A01 Cognitive Explanations

• Kohlberg


  Kohlberg was the first researcher to apply concept of moral reasoning to criminal behaviour.
• Levels of moral reasoning


  Proposed that people's decisions and judgements on morality can be summarised in a stage of moral development. Criminals tend to show low levels of moral reasoning.
• Heinz dilemma


  Kohlberg based his theories of moral dilemmas like the Heinz problem. A woman is dying and needs an expensive medication. Husband cannot afford the medication, should he steal it or should she die?
• Kohlberg's research


  Using the moral dilemma technique, Kohlberg found that a group of violent youths was lower in moral development than in non-violent youths. He controlled their social background.
• Kohlberg's model and criminality


  Criminal offenders more likely to be in pre-conventional level. Non-criminals typically progressed to conventional.
• Preconventional morality


  Commit crime if they can avoid punishment with it or gain rewards (immature/child-like reasoning) supported by studies suggesting offenders often more egocentric and display poor social skills.
• Conventional morality


  Uphold laws and rules to gain social approval or maintain social order. Behaviours include honesty, generosity and non-violence.
• Postconventional morality


  Affirms people's agreed-upon rights or follows personally perceived ethical principles.
• Cognitive distortions


  Errors and biases in people's information processing system characterised by faulty thinking.
• Hostile attribution bias


  Tendency to perceive hostile intent in others. Offenders may misinterpret the actions of other people and misread non-aggressive cues.
• Justye et al


  Presented 55 violent offenders with emotionally ambiguous facial expressions. Compared to control group and violent offenders were more likely to see anger and hostility. Roots of this behaviour may lie in childhood.
• Dodge and Frame researchers


  Children were shown an "ambiguous provocation" where the intention was neither clearly hostile or accidental. Prior to the study, children who had been judged as aggressive were more likely to perceive the situation as hostile.
• Minimalisation


  Attempt to deny the seriousness of an offence. This is known as a euphemistic label.
• Barbaree et al


  Found among 26 rapists, 54% denied committing said offence and 40% minimised the harm the caused.
• Pollock and Hashmall research


  Reported 35% of child molesters argued crime was non-sexual and 36% justified that the victim consented.