Criminal Psychology

• Operant conditioning


  Learning from the consequences of actions
• Positive reinforcement


  Receiving something pleasant for a behaviour, so we repeat it
• Negative reinforcement


  Avoiding something unpleasant, so we do it again
• Positive punishment


  Receiving something unpleasant for a behaviour, so we do not do it again
• Negative punishment


  Removing something pleasant so we do not repeat the behaviour again
• Primary reinforcer


  A reinforcer that satisfies a biological need
• Secondary reinforcer

  A reinforcer of no survival value, but we have learned to associate it with a primary reinforcer
• Social learning theory


  Behaviour is learned through the observation and imitation of role models
• Modelling


  Learning a new behaviour through paying attention to, retaining and reproducing the behaviour of a role model
• Observational learning


  Learning new behaviours through watching and modelling a role model
• Role model


  A person who is admired and looked up to
• Vicarious reinforcement


  Motivation to model the behaviours of others who we see being rewarded for their behaviour
• Identification


  Temporarily adopting the behaviour of a role model or group
• Personality


  Characteristics and qualities that make up someone's individual characters
• Temperament


  The nature someone is born with, which affects their behaviour
• Extraversion (Extravert)


  Behaviour that is outgoing, sensation-seeking, and sociable
• Introversion (Introvert)


  Behaviour that is reserved, calm, and quiet
• Unstable neuroticism


  A personality trait associated with being over-reactive in stressful situations, over-emotional, and anxious
• Stable neuroticism


  A personality trait associated with being unreactive in stressful situations and emotionally unaffected
• Psychoticism


  A personality trait that is cold, lacks empathy, is antisocial, and can be aggressive
• Eysenck's personality questionnaire (EPQ)


  A questionnaire to measure extraversion, introversion, stable and unstable neuroticism, and psychoticism
• Socialisation


  The way you are raised and taught how to behave
• Recidivism


  When an offender re-offends after being punished
• Rehabilitative


  A programme designed to help offenders rather than punish them
• Custody/Detention


  A prison sentence
• Humanitarian 


  A concern with the welfare of humans
• Community sentencing


  When an offender serves a sentence in the community rather than in prison; they have to do jobs such as removing graffiti
• Curfew


  Having to be home at certain times
• Restorative justice


  When a victim and offender meet; it is a process used to help a victim recover and make an offender understand the impact of their crime
• Token economy programme 


  A programme designed to reward prisoners for prosocial behaviour; prisoners collect tokens that can be exchanged for privileges
• Anger management program


  A cognitive behavioural treatment for violent offenders to help them control their anger
• Psychopath


  A person who is characterised by a lack of guilt and emotion, antisocial behaviour, and selfishness
• Strengths and weaknesses of anger management programmes 


  + Offenders are carefully selected to receive this.

  + Educates them about what triggers their anger.

  - Not all violent crimes are committed due to anger.

  - Offenders can abuse the programme, and use the skills taught to commit crimes more effectively.

  - Offenders need to be highly motivated.
• AO3 of restorative justice

  + high victim satisfaction rate

  + reduces recidivism

  - can cause distress for both offender and victim

  - can be consuming and costly
• AO3 of token economy programmes

  + evidence of short-term increase in prosocial behaviour.

  + economical and can be administered by prison staff.

  - do not reduce recidivism

  - not found in everyday life - limited rehabilitative value.

  - commitment from prison staff is needed