A01

Cards (4)

    • Kohlberg suggested that there are 3 universal levels of moral reasoning, each characterised by a certain logic:
    • pre-conventional level (punishment orientation)
    • the conventional level (maintenance of the social order)
    • post-conventional level (morality of contract and individual rights).
  • level of moral reasoning
    • criminals have a lower level of moral reasoning and do not progress from the pre-conventional level
    • they seek to avoid punishment and gain rewards (child-like reasoning)
  • cognitive distortions
    hostile attribution bias
    • some violent offenders misinterpret the actions of others as aggressive or confrontational when theyre not
    • researchers presented 55 violent offenders with images of emotionally ambiguous facial expressions
    • when compared with control group, offenders more likely to percieve the images as angry/hostile
  • cognitive distortions
    minimalisation
    • offenders will downplay the seriousness of their offences
    • this is particularly true of sexual offenders
    • barbaree found amoungst 26 convicted rapists- 54% denied they had committed any offences at all