misuse, pre-existing personality
disorders or been exposed to violence as a
child all of which are known to increase
criminality. Therefore it is a complex process
trying to determine which of a multitude of
factors may contribute to offending
behaviour. Therefor it is a reductionist
, Amygdala (8)
A01: The normal function of the amygdala A01: Poor functioning can be due to innate
is to control and regulate emotions, factors such as inheritance or environmental
therefore when it is not functioning influences such as trauma and brain injury.
properly aggression and criminal behaviour Individuals with high aggression or psychotic
is more likely. The amygdala may become personality disorder have been shown to have
damaged as a result of brain injury a smaller amygdala and have reduced
amygdala activity during moral decision
making. Therefor psychopathic individuals
would worry less about causing harm to
others and therefore more likely to be
criminal or antisocial
AO3: This is supported by Pardini et al 2014 A03: However Pardini’s research is
who found a smaller amygdala among correlational thus a conclusion cannot be
individuals diagnosed with psychopathic drawn that lower amygdala volume is a bio
personalities as well as higher levels of maker for aggression
aggression. They continued to find out the Bufkin and Luttrell reviews a number of
individuals with a smaller amygdala were studies that used scanning to investigate
three times more likely than those with a aggressive behaviour. This studies focus on
larger amygdala to exhibit aggression, the prefrontal lobe and other areas as well as
violence and psychopathic features three the amygdala. Which suggests that
years later. They therefore suggest that numerous parts of the brain has a role in
amygdala size can predict future violence. aggression and that damage to amygdala
Groves and Schlesinger 1982 found that the does not increase aggression
surgical removal of the amygdala reduces
aggression in previously violent individuals
A01: Animals that have their amygdala A01: Controversy electronically stimulating
removed experimentally become very the amygdala creates the sham rage in cats
placid, demonstrating the role of this where they become aggressive again showing
structure in aggression and therefore the link between aggression and criminality
criminality.
A03: A study of a patient who had damage A03: In animal studies the sample is not
to their amygdala in both hemispheres is representative of humans as animals are
patient SM. SM had no visible motor, different to humans in the brains and
sensory or cognitive deficits and was able anatomies. Therefore, the finding that the
to identify a series of expressions except amygdala has correlation with aggression is
fear. If the amygdala is damaged it can not generalizable to society.
reduce fear which may result in aggression
as people will not be fearful of
consequences.
Issues and debates: the amygdala is Issues and debates: Biological explanations of
supported by many studies including Raine crime are reductionist as they do not take
et al who found reduced metabolic activity into account the multitude of factors that
in several brain areas of murders including may have caused aggression. The idea of
the left amygdala. Biological research may explaining crime as a result of single
lead to new ways to assess culpability biological actor may be the appealing simple
solutions for police officers. However they
ignore that offending is more likely to occur
in the context of social deprivation, poor
education and dysfunctional role models –
Farrington et al. The amygdala also does not
operate alone but is influenced by the OFC.
The OFC regulates self-control which reduces
functioning associated with increased
aggression and violent outbursts.
