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Unit 16: Forensic Psychology
16.4 Psychological Explanations of Offending Behaviour
16.4.2 Cognitive Explanations
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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
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