Cognitive distortion

• Cognitive distortions - a form of irrational thinking where reality becomes twisted and no longer represents what is true. This makes a persons perception of events is therefore wrong. This can mean that offenders can deny or rationalise their behaviour.
• Two types of cognitive distortions relevant to crime:

  Hostile attribution bias

  Minimalisation
• Hostile attribution bias - what we think when we observe someone’s actions a draw inferences about what it means. This leans towards thinking the worst, leading to aggressive behaviour.
• Minimalisation - magnification and minimalisation are when the consequences of a situation are over or under exaggerated. Minimalisation can mean that a criminal reduces any negative interpretation of their behaviour before or after the crime has been committed. This helps them commit crime
• CE AO3. There is research support for hostile attribution bias. Schonenberg and Aiste ( 2014 ) showed emotionally ambiguous faces to 55 violent offenders in prison and compared their responses to matched control ppts. The faces showed angry, happy or fearful emotions. The offenders were more likely to interpret a picture with an expression of anger as an expression of aggressive. The researchers concluded that misinterpretation of non verbal cues can cause criminal behaviour.
• CE AO3. There is research support for minimalisation. Kennedy and Grubin ( 1992 ) found that sex offenders accounts of their crimes often donwplayed their behaviour. They often suggested that the victims behaviour contributed in some way to the crime. Some also simply denied that a crime had been committed. This shows evidence that the negative interpretation of their actions is under exaggerated.
• CE AO3. The cognitive approach has real world application. Understanding cognitive distortions probably can’t be used in the identification of criminals, however it can be used in treatment. Heller ( 2013 ) worked with a group of young disadvantaged men in Chicago. They used cognitive behavioural techniques to reduce judgement and cognitive distortions. Those who attended the sessions had a 44 % reduction in arrests.