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Journal Article Review: Psychological Theories
Journal Article Review: Psychological Theories
Owura Asante
Liberty University Online
Dr. Ford
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Journal Article Review: Psychological Theories
Abstract
Psychological theories of crime are perspectives or ways crime have been studied and explained
by experts in the field of psychology. the field of criminal justice has greatly improved in relation
to crime theories and the ability of police officers and detectives to successfully profile criminals
and criminal activities to bring perpetuators to justice. There are four main theories discussed,
explaining psychological theories of crime. These are cognitive theory or perspective,
intelligence perspective, personality perspective, and learning theories. These perspectives also
help explains behaviors involved in the commitment of crime. It allows for the justice system to
better provide a criminal the punishment or treatment in the process of crime control.
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Journal Article Review: Psychological Theories
Premise and Supporting points
There are many ways today in society in which different professions try to define and
explain the reasons behind why certain crimes are committed and why those individuals commit
those crimes. There are a thousand ways to analyze and conclude a fitting explanation for a given
crime, its outcome, and effect on its victims. However, in the world of criminal justice, not every
definition or theory may have the ability to help solve a case and bring a culprit to justice, given
the parameters of the law and Constitution. The introduction of psychology to the field of
criminal justice has helped create a bridge of understanding needed to analyze crime and the
criminal in establishing the motives and methods of operation in the commitment of a crime
(Henderson, 2017). According to Henderson (2017), there are four main psychological theories
or perspectives that helps criminal justice professionals to define and solve crime. These are the
personality theory or perspective, behavioral theory, cognitive theory, and the intelligence theory
(Henderson, 2017).
Psychological theories
Henderson discussed that, it is important for one to understand the different personalities
that exists and its relation to the behaviors of the individual. It is only then that, one can be able
to attach an explanation to an activity performed by such individual (Henderson, 2017). The
author goes on to explain that an individual’s personality is made up of a collection of stable
patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are unique to that person only, distinguishing
them from others. It is this uniqueness that helps define traits of people. Sigmund Freud, a
famous psychology helped simplify this understanding by grouping the different personality
types into three main components called the Id (which appears during the formative years of the
individual), the ego (this serves a control to help keep the Id in check by ensuring individual
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Journal Article Review: Psychological Theories
actions are kept within boundaries), and the superego (ensures the morality of the individual
taught by their parents are sustained) (Henderson, 2017). An imbalance of the three often leads to
delinquent behaviors. In relation to this theory, Linebach and Kovacsiss (2016), discussed in
their text that social learning theory helps expound on how an imbalance occurs between the Id,
ego, and superego. They mentioned, that according to the social learning theory, these behaviors
are learned from others in society either as a sense of feeling part of something or an ability to
prove a thing, leading delinquent behaviors (Linebach & Kovacsiss, 2016).
The cognitive perspective according to Henderson, helps in defining the mental process
an individual’s mind goes through in perceiving and mentally represent or view the world around
them (Henderson, 2017). This helps members of the criminal justice world to better assess and
provide the needed punishment or treatment for an individual convicted of a crime. The
intelligence perspective discusses nature versus nurture in relation to high intelligence quotient
(IQ). Proponents of this theory believes that an individual with a low IQ is likely to commit
crime than one with a high IQ. The behavioral perspective or theory maintains that people’s
actions are because of their environment. Henderson (2017) believes that a person is more likely
to commit a crime as influenced by their surroundings. The author, just as the social learning
theorists believes that people who commit crimes learn those things from others. This cause them
to behave in delinquent ways that later manifests into criminal behaviors in their adult life if not
treated (Henderson, 2017).
Evaluation and Conclusion
The four theories collectively have helped advanced the understanding of criminal
activities and criminals. These theories have helped police officers and detectives to advance in
criminal profiling, an act that has helped improve justice world in relation to crime control.
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Journal Article Review: Psychological Theories
Considering the intelligence theory, police officers can formulate interrogation practices that help
them deriving evidence need to convict a crime. This because, if the intelligence theory suggests
criminal behavior are learned, then, the officers during their interrogation can appeal to the
intelligence of the criminal and through that can come to conclusion on the motives behind the
crime committed. The theories collectively work hand in hand through the foundation of
psychology in enhancing the criminal justice world in crime solving and bring crime under
control.
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Journal Article Review: Psychological Theories
References
Henderson, B. B. (2017). Psychological theories of crime. The Encyclopedia of Crime and
Punishment, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118524275
Linebach, J. & Kovacsiss, L. (2016). Psychology in the justice system. Scotts Valley, CA:
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
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