Chapter 5Psychology and Crime

Chapter Objectives (1 of 3)

Understand the difference between psychiatric and psychological criminology.

Know the gist of psychoanalytic theory, including Freudian elements of personality and defense mechanisms.

Know how psychoanalytic theory and psychoanalysis has been applied to delinquents and criminals.

Chapter Objectives (2 of 3)

Comprehend the principles of learning (operant conditioning, classical conditioning, and observational learning) and how they relate to theories of crime.

Understand the two areas of cognitive psychology (cognitive structure and cognitive content) and how they have been applied to criminal behavior.

Chapter Objectives (3 of 3)

Distinguish between general personality research and research on criminal personality.

Grasp the concepts involved in the debate on the relationship between IQ and criminal behavior.

Know the policy implications derived from theories of learning, personality, and cognition.

You Are the Criminologist

The BTK Killer Dennis L. Rader BTK: bind, torture, kill Convicted of killing 10 people Discussion

How might a Freudian theorist explain Rader’s letters?

Does Rader show signs of being a psychopath? What characteristics do or do not fit?

Introduction

How does a psychologist or psychiatrist develop and understand the criminal mind?

What does psychology contribute to the study of the criminal mind?

What is the psychological approach to the study of crime?

Psychoanalytic Theory

Henry Maudsley (1835–1918): Criminals suffer from “moral degeneracy,” a deficiency of moral sense.

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939): One can understand human behavior best by examining early childhood experiences.

Freudian Elements of Personality

Conscious v. Unconscious Mind Id Superego Ego

Freudian Elements of Personality

Lester and Van Voorhis Id: “If it feels good, do it!” Superego: conscience – “Stealing is wrong.” Ego: psychological thermostat that regulates

the wishes of the id with the social restrictions of the superego.

Freudian Elements of Personality

Two sources of anxiety

1. Desire is not met.

2. Unconscious desire becomes

conscious.

Freudian Explanations of Delinquency

Human nature is inherently antisocial Id: infants start life with antisocial drives Superego: forms from experience Ego: helps to negotiate demands for

instant gratification with acceptable behavior

Policy Implications of Freudian Theory

Drawbacks Difficult to test empirically Cannot be directly observed and measured

Still maintains a place in psychology of criminal behavior

Behavioral Psychology

Differs from psychoanalytical theory Focuses on specific behaviors All behavior is learned

Principles of Learning

Three types of learning Classical conditioning Operant conditioning Observational (vicarious) learning

Principles of Learning

Classical Conditioning

Principles of Learning

Operant Conditioning

Principles of Learning

Positive reinforcement: increases the target behavior by rewarding the individual

Negative reinforcement: increases the target behavior by removing an unpleasant stimulus

Punishment: reduces the odds of the target behavior being repeated

Principles of Learning

Direct parental control: theorists tie delinquency to parents’ failure to effectively condition their children away from negative behaviors

Principles of Learning

Glueck and Glueck: inconsistent and harsh punishment correlates with delinquent children

Patterson: effective parenting (monitoring, punishing, and reinforcing behavior) correlates with nondeliquent children

Harris: parental behaviors have few effects on the child’s long-term development

Principles of Learning

Modeling Theory

Observational learning: role modeling the behavior of others.

Albert Bandura (Bobo doll experiments): learning is not based on trial and error (operant conditioning).

Effects on criminal behaviors are difficult to determine.

Media and Crime

Does media (TV and movies) influence aggression, violence, and criminal behavior?

Conducive to role modeling: Perpetrators not punished Targets of violence show little pain Few long-term negative consequences

Media and Crime

Evidence suggests that reducing exposure to media violence reduces aggression and violence in children.

Policy Implications of Behaviorism

Criminals can learn pro-social behaviors to replace criminal actions Aversion therapy Token economy

Cognitive Psychology

Humans’ ability to engage in complex thoughts influences behavior

Cognitions (like behaviors) can be learned

Focus on Cognitive structure (how people think) Cognitive content (what people think)

Cognitive Structure

Kohlberg's theory of moral reasoning: humans advance through predictable stages of moral reasoning

Self-control Ability to empathize Ability to anticipate consequences Ability to control anger

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development (1 of 2)

Stage 1 Right is blindly obeying those with power and

authority. Emphasis is on avoiding punishment. Interests of others are not considered.

Stage 2 Right is furthering one’s own interests. Interests of others are important only as a way to

satisfy self-interests. Stage 3

Moral reasoning is motivated by loyalties to others and a desire to live up to other’s standards.

Stage 4 Right is following the rules of society and maintaining

important social institutions (e.g., family, community). Stage 5

Moral decisions are made by weighing individual rights against legal principles and the common good.

Stage 6 Moral decisions are based on universal principles

(e.g., human dignity, desire for justice). Principles are considered across different contexts

and are independent of the law.

Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development (2 of 2)

Cognitive Content

Rationalizations or denials that support criminal behavior

For example, a criminal thinks, “I’m not really hurting anyone.”

Criminals are more likely to express such thoughts, but the relationship (causation or correlation) to crime is unclear.

Extremely common for sex offenders

Policy Implications of Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive theory translates easily into practice.

Cognitive skills programs teach offenders cognitive skills like moral reasoning, anger management, or self-control.

Policy Implications of Cognitive Psychology

Cognitive restructuring attempts to change the content of an individual’s thoughts.

Combination cognitive-behavioral programs have had significant success.

Personality and Crime

Crime and delinquency related to the presence of some personality trait

Personality trait: a characteristic of an individual that is stable over time and across different social circumstances

Personality: the sum of personality traits that define a person

Theory in Action

Multisystematic therapy (MST) Creator Scott Henggeler and associates Reduces criminal behavior Comprehensive approach Targets many areas for change Uses many different techniques (not just

cognitive-behavioral programs)

Personality Traits and Crime

A number of related traits combine to form super factors

Several different models Five-factor model Tellegen’s personality model

Recent studies use the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ)

Personality Traits and Crime (1 of 2)

• Personality dimensions in the MPQ• Constraint

• Traditionalism• Harm avoidance• Control

• Negative emotionality• Aggression• Alienation• Stress reaction

Personality Traits and Crime (2 of 2)

• Personality dimensions in the MPQ• Positive emotionality

• Achievement• Social potency• Well-being• Social closeness

Criminal Personality:The Psychopath

Refers to a class of individuals with a distinct criminal personality

Term widely misused throughout history Unclear determining factors Psychopathy checklist (PCL) looks for

certain personality traits Criticism: Are psychopaths qualitatively

different from other offenders?

Policy Implications of Personality Theory

Personality traits consistently predict delinquency and crime.

Criticism: Personality traits are often portrayed as impossible to change.

You Are the Criminologist

Does Dennis Rader (BTK) show signs of being a psychopath?

What characteristics of psychopathy appear to fit with Rader?

What characteristics do not?

Intelligence and Crime

Feeblemindedness was once thought to be a cause of crime.

What exactly is IQ and how does it relate to criminal behavior?

A Brief History of Intelligence Testing

IQ tests measure mental differences from one person to another.

Old methods included: Measuring one’s skull size Testing the ability to memorize

These methods were determined to be insufficient.

A Brief History of Intelligence Testing

IQ test devised to identify students who were performing poorly in school and needed academic assistance

Not meant to be a measuring device for intelligence

Has concerns of cultural bias

IQ and Crime

There is an IQ gap of 8–10 points between criminals and noncriminals, even when statistically controlled for race and social class.

IQ is not a very strong indicator of criminal behavior.

IQ and Crime

Travis Hirschi and Michael Hindelang The Bell Curve Crime-IQ link consistently documented Criminologists continue to study the

relationship.

Policy Implications of the IQ-Crime Relationship

Is IQ a measure of native intelligence or something else?

Is IQ a direct cause of crime or does it influence other factors that cause criminal behavior?

What do criminologists believe about IQ and its direct or indirect relationship to crime?

The common emphasis of all psychological theories is on the individual.

Each theory must be evaluated on its ability to account for criminality.

Not all theories are well supported by evidence.

Many psychological theories translate well into treatment programs.

Conclusion