cognitive distortions

• Cognitive distortions = errors or biases in people’s information processing system
• Research has linked cognitive distortions to the way offenders interpret others behaviour and justify their own actions.
• Two examples of cognitive distortions are hostile attribution bias and minimalisation.
• Hostile attribution bias = a propensity for violence is often associated with a tendency to misinterpret the actions of others (e.g. assume others are being confrontational when they are not).
• Schönenberg and Jusyte presented 55 violent offenders with images of emotionally ambiguous facial expressions. The violent offenders were significantly more likely to perceive the images as angry and hostile than a non-aggressive matched control group. The roots of this behaviour may be apparent in childhood.
• Minimalisation = an attempt to deny or downplay the seriousness of an offence
• For instance, burglars may describe themselves as ’doing a job’ or ‘supporting my family’ as a way of minimising the seriousness of their offences.
• Studies suggest that individuals who commit sexual offences are particularly prone to minimalisation.
• Barbaree found among 26 incarcerated rapists, 54% denied they had committed any offence at all and a further 40% minimised the harm they had caused to the victim.
• Dodge and Frame showed children a video clip of an ‘ambiguous provocation’ (where the intention was neither clearly hostile nor clearly accidental). Children who had been identified as ‘aggressive’ and ‘rejected’ interpreted the situation as more hostile than those classed as ‘non-aggressive’.
• Cognitive behaviour therapy aims to challenge irrational thinking. Offenders are encouraged ‘face up’ to what they have done and establish a less distorted view of their actions. Studies suggest that reduced incidence of denial and minimalisation in therapy is highly associated with a reduced risk of reoffending. This suggests the theory of cognitive distortions has practical value.
• However, the level of cognitive distortion depends on the offence.
• Howitt and Sheldon gathered questionnaire responses from sexual offenders. They found that non-contact (accessed images) sex offenders used more cognitive distortions that contact (physically abused children) sex offenders. Those who had a previous history of offending were also more likely to use cognitive distortions as a justification. This suggests that distortions are not used in the same way by all offenders.