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Psychology and crimePsychology and crime

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Areas of PsychologyAreas of Psychology

• Personality and crimePersonality and crime• Abnormal Psychology and CrimeAbnormal Psychology and Crime• Antisocial Personality DisorderAntisocial Personality Disorder• Mental illness and SchizophreniaMental illness and Schizophrenia• Intelligence and crimeIntelligence and crime• Learning disabilitiesLearning disabilities

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Psychological theoriesPsychological theories

• Attention deficit DisorderAttention deficit Disorder• Learning theory and crimeLearning theory and crime• Moral developmentMoral development

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Personality and crimePersonality and crime

• Is there a criminal personality?Is there a criminal personality?• Personality: characteristics of an Personality: characteristics of an

individual that predisposes one to individual that predisposes one to act in certain ways in certain act in certain ways in certain situationssituations

• Way one perceives, thinks about Way one perceives, thinks about and relates to oneself and one’s and relates to oneself and one’s environmentenvironment

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Freud and crimeFreud and crime

• Freud the first to write about Freud the first to write about personalitypersonality

• Believed that behavior is influenced Believed that behavior is influenced by unresolved conflicts in childhoodby unresolved conflicts in childhood

• SuperegoSuperego• EgoEgo• IdId

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Freud (continued)Freud (continued)

• Crime would occur if:Crime would occur if:• Malfunctioning of the id (too much)Malfunctioning of the id (too much)• Weak egoWeak ego• Underdeveloped superego (no Underdeveloped superego (no

conscience)conscience)• Or, overdeveloped superego (desire Or, overdeveloped superego (desire

to be caught and punished)to be caught and punished)

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Freud (continued)Freud (continued)

• Contributions of FreudContributions of Freud• Behavior is influenced by Behavior is influenced by

psychological processes, some of psychological processes, some of them unconsciousthem unconscious

• Early childhood experiences are Early childhood experiences are importantimportant

• Behavior can be treated by Behavior can be treated by psychological meanspsychological means

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Freud (continued)Freud (continued)

• CriticismsCriticisms• 1. cannot be disproven1. cannot be disproven• 2. focuses on internal factors, 2. focuses on internal factors,

excludes societal factorsexcludes societal factors• 3. focuses on treatment rather 3. focuses on treatment rather

than preventionthan prevention

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Common traitsCommon traits

• HyperactivityHyperactivity• ImpulsivityImpulsivity• AggressionAggression• Sensation seeking/risk takingSensation seeking/risk taking• ExtroversionExtroversion• External locus of controlExternal locus of control• Inability to delay gratificationInability to delay gratification

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Antisocial Personality Antisocial Personality DisorderDisorder

• Formerly known as psychopaths or Formerly known as psychopaths or sociopathssociopaths

• Also conduct disorder Also conduct disorder (adolescents)(adolescents)

• APD estimated at 3% in the APD estimated at 3% in the general population, 20-25% of general population, 20-25% of incarcerated prisonersincarcerated prisoners

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Characteristics of APDCharacteristics of APD

• Failure to conform to social normsFailure to conform to social norms• Lie/cheat/stealLie/cheat/steal• Exploit and manipulate others, use Exploit and manipulate others, use

peoplepeople• Lack of remorseLack of remorse• Absence of anxietyAbsence of anxiety• Self-centeredSelf-centered

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APD (continued)APD (continued)

• RecklessReckless• ImpulsiveImpulsive• AggressiveAggressive• Superficially charmingSuperficially charming• Inconsistent work historyInconsistent work history• Financial irresponsibilityFinancial irresponsibility• Irresponsible parentingIrresponsible parenting

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APD (continued)APD (continued)

• Sexually promiscuousSexually promiscuous• Poor judgmentPoor judgment• Do not profit from past experienceDo not profit from past experience• Punishment is not effectivePunishment is not effective• Causes unknownCauses unknown• Physiological basis?Physiological basis?• Environment?Environment?

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Mental Illness: Mental Illness: SchizophreniaSchizophrenia

• Thought disturbanceThought disturbance• ““flat” affectflat” affect• AmbivalenceAmbivalence• Autism (withdraw from others)Autism (withdraw from others)• Unusual behaviorUnusual behavior• Episodes of psychosis (not in touch Episodes of psychosis (not in touch

with reality: delusions and with reality: delusions and hallucinationshallucinations

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Mental illness (continued)Mental illness (continued)

• Strikes 1% of the general populationStrikes 1% of the general population• More common in prisonsMore common in prisons• Most mentally ill individuals are not Most mentally ill individuals are not

criminalscriminals• Most offenders are not mentally illMost offenders are not mentally ill• However, there are some notable However, there are some notable

exceptionsexceptions

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Schizophrenia (cont.)Schizophrenia (cont.)

• Sirhan SirhanSirhan Sirhan• Charles MansonCharles Manson• David Berkowitz: Son of SamDavid Berkowitz: Son of Sam• John HinckleyJohn Hinckley• Jeffrey DahmerJeffrey Dahmer

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Intelligence and Intelligence and CriminalityCriminality

• Intelligence: capacity to act Intelligence: capacity to act purposefully, think rationally and deal purposefully, think rationally and deal effectively with the environmenteffectively with the environment

• Culture-bound concept: skills Culture-bound concept: skills necessary for success in a culturenecessary for success in a culture

• Lombroso hypothesized that his Lombroso hypothesized that his criminals were “feebleminded”, but criminals were “feebleminded”, but there were no measure of intelligencethere were no measure of intelligence

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Intelligence (cont.)Intelligence (cont.)

• Binet: first intelligence testBinet: first intelligence test• Used the concept of mental age: if Used the concept of mental age: if

the majority of children of a given the majority of children of a given age can complete a task, the task age can complete a task, the task requires that mental agerequires that mental age

• He tested children, compared He tested children, compared mental age to chronological agemental age to chronological age

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Intelligence (cont.)Intelligence (cont.)

• Goddard used his tests on Goddard used his tests on institutionalized populations such as institutionalized populations such as prisoners in the early 20th centuryprisoners in the early 20th century

• Concluded that most prisoners were Concluded that most prisoners were “feebleminded”“feebleminded”

• However, when the tests were tried in However, when the tests were tried in screening men for the draft in W.W.I, screening men for the draft in W.W.I, they came out feebleminded, too!they came out feebleminded, too!

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Intelligence (cont)Intelligence (cont)

• Problem: MA does not change after Problem: MA does not change after mid-adolescence but chronological mid-adolescence but chronological age does. Thus, using Binet’s test, age does. Thus, using Binet’s test, everyone would become feeblemindedeveryone would become feebleminded

• Goddard’s work was discreditedGoddard’s work was discredited• It was until until the 1970s that the It was until until the 1970s that the

issue of intelligence and crime was issue of intelligence and crime was reconsidered by criminologistsreconsidered by criminologists

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Intelligence (cont.)Intelligence (cont.)

• Studies of nondelinquent and Studies of nondelinquent and delinquent adolescents matched for delinquent adolescents matched for age, social class and ethnic groups age, social class and ethnic groups also find an IQ difference, although not also find an IQ difference, although not as largeas large

• Lower IQ scores are associated with Lower IQ scores are associated with higher recidivism among offendershigher recidivism among offenders

• Most of the differences are for Verbal Most of the differences are for Verbal IQ rather than Performance IQIQ rather than Performance IQ

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IntelligenceIntelligence

• Higher IQ, especially verbal, might Higher IQ, especially verbal, might mean that one understands mean that one understands consequences better and have better consequences better and have better planning skills--protective factorplanning skills--protective factor

• A lower verbal IQ might mean that the A lower verbal IQ might mean that the person is less likely to use “internal person is less likely to use “internal speech” and be more impulsive (and speech” and be more impulsive (and thus less likely to be deterred)thus less likely to be deterred)

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ExplanationsExplanations

• The brighter might get arrested The brighter might get arrested less often (although self-report less often (although self-report studies still support a difference)studies still support a difference)

• Higher verbal IQ is associated with Higher verbal IQ is associated with better moral reasoning skillsbetter moral reasoning skills

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ExplanationsExplanations

School problems hypothesis:School problems hypothesis:

Low verbal IQ -- poor academic Low verbal IQ -- poor academic achievement -- frustration -- achievement -- frustration -- truancy and dropping out -- truancy and dropping out -- association with other dropouts, association with other dropouts, unemployment -- crimeunemployment -- crime

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Learning Disabilities and Learning Disabilities and crimecrime

• LD: academic achievement is not LD: academic achievement is not commensurate with IQcommensurate with IQ

• Most common: reading problemsMost common: reading problems• More common among malesMore common among males• Causes not clear--brain dysfunction? Causes not clear--brain dysfunction?

Problems at birth? Inherited?Problems at birth? Inherited?• More common among delinquents: More common among delinquents:

12% vs. 33%12% vs. 33%

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ADHDADHD

• Attention-deficit hyperactivity Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorderdisorder

• Attention deficitAttention deficit• HyperactivityHyperactivity• Impulsivity and aggressionImpulsivity and aggression• More common among criminals than More common among criminals than

in the general populationin the general population• More common among males (6-10 x)More common among males (6-10 x)

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ADHDADHD

• Associated, although not exclusively, Associated, although not exclusively, with low birth weight (5 lbs. or less) with low birth weight (5 lbs. or less) and/or prenatal malnutritionand/or prenatal malnutrition

• Although ADHD gets better with age, Although ADHD gets better with age, 50% show residual signs in adulthood50% show residual signs in adulthood

• 25% of APD had an ADHD diagnosis 25% of APD had an ADHD diagnosis in childhoodin childhood

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Explanations: LD & ADHDExplanations: LD & ADHD

• Both tend to have more behavioral Both tend to have more behavioral problems. Whether such problems problems. Whether such problems are part of the disorders or a result are part of the disorders or a result of them, they are more at risk for of them, they are more at risk for behavior problems.behavior problems.

• School hypothesisSchool hypothesis

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Learning theory & crimeLearning theory & crime

• Learning a relatively permanent Learning a relatively permanent change, due to experience, that can change, due to experience, that can affect behavioraffect behavior

• Human behavior is learned, and Human behavior is learned, and learned by:learned by:

• classical conditioningclassical conditioning• operant conditioningoperant conditioning• Observational learningObservational learning

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LearningLearning

• Criminal behavior can be Criminal behavior can be attributed to faulty learningattributed to faulty learning

• Learned an inappropriate responseLearned an inappropriate response• Never had the opportunity to learn Never had the opportunity to learn

an appropriate responsean appropriate response

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Operant conditioningOperant conditioning

• Learning involves consequences to Learning involves consequences to responsesresponses

• Responses resulting in favorable Responses resulting in favorable consequences become more likelyconsequences become more likely

• Responses resulting in unfavorable Responses resulting in unfavorable consequences become less likelyconsequences become less likely

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Operant cond (cont)Operant cond (cont)

• Reinforcement: strengths responseReinforcement: strengths response• Positive reinforcement: receive Positive reinforcement: receive

“reward” increases p of behavior“reward” increases p of behavior• Negative reinforcement: remove a Negative reinforcement: remove a

punishment when a response is made, punishment when a response is made, will also increase the p of that responsewill also increase the p of that response

• Positive punishment: aversive, Positive punishment: aversive, unpleasant, decreases p of behaviorunpleasant, decreases p of behavior

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Operant (cont.)Operant (cont.)

• Negative punishment: take away Negative punishment: take away reward, remove positivereward, remove positive

• Generalization and discriminationGeneralization and discrimination• Schedules of reinforcement and Schedules of reinforcement and

extinctionextinction• Reinforcement, not punishment, is Reinforcement, not punishment, is

the way most behaviors are learnedthe way most behaviors are learned• Most powerful: love and approvalMost powerful: love and approval

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PunishmentPunishment

• An aversive stimulus that decreases An aversive stimulus that decreases the p of the behavior that precedes the p of the behavior that precedes itit

• Factors affecting punishmentFactors affecting punishment• ImmediateImmediate• Intense enough, but not excessive Intense enough, but not excessive

(excessive results in anger)(excessive results in anger)• ConsistentConsistent

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Punishment (cont)Punishment (cont)

• Aimed at the misbehavior, not the Aimed at the misbehavior, not the personperson

• Must provide positive Must provide positive reinforcement for alternative reinforcement for alternative behaviorsbehaviors

• Is the CJS going to be effective at Is the CJS going to be effective at punishing?punishing?

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Kohlberg & moral Kohlberg & moral developmentdevelopment

• Developmental stages of moral Developmental stages of moral developmentdevelopment

• Preconventional: moral reasoning Preconventional: moral reasoning in terms of reward and punishmentin terms of reward and punishment

• Conventional: moral reasoning in Conventional: moral reasoning in terms of following rulesterms of following rules

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Moral reasoning (cont)Moral reasoning (cont)

• Postconventional: moral reasoning Postconventional: moral reasoning in terms of what is best for the in terms of what is best for the majority, or determining which majority, or determining which ethical principle is most importantethical principle is most important

• Delinquents and criminals: Delinquents and criminals: Commonly at the preconventional Commonly at the preconventional level, some at the conventional level, level, some at the conventional level, few at the postconventional levelfew at the postconventional level