wa2 summary

12/28/2021

1

Chapter 4: Psychological & Biological Perspectives (Trait Theory)

-Slides and data in this outline are from Adler, Mueller, and Laufer (2007, 2013, 2018, 2022); Siegel (2015); and modified by Manning (2007, 2013, 2015, 2018 &

2022).

Psychology explores psychosis as a cause of anti-social behavior and criminality.

Biology explores the physical explanation for psychotic and antisocial behavior.

Trait Theory: views criminality as abnormal products of psychological and biological traits.

A Third factor: Social Environmental

Should the mentally ill be able to stand trail?

• Jared Lee Loughner story • Oct. 2010 kicked out of college for outburst

• January 8, 2011 shot 19 including Congresswomen Gabrielle Gifford (6 died).

• May 25, 2011 ruled incompetent to stand trail

• June 26, 2011 removed from court for outburst.

• August 2012 deemed fit for trial. • Sentence: life without parole.

• Should the mentally ill have access to guns?

12/28/2021

2

Psychoanalytic Theory

• The psychoanalytic theory links criminality to three possible causes: • A conscience so overbearing it arouses feelings of guilt.

• A conscience so weak it cannot control the individuals impulses.

• The need for immediate gratification

Sigmund Freud

• The 3 basic components of human psyche. • Id: powerful urges and drives for gratification

• Ego: moderator between id and superego • Immature with poor social skills

• Superego: moral code or conscience (moral standards) • When week individuals don’t understand consequences of actions = criminality

12/28/2021

3

Three Basic Principles of Psychologist Who Study Crime

• Actions and Behaviors of adults are understood in terms of childhood development.

• Behavior and unconscious motives are intertwined, this interaction must be unraveled to understand criminality.

• Criminality is a representation of psychological conflict.

Lawrence Kohlberg Moral Development Theory

• Moral Reasoning • Pre-conventional level: Children’s moral rules and values consist of do’s and

don’ts to avoid punishment

• Conventional Level: Individuals believe in and adopt the values and rules of society.

• Post-conventional Level: Individuals examine customs and social rules based on their own sense of human rights, moral principles and duties.

12/28/2021

4

Social Learning Theory

• Delinquent behavior is learned through the same psychological process as other behavior.

• Behavior is learned when it is reinforced or rewarded.

• Don’t reinforce bad behavior.

• Cognitive Theory • How people perceive and mentally represent the world around them and

solve problems.

• Information Processing Theory • How we store, encode, retrieve, and manipulate info to make decisions and

solve problems.

Observational Learning

• Albert Bandura says individuals learn violence and aggression through behavior modeling.

• Children learn how to behave by fashioning their behavior after others.

• Mental Scripts: • May learn improper scripts that individuals may or may not grow out of.

12/28/2021

5

Instigators of Aggression

1, Aversive Instigators – conditions of life

2, Incentive Instigators – rewards $$$

3, Modeling Instigators – observed

4, Instructional Instigators – observed

5, Delusional Instigators – bizarre beliefs

Differential Association Reinforcement

• Ernest Burgess and Ronald Akers: • Persistence of criminal behavior depend on whether or not it is rewarded or

punished.

• The most meaningful rewards and punishments come from important people: peer group, family and so on.

12/28/2021

6

Hans J. Eysenck Conditioning Theory

• All human personality is seen in three dimensions • Psychoticism: aggressive, egocentric, and impulsive.

• Extroversion: sensation-seeking, dominant and assertive.

• Neuroticism: low self-esteem, excessive anxiety, and wide mood swings. • Extreme extroverts are at higher risk of antisocial behavior.

Mental Disorders and Crime

• Psychopathy, sociopathy, or antisocial personality: • Personality characterized by the inability to learn form experience, lack of

warmth, and absence of guilt.

• Crime and Mental Illness • Most dangerous are psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar.

• Related more toward assaults and arson.

• Schizophrenia • Marked by hearing voices, seeing hallucinations, and inappropriate responses.

• Bipolar disorder • Emotional disturbance with wide mood swings between elation and deep depression.

12/28/2021

7

Biocriminality

• The study of the physical aspects of psychological disorders. • IQ Debate

• Nature versus Nurture debate • Nature Theory: intelligence is largely determined genetically and its linked to

criminality. • Those with high IQ in bad environment avoid crime.

• Nurture Theory: intelligence is not inherited but is largely a product of the environment. • Low IQ maybe the result of environmental factors (family structure, education). • High IQ in a good area may avoid crime because of resources.

• A bad neighborhood will not make a well adjusted commit crime. • While a good neighborhood will not prevent maladjusted from crime.

Twin Studies

• Monoxygotic (MZ) Twins develop from a single egg that divides into two embryos.

• Dizygotic (DZ) Twins develop from two separate eggs – fraternal.

• Johannes Lange found 10 of 13 pairs of identical twins – both twins were criminal. • While only 2 of 17 pairs of fraternal twins.

• Was this genetic or caused by social condition?

• Adoption Studies.

12/28/2021

8

Biological Trait Theories

• The evolution of gender and crime • Focuses on gender differences

• Females look for secure home, single stable nurturing man for survival.

• Survival of the gene pool • Aggressive males mate with many partners lacking conscience and emotional bonding.

• Aggressive males have had the greatest impact on the gene pool • Does this explain man’s history of war and violence?

XYY Syndrome

• The XYY male receives two chromosomes from his father.

• 1 in 1,000 males have this.

• Supposed to make males more aggressive, taller, and violent.

• Studies have discounted this theory.

12/28/2021

9

Biochemical Factors

• Diet – kids and sugar, food additives and allergies • Twinkie Defense (Dan White in 1979 sentence reduced to manslaughter)

• Brain tumors

• Hypoglycemia

• Hormones • Androgen – male sex hormones like dopamine. • Testosterone – most common androgen (natural high levels or animal based) • Premenstrual syndrome – triggers female sex hormones • Lead exposure – cause delinquency, schizophrenia • Environmental contaminants: Lead, PCBs, air pollution can cause neurological

defects affecting IQ and behavior.