Transcript Psychological Perspectives

Psychological Explanations
Nurture over nature?
Micro analysis… (soft)determinism…medical
The Legacy
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Positivism and demonology & ‘bad seed’
concept
Metaphysical basis
Role of individual factors
– Work of James Hillman ’96
– Modern day versions and the role of religion
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Possession of “evil” and rationale for
punishment!
Emergence of Psychology & Criminality
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G. Aschaffenburg – role of heredity
H. Maudsley - “moral degeneracy”
I. Ray - moral insanity
S. Yochelson & S. Samenow – there may
be a “criminal personality”
Intrapsychic Explanations:
Freud & internal conflicts of early childhood
experiences (id, ego, superego)
… defence mechanisms, anxieties, neuroses
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Crime and the uncontrolled ID
Unconscious need to express guilt
Repressed memories and act out
Importance of dreams and messages
Summary:
Endured years of skepticism and critique
Recognized both neurological and
biological links to personality
Interdisciplinary in many respects
Learned Behaviour - Cognition
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Environment > Mind > Behaviour
… frustration-aggression model
Road rage
– consequence of frustration
– degree of interference
– risk of apprehension
– cathartic
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“copy cat”- idols? (Box 6.5)
Social learning based on cognition
Learning…. Not also with ease
Moral Development
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“no one with a conscience or moral fibre
would…”
We develop a sense of morality and
responsibility
J. Piaget – 4 stages of moral development
L. Kohlberg - 3 levels and 6 stages: do and
don’ts; societal values; & universal rights
… how does one measure objectively?
Moral reasoning and offenders
Behavioural Explanations
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Environ > Brain processing > Beh
response
classical conditioning: I. Pavlov
US + CS > CR = UCR
simultaneous, delayed, trace,
backward
avoidance therapy & aversion
therapy
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Operant/Instrumental conditioning:
B.F. Skinner
J. B. Watson ‘father of experimental
psychology’
… conditioning vs. free-will
… behaviour and reinforcement
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Token economy: positive vs.
negative
Schedules:
ratio; interval
behaviour modification
not dwell on PAST…. (applied)
restorative justice, BM programs
Summary
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Examine the roots of behaviour
Objectifying attitudes (evil)
Crime a product of internal conflict
Behaviour is cognitive based
Medical analogy
… but behaviour is more complex
See you next week...