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Dissertation Prospectus

Introduction

Topic / introduction

The case study is aimed at understanding the role of perception in an individual’s actions. Existing Literature propose that criminals perceive things differently compared a non-criminal individual. Unfortunately, this stigma has primarily been studied through the labelling lense as a result the current literature neglects to address how the offenders perceive and mentally represent the world around them something that is necessary if proper policies are going to be implemented to prevent crime. Numerous theories are used to support the research question for the case study.

The cognitive-behavioral theory of crime states that when crime becomes a rational choice, the offender will be motivated to commit that crime for personal gain. There is numerous criminological literature that talks about environmental factors linked with the perception of offenders (Edelman &Tononi, 2000).

The cognitive theory of psychology is used to explain the concept that criminal behavior is learned. This theory also supports the argument that criminals perceive and represent information based on what they learned from their environment.

Background of the problem

It is also important that the behaviors that make an individual an offender to be interpreted for successful policy formulation. The way criminals think, perceive and represent the world around them can be used to device ways to prevent crimes in society. In the recent criminal justice system, criminals are labelled with the name of the crime they committed, and this labelling in society leads to change in perceptions. Regrettably, these labels influence the way the offenders perceive themselves different leading to their goals, objectives, personal achievements and everything they think to fall within the definition of crimes (McLaughlin & Muncie, 2013). The question under focus is how they perceive their mental states, and whether they understand these representations.

Theoretical Foundations/Conceptual Framework and Review of the Literature/Themes

Theoretical foundations/conceptual framework.

Review of the literature/themes.

For this case study numerous available books, articles, journals and researches are reviewed to analyze previous work and gap in research work. The first topic for literature review is the personal perception of criminal offenders and then how this personal perception leads to changed perception about the world. The research perception aims to identify how criminal offenders perceive and mentally represent the world around them (Edward, 2017). One of the aims of this study is to analyze environmental factors that shape perception of individuals and their mental process, by implementing different behavioral criminals and social theories.

The second literature topic is mental process of criminal offenders specifically. The purpose of this theme is that for the effective and just policy formulation, to understand the mental process of criminals is crucial. The purpose of this study will also address some of the changes that can be made in the existing criminal justice policies where the mental health of offenders will be more preferred instead of the crime they commit.

The purpose of the qualitative case study is to determine how criminal offenders perceive and mentally represent the world around them. This topic was selected for a case study because available researches and literature shows that an offender's perspective about his/her environment is one of the most neglected areas of criminology (Crossman, 2017). By understanding this phenomenon, it will be easier to prevent crime because almost all crime prevention involves changing offenders' perceptions of crime opportunities.

The paper focuses more on criminal offenders and their behaviors. Thus, differently arranged but revolving around the same theme these questions will be observed and asked during interviews to check the validity of research;

RQ1.What role does perception play in an individual's potential to commit a deviant behavior?

RQ2.How does an individual perceive his/her behavior?

RQ3.What role, if any, does the ego function play on perception?

Methodology and Design

The research methodology used for this case study is qualitative. This research method provides a rich, detailed picture to be built up about why people act in certain ways, and their feelings about these actions.

Data Collection

Data collection methods are interviews and literature analysis. As most of this research would include qualitative aspects; thus, literature analysis would play an essential part in the research.

A. Primary Sources: The primary instrument used to describe the background of the problem (research question) is available literature on the problem. The available literature is an essential instrument because it tells us about the research gap and helps to direct a path for the research. This research study is intended to answer the question of how criminal offender perceives and mentally represent the world around them (Russell, Wutich, & Ryan, 2017).

B. Secondary Source: Interviews would be arranged with social scientists, primarily criminologists, and sociologists, studying social deviance or criminal behavior. The purpose of those interviews will allow the participants to share their thoughts about such unusual/aggressive behaviors

Data will be organized and prepared for analysis: Data collected from different sources will be analyzed by using the described methodology into the paper. Coding will be employed to generate themes used to address the research questions.

Ethical Considerations

References

Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Bandura, A. (1976). Social learning analysis of aggression. In E. Ribes-Inesta & A. Bandura (Eds.), Analysis of delinquency and aggression. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Edelman G, Tononi G 2000 A Unierse of Consciousness: How

Matter Becomes Imagination. Basic Books\Allen Lane, New

York

Edelman G, & Tononi G. (2000). A Universe of Consciousness: How Matter Becomes Imagination. Basic Books Allen Lane, New York

Edward, D. (2017). Eysenck Theory of Personality Traits.

Eysenck, H. J. (1964). Crime and personality. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Hare, R. D. (1998). Psychopathy affect and behavior. In D. J. Cooke, A. E. Forth, & R. D. Hare, (Eds.), Psychopathy: Theory, research and implications for society. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Jeffery, C. R. (1965). Criminal Behavior and Learning Theory. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology,56 (4)

McLaughlin, E., & Muncie, J. (2013). Criminological Perspectives (Chapter 4: The criminal type in women and its atavistic origin by Lombroso, C. & Ferrero, W.). Los Angeles: SAGE

Miller, N. E., & Dollard, J. (1941). Social learning and imitation. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press

Rebellon, C. J. (2006). Do adolescents engage in delinquency to attract the social attention of peers? An extension and longitudinal test of the social reinforcement hypothesis. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 43(4), 387–411.

Russell, B.H., Wutich, A.Y., & Ryan, G.W. (2017). Analyzing qualitative data: Systematic approaches (second edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

This is the old topic, but some (not all) of the information here is going to be useful for the new topic, also this is rough work s disregard the typo and any other mistakes

Appendix A The 10 Strategic Points for the Prospectus, Proposal, and Dissertation

1. Topic – Provides a board research topic area/title: A case study of how criminal offenders perceive and mentally represent the world around them

2. Literature review

a. Background of the problem/gap;

It is suggested that criminal offenders perceive and represent world around them in a different way leading to their unusual behaviors. This topic is selected for the case study because available researches and literature shows that offender’s perspective about the world is one of the most neglected areas of the justice system, yet this perspective is important for the formulation of policy and practices that can best serve the society(Dodge & Frame,1982).

b. Theoretical Foundations (models and theories to be foundation for study);

Cognitive theory of crimes, states that offenders commit crimes because of defect in their thinking process, thought process, moral encouragement and development process (Crossman, 2017). Changes or lack of these four factors raise a person to commit a crime. And these four factors shape criminal offenders thinking There are numerous theories that support the research question for this study. This case study is intended to reveal how criminal offenders perceive and mentally represent the world around them. Criminal theories that are intended to explain criminal behaviors, in different situations, would be used to formulate basis of this research.

c. Review of literature topics with key theme for each one;

i. The personal perception of criminal offenders and how this personal perception leads to changed perception about the world. This area will try to determine and analyze environmental factors that shape perception of individuals and their mental process, by implementing different behavioral criminals and social theories.

ii. To understand the mental process of criminals is crucial. The purpose of this theme is to make changes in the existing criminal justice policy where the mental health of offenders will be more preferred instead of the crime they commit. There is need to divert the focus on mental health and back picture of the committed crime.

d. Summary.

i. Behavior is learned (Bandura, 1977). In the same manner, the way criminals perceive and represent the world around them is learned behaviors stated by the cognitive-behavioral theory of crime. Individuals learn from their surroundings and then respond based on their learnings. Available literature proves that criminal offender’s mental perception and process are different from a normal individual and these differences are basically environmental differences.

ii. Theories would be related to proposed research question, to provide the evidential support to research question. Different behavioral and criminal theories are selected and discussed into the case study. Different behavioral and criminal theories clearly argues the difference in the perception of criminal offenders and normal individuals. These theories also highlight factors that cause this perceptional difference among criminals offenders.

iii. Understanding a criminal’s perception, help us to understand numerous factors that causes an individual to commit crime. Criminal offenders perceive world negatively mainly as a result of their environments (Bandura, 1976)

3. Problem statement - Describes the phenomena to study (qualitative) or variables/groups (quantitative) to study, in one sentence: It was not known how criminal offenders perceive and mentally represent the world around them

4. Sample and location – Identify sample, needed sample size, and location (study phenomena with small numbers and variables/groups with large numbers).

a. Location: New York State, United States of America.

b. Population: A city with over 100 behavior consultants.

c. Sample: The sample for this research was 30-35 social scientists, primarily criminologists and sociologists, studying social deviance or criminal behavior.

5. Research questions – Provides research questions to collect data to answer the problem statement:

0. R1: What role does perception play in an individual’s potential to commit a deviant behavior

0. R2: How does an individual perceive his/her behavior?

0. R3: What role if any does the ego function play on perception?

6. Phenomena: describes the phenomena to be better understood (qualitative).

Phenomenon: Understanding the role of perception in an individual’s potential to commit a crime. OR Understanding how criminal offenders perceive and mentally represent the world around them

7. Methodology and design - Describes the selected methodology and specific research design to address problem statement and research questions: The methodology is qualitative. The design is a case study

8. Purpose: The purpose of the qualitative case study is to determine how criminal offenders perceive and mentally represent the world around them

9. Data collection – Describes primary instruments and sources of data to answer research questions:

i. Interviews: Interviews would allow the participants to share their thoughts about such unusual/aggressive behaviors and how

ii. Relevant Documents: case histories, autobiographies of criminals and sociologists, and life experiences of offenders. These documents shall explore much about the research question.

iii. Questionnaires.

10. Data analysis – Describes the specific data analysis approaches to be used to address research questions.

a. Data will be organized and prepared for analysis.

b. Descriptive statistics will summarize the data.

c. Coding will generate themes used to address the research questions.

Appendix B Variables/Groups, Phenomena, and Data Analysis

Instructions: Complete the applicable table to assist with your research design. Use Table 1 for quantitative studies. Use Table 2 for qualitative studies. This table is intended to define how you will collect and analyze the specific data for each research question (qualitative) and each variable (quantitative). Add additional rows to your table if needed.

Table 1 Quantitative Studies

Table 2 Qualitative Studies