Criminal Psychology - Studies

• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Brain Injury

  Strength

  Study: Williams et al (2010)

  Key Point: Higher risk of reoffending if hit 3 or more times in the head
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Brain Injury

  Strength

  Study: Fazel et al (2001)

  Key Point: People who suffered brain injury - 8.8% committed violent crime compared to 3% of matched controls
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Brain Injury

  Strength

  Study: Bower and Price (2001)

  Key Point: Injury to frontal lobes associated with anti-social behaviour
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Brain Injury

  Weakness

  Study: Diaz (1995)

  Key Point: Young males and substance misuse linked to increased likelihood of brain injury
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Amygdala

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  Study: Raine et al

  Key Point: NGRI murderers had less activity in left amygdala
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Amygdala

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  Study: Yang (2009)

  Key Point: People with psychopathic tendencies had a 17-18% smaller amygdala
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Amygdala

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  Study: Sham Rage

  Key Point: The amygdala of a rate was removed or destroyed, leaving them more placid
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Amygdala

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  Study: Pardinin et al (2014)

  Key Point: Men (with a history of violent behaviour) with smaller amygdala was 3x more likely to exhibit aggression
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - XYY

  Strength

  Study: Theilgard (1984)

  Key Point: Males with XYY has slightly lower intelligence and tended to be more aggressive
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - XYY

  Weakness

  Study: Birkhoff

  Key Point: No conclusive link between XYY and anti-social behaviour
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Personality

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  Study: Bodusek

  Key Point: Criminal thinking correlated with high levels of PEN
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Personality

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  Study: Rushton and Chrisjohn

  Key Point: Relationship between high delinquency stores and extraversion
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Labelling

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  Study: Chambliss (1937)

  Key Point: Lower class were more likely to be labelled as deviant by the police compared to middle class
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Labelling

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  Study: Lieberman et al

  Key Point: Juveniles who have been previously arrested were more likely to commit other crimes compared with juveniles who had not been previously arrested
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Self-fulfilling prophecy

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  Study: Rosenthal and Jacobsen (1968)

  Key Point: Teachers expectations of a students influenced their behaviours towards them, and this influenced changes in IQ scored
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Social Learning Theory

  Strength

  Study: Cornstock and Paik (1994)

  Key Point: Estimates TV/film violence accounts for 1-10% of the variance in child aggressive behaviours. Implying a minor role
• Topic: Explanations of Crime - Social Learning Theory

  Weakness

  Study: Szycik (2017)

  Key Point: No long term effects of video games on violent behaviour
• Topic: Cognitive Interview

  Strength

  Study: Geiselman (1985)

  Key Point: Average number of correctly recalled facts for CI was 41.2, standard interview was 29.4, hypnosis was 38.0
• Topic: Cognitive Interview

  Strength

  Study: Holliday (2003)

  Key Point: Found that cognitive interviews were more useful than standard interviews when interviewing children
• Topic: Cognitive Interview

  Strength

  Study: Milne and Bull (2002)

  Key Point: Report everything and reinstate context were most effective
• Topic: Ethical Interview

  Strength

  Study: Walsh and Milne (2008)

  Key Point: Ethical interview techniques gained more information from suspected benefit fraud cheats
• Topic: Ethical Interview

  Weakness

  Study: Milne (2010)

  Key Point: The only effect training in ethical interview techniques had was that the interviews were longer
• Topic: Psychological Formulation

  Strength

  Study: Whitehead

  Key Point: Mr C left with new sense of identity after 100 hours of CBT and 10 week violence prevention
• Topic: CBT

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  Study: Ireland (2004)

  Key Point: Anger management seems more effective than no treatment
• Topic: Hormone Treatment

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  Study: Leblanc et al (2005)

  Key Point: Risperidone is effective in reducing symptoms of aggression among boys with disruptive behaviour disorders
• Topic: Post Event info

  Strength

  Study: Loftus and Palmer (1974)

  Key Point: Post-event information in the form of leading questions has a significant effect on recall
• Topic: Post Event info

  Weakness

  Study: Yuille and Cutshall (1986)

  Key Point: The effects of leading questions and weapon focus may be less pronounced when applied to real
• Topic: Post Event info

  Weakness

  Study: Gabbert (2003)

  Key Point: The accuracy of eye-witness accounts also depends upon the extent to which witnesses are able to talk to each other following the event
• Topic: Weapon Focus

  Strength

  Study: Valentine and Mesout (2009)

  Key Point: Eye witnesses is impaired under conditions of high anxiety
• Topic: Weapon Focus

  Strength

  Study: Loftus (1987)

  Key Point: Anxiety makes a witness worse
• Topic: Weapon Focus

  Strength

  Study: Fawcett (2013)

  Key Point: Weapon present demonstrated a negative effect on accuracy in both controlled and real life situations
• Topic: Weapon Focus

  Weakness

  Study: Wagstaff (2003)

  Key Point: No evidence for any effect of a weapon on accuracy