16.4.2 Cognitive Explanations

• What do cognitive explanations of offending behavior focus on?

  How offenders think
• Hostile attribution bias involves interpreting others' actions as aggressive.
• Minimalisation is the process of downplaying the seriousness of one's actions
• What are cognitive distortions systematic errors in?

  Thinking
• Moral disengagement allows individuals to detach their behavior from moral considerations.
• Match the cognitive distortion with its effect on offending behavior:

  Minimalisation ↔️ Reduces guilt, increases reoffending

  Denial ↔️ Eliminates guilt, facilitates continued offenses
• What type of distortions do cognitive explanations suggest lead to offending behavior?

  Faulty thinking
• Hostile attribution bias is the tendency to interpret others' actions as aggressive or threatening
• Minimalisation reduces feelings of guilt, increasing reoffending likelihood.
• What cognitive distortion is demonstrated when John assumes he was intentionally bumped in a bar?

  Hostile attribution bias
• Moral disengagement involves detaching behavior from moral considerations.
• Minimalisation reduces guilt by downplaying the seriousness of one's actions
• What does hostile attribution bias increase the risk of?

  Offending behavior
• Match the cause of hostile attribution bias with its description:

  Early abuse ↔️ Experiences of violence during childhood

  Violent media ↔️ Exposure to aggressive content

  Cognitive impairments ↔️ Difficulties in social perception
• Cognitive restructuring helps offenders modify faulty thinking patterns.
• What is Hostile Attribution Bias?

  Interpreting others' actions as aggressive
• Cognitive Restructuring helps offenders modify their faulty thinking patterns
• Steps in Cognitive Restructuring for offenders

  1️⃣ Identify negative thought patterns

  2️⃣ Challenge these thoughts

  3️⃣ Replace negative thoughts

  4️⃣ Apply new thought patterns
• Cognitive Restructuring reduces aggression and impulsivity in offenders.
• What is the key benefit of Cognitive Restructuring?

  Lower reoffending risk
• An example of applying Cognitive Restructuring involves questioning the assumption that everyone is out to get you
• Cognitive distortions are caused by faulty thinking and lead to offending behavior.
• What is Minimalisation in cognitive distortions?

  Downplaying the seriousness of actions
• Match the cognitive distortion with its effect on offending behavior:

  Hostile Attribution Bias ↔️ Provokes violent reactions

  Minimalisation ↔️ Reduces guilt, increasing reoffending likelihood
• What is the effect of Minimalisation on offending behavior?

  Reduces guilt
• A person with Hostile Attribution Bias might react violently after being bumped in a bar due to misinterpreting the action as aggressive.
• Cognitive distortions are systematic errors in thinking
• Match the cognitive distortion with its definition:

  Hostile Attribution Bias ↔️ Interpreting actions as aggressive

  Minimalisation ↔️ Downplaying seriousness of actions

  Moral Disengagement ↔️ Detaching behavior from moral considerations
• What is Moral Disengagement in cognitive distortions?

  Detaching behavior from moral considerations
• Hostile Attribution Bias can provoke violent reactions in offenders.
• Minimalisation reduces guilt, which increases the likelihood of reoffending
• Hostile Attribution Bias involves interpreting others' actions as aggressive or threatening
• What is the effect of minimalization on offending behavior?

  Reduces guilt, reoffending likely
• Moral disengagement involves detaching behavior from moral considerations.
• Cognitive distortions are systematic errors in thinking
• Match the cognitive distortion with its definition:

  Hostile Attribution Bias ↔️ Interpreting others' actions as aggressive

  Minimalisation ↔️ Downplaying the seriousness of actions
• What is the effect of moral disengagement on offending behavior?

  Justifies immoral acts, reduces guilt
• Steps involved in cognitive restructuring

  1️⃣ Identify negative thought patterns

  2️⃣ Challenge these thoughts

  3️⃣ Replace negative thoughts

  4️⃣ Apply new thought patterns
• Cognitive restructuring is a therapeutic approach to modify faulty thinking patterns
• What does Kohlberg's pre-conventional stage focus on?

  Obedience and punishment avoidance