A03 Cognitive Explanations

• Levels of moral reasoning evidence

  Palmer and Hollin compared moral reasoning between female non-offenders, male non-offenders and convicted offenders using the social moral reflection measure short form (SRM-SF) containing 11 moral dilemma-related questions.
• Palmer and Hollin findings (Levels of moral reasoning evidence)


  Delinquent group showed less mature moral reasoning than non-delinquent group. Blackburn suggests the delinquents show poor moral development due to lack of role playing during childhood. (Real life app)
• Alternative theories of moral reasoning


  Gibbs proposed a revised version of Kohlberg's theory with 2 levels of reasoning. Immature level- moral decisions are guided by avoidance of punishment and personal conscience. Mature level is characterised by empathy and social justice.
• Abandonment of postconventional level (Alternative theories of moral reasoning)


  Gibbs argued the post-conventional level should be abandoned as it is culturally biased and did not represent a natural stage of cognitive development. .
• Piaget's theory (Alternative theories of moral reasoning)


  Supported by Piaget's theory of moral development suggesting child-like reasoning is self-centred which gives what to empathy
• Application of research


  Understanding nature of cognitive distortions has been beneficial in the treatment of criminal behaviour.
• Rehabilitaiton


  Cognitive behaviour therapy is used for rehabilitation for offenders encouraging them to face what they did. Reduced incidences of minimalisation in therapy is highly correlated with reduced risk of reoffending- anger management.
• Individual differences


  Level of reasoning depends on type of the offence. Thortan and Reid found criminals who committed crime for finance were more likely to show pre-conventional moral reasoning than those convicted of impulsive crimes.
• Landon et al (Individual differences)


  Langdon et al found intelligence may be a better predictor of criminality than moral reasoning. Explains why people with low intelligence are less likely to commit crime.
• Descriptive not explanatory

  It is good at describing the criminal mind but does not explain it. Cognitive explanations tend to not give insight into why the offender committed the crime in the first place. Alternative theory is the biological approach.