Cognitive

• Level of moral reasoning - moral development 


  Kohlberg applied concept of moral reasoning to offending behaviour - people's judgements on moral issues summarised into a stage theory of moral reasoning - higher the stage the more sophisticated the reasoning.

  Based theory on people's responses to series of moral dilemas -found group of violent youths were at significantly lower level of moral development than non violent youths - even after controlling for social background.
• lvl moral reasoning - criminality

  Offenders more likely to be classified at pre coventional level of kohlbergs model, non offenders generally progressed to the conventional level +

  pre conventional level - need to avoid punishment and gain rewards - associated with less mature, childlike reasoning -may commit crime if they can get away with it or gain rewards eg money

  Supported by studies which suggest offenders are often more Egocentric and display poorer social perspective taking skills

  reason at higher levels- sympathise more with rights of others, non violence.
• cognitive distortions


  Errors or biases in people's information processing system characterised by faulty thinking eg hostile attribution bias and minimalisation
• Hostile attribution bias


  Assume others are being confrontational when they are not, offenders may misread non agressive cues such as being 'looked at' and may trigger a disproportionate, voilent response.

  Schonenber and Jusyte presented 55 voilent offenders with images of emotionally ambiguous facial expressions, voilent offenders significantly more likely to periceve images as angry and hostile than non agressive matched control group.

  Childhood - Dodge and Frame showed kids video clip of ambitious provocation - 'agressive' kids said it was more hostile that 'non agressive' kids.
• minimalisation


  attempt to downplay seriousness of offence eg burglars describe themselves as 'doing a job' or 'supporting their family'