OCR GCSE Psychology revision notes
Criminal psychology Revision Notes
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Criminal psychology
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Understanding Criminal Behaviour, Types, and Measurement Revision Notes
Defining Criminal Behaviour and Contributing Factors
Criminal behaviour is any action that breaks a law, resulting in potential punishment. Psychologists examine a range of factors that might contribute to such behaviour. These include biological elements like genetic predispositions or specific brain structures and functions. Psychological aspects involve personality traits (e.g., impulsivity, lack of empathy), cognitive distortions (e.g., rationalising criminal acts), and mental health conditions. Sociological factors, such as poverty, lack of educational opportunities, peer pressure, and dysfunctional family environments, are also considered significant influences on an individual's likelihood of engaging in criminal activity. Understanding these multifaceted factors helps in developing targeted prevention and intervention strategies.
Categorising Types of Crime
Crimes can be categorised in several ways, helping to understand their nature and impact. Common types include violent crimes (e.g., homicide, assault), which involve physical harm or threat of harm to another person. Property crimes (e.g., burglary, theft, vandalism) involve taking or damaging property without physical violence against individuals. White-collar crimes are non-violent crimes typically committed by individuals in professional or business settings for financial gain (e.g., fraud, embezzlement). Other categories include victimless crimes, where the primary harm is to the offender themselves or where actions are consensual (e.g., some drug offences), and organised crime, involving groups engaged in illegal activities. Each type requires different approaches for policing, investigation, and prevention.
Methods of Measuring Crime: Strengths and Limitations
Measuring crime is essential for understanding trends and informing policy, but it's challenging. Three primary methods are used: official crime statistics, victim surveys, and self-report surveys. Official crime statistics, compiled from police records, offer systematic data on reported and recorded crimes. However, they suffer from the 'dark figure of crime' – many crimes go unreported. Victim surveys collect data by asking people if they have been victims of crime within a specified period. These surveys can uncover unreported crimes but are subject to memory recall issues, telescoping (recalling events outside the timeframe), and willingness to disclose. Self-report surveys ask individuals about their own criminal behaviour. These can reveal crimes never reported or detected but may be affected by dishonest answers, underreporting serious offenses, or overreporting minor ones. Combining these methods provides a more comprehensive, though still imperfect, picture of crime prevalence.
Eysenck's Criminal Personality Theory Revision Notes
Eysenck's Personality Dimensions
Eysenck's theory identifies three super-traits: Extraversion-Introversion (E), Neuroticism-Stability (N), and Psychoticism (P). Extraversion is linked to an underactive nervous system leading to a constant craving for excitement and stimulation. Introverts have an overactive nervous system and avoid external stimulation. Neuroticism is associated with an overreactive sympathetic nervous system, causing individuals to be anxious and moody. Stable individuals have a less reactive nervous system. Psychoticism, added later, describes individuals who are aggressive, cold, impulsive, and antisocial, often lacking empathy. These biological differences are thought to predispose individuals to certain behaviours.
Biological Basis and Criminality
Eysenck argued that these personality traits have a biological, largely genetic, basis as they are determined by the activity of the central and autonomic nervous systems. For instance, extraverts' underactive nervous systems make it harder for them to be conditioned (learn from punishment), leading them to take risks and potentially engage in criminal acts. Neurotics' high anxiety levels can lead to impulsive behaviour when stressed. Psychoticism is particularly highly correlated with criminal behaviour due to its association with aggression, impulsivity, and lack of empathy, making these individuals less likely to conform to societal rules and feel guilt for their actions.
Evaluation of Eysenck's Theory
Strengths include pioneering the idea of a biological basis for personality and criminality, influencing later research. Eysenck used large samples and objective measures, attempting scientific rigour. However, criticisms point to the overly simplistic nature of reducing complex behaviours like criminality to just three dimensions. The theory often struggles to explain all types of criminal behaviour and individual differences within criminal populations. There is also debate about whether personality types are as stable across situations as Eysenck proposed. Research has shown mixed results regarding the direct link between E, N, and P and specific criminal acts, and the theory may suffer from cultural bias as it was developed in Western societies.
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