Criminal psychology — Edexcel GCSE Psychology
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Criminal psychology explained
Criminal psychology covers 4 specification points, including • Operant Conditioning (Skinner, 1948), to… and A.
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extraversion b. introversion c. neuroticism…. Open a point below for its explanation and revision guidance.
6.1.1 Understand learning theories as an explanation of criminality, including strengths and weaknesses of each theory: • Operant Conditioning (Skinner, 1948), to include a. positive reinforcement b. negative reinforcement c. positive punishment d. negative punishment e. primary reinforcers f. secondary reinforcers • Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977), to include g. role models h. modelling i. identification j. observational learning k. vicarious reinforcement
Learning theories explain criminality as acquired behaviour. Skinner's Operant Conditioning suggests consequences shape actions. Positive reinforcement (gaining stolen money) and negative reinforcement (escaping threats) increase crime. Positive punishment (fines) and negative punishment (losing liberty) decrease it. Primary reinforcers satisfy basic needs; secondary reinforcers (money) buy them. Bandura's Social Learning Theory posits crime is learnt via observational learning. Individuals identify with role models and model their behaviour. Seeing a model rewarded acts as vicarious reinforcement, encouraging imitation. Strengths include practical applications like token economies, but weaknesses include ignoring biological factors.
6.1.2 Understand biological explanations of criminality, including personality types (Eysenck, 1964), to include strengths and weaknesses of the theory: a. extraversion b. introversion c. neuroticism d. psychoticism
Biological explanations suggest criminality has innate roots. Eysenck (1964) proposed personality types are biologically determined by the nervous system and linked to crime. Extraversion involves being sensation-seeking, driven by an underactive nervous system requiring stimulation. Introversion is the opposite, needing calm. Neuroticism refers to emotional instability and high anxiety. Psychoticism involves being aggressive, cold, and lacking empathy. Eysenck argued individuals scoring high on extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism are harder to condition and more likely to offend. Strengths include combining biological and psychological factors, but weaknesses include relying on self-report questionnaires which may lack validity.
6.1.3 Understand the effects of punishments on recidivism, including strengths and weaknesses of each punishment: a. prison b. community sentencing c. restorative justice
Recidivism refers to reoffending after receiving punishment for a crime. Prison removes offenders from society, protecting the public, but can act as a 'school of crime' where inmates learn new criminal skills, often leading to high recidivism rates. Community sentencing involves unpaid work or treatment programmes; it allows offenders to maintain employment and family ties, reducing recidivism for minor offences, but may be seen as a soft option by the public. Restorative justice brings offenders and victims together to discuss the crime's impact. This can significantly reduce recidivism by fostering empathy and accountability, but it requires voluntary participation and may cause distress to the victim if not managed carefully.
6.1.4 Understand two treatments to rehabilitate and reduce criminal and antisocial behaviour and increase pro-social behaviour, including strengths and weaknesses of each treatment: a. token economy programmes b. anger-management programmes
Rehabilitation aims to reduce criminal and antisocial behaviour while increasing pro-social behaviour. Token economy programmes use operant conditioning in institutions like prisons. Offenders earn tokens for pro-social behaviours (e.g. following rules), which are exchanged for rewards (e.g. extra phone time). This effectively manages short-term behaviour but often fails to reduce long-term recidivism once tokens are removed. Anger-management programmes use cognitive behavioural therapy to help offenders identify triggers and learn coping mechanisms (e.g. deep breathing) to control aggressive impulses. This addresses the root cause of violent behaviour, offering long-term benefits, but requires high motivation and trained facilitators.
Your focus
- Differentiate between the four types of consequences in operant conditioning.
- Explain the process of observational learning using key terms from Social Learning Theory.
- Evaluate learning theories of criminality by identifying at least one strength and one weakness for each.
Show all 12 objectives
- Define the traits of extraversion, introversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism.
- Explain the biological basis for each of Eysenck's personality dimensions.
- Evaluate Eysenck's theory of the criminal personality by discussing its methodological weaknesses.
- Define recidivism and explain how different punishments aim to reduce it.
- Describe the processes involved in prison, community sentencing, and restorative justice.
- Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of prison, community sentencing, and restorative justice in relation to recidivism.
- Explain how token economy programmes use operant conditioning to increase pro-social behaviour.
- Describe the stages of anger-management programmes in reducing antisocial behaviour.
- Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of token economies and anger management as treatments for criminal behaviour.
Criminal psychology exam tips
Marking Points
- Define positive reinforcement as adding a pleasant stimulus to increase behaviour, and negative reinforcement as removing an unpleasant stimulus.
- Distinguish between positive punishment (adding an unpleasant consequence) and negative punishment (removing a pleasant consequence).
- Explain that primary reinforcers satisfy biological needs, whereas secondary reinforcers are associated with primary ones.
- Describe how observational learning occurs when an individual identifies with a role model and imitates their modelled behaviour.
- Evaluate the theories by discussing strengths, such as explaining environmental influences, and weaknesses, such as neglecting genetic factors.
- Describe extraversion as a biological need for environmental stimulation due to an underactive nervous system.
- Explain neuroticism as emotional instability stemming from a highly reactive autonomic nervous system.
- Define psychoticism as a trait characterised by aggression, impulsivity, and a lack of empathy, linked to testosterone levels.
- Explain that the combination of high extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism makes an individual difficult to socialise and condition against criminal acts.
- Evaluate Eysenck's theory by noting its strength in integrating biological and psychological concepts, and its weakness in relying on subjective self-report measures.
- Define recidivism as the act of a convicted criminal reoffending.
- Identify prison as a punishment that incapacitates offenders but may increase recidivism through exposure to criminal subcultures.
- Explain that community sentencing can lower recidivism by keeping offenders integrated in society, though it is less effective for violent crimes.
- Describe restorative justice as a process requiring the offender to face the victim, which can reduce recidivism by developing empathy.
- Evaluate each punishment by comparing their effectiveness in reducing recidivism rates and their impact on the offender and society.
- Explain that token economies are based on operant conditioning, using secondary reinforcers (tokens) to reward pro-social behaviour.
- Identify that token economies are effective for institutional management but lack long-term effectiveness outside the institution.
- Describe anger-management programmes as a cognitive behavioural approach that teaches offenders to recognise and manage anger triggers.
- Evaluate anger management by noting it addresses underlying cognitive causes of antisocial behaviour, potentially reducing long-term recidivism.
- Contrast the two treatments by highlighting that token economies focus on observable behaviour, while anger management focuses on internal cognitive processes.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Use concrete examples of criminal behaviour, such as theft or vandalism, when explaining operant conditioning concepts.
- 💡Clearly link vicarious reinforcement to the observer seeing the role model's consequences, not their own.
- 💡When evaluating, contrast learning theories with biological explanations to highlight their failure to account for innate factors.
- 💡Use the acronym PEN (Psychoticism, Extraversion, Neuroticism) to remember the three traits Eysenck linked to criminal behaviour.
- 💡When evaluating, mention that the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) is a self-report tool, which can lead to socially desirable answers.
- 💡Clearly distinguish between the biological cause (e.g., underactive nervous system) and the resulting psychological trait (e.g., extraversion).
- 💡When evaluating punishments, always link your points back to their specific effect on recidivism rates.
- 💡Use concrete examples, such as an offender learning new burglary techniques in prison, to illustrate weaknesses.
- 💡Ensure you can provide at least one distinct strength and one weakness for each of the three types of punishment.
- 💡Clearly distinguish between antisocial behaviour (actions that harm or lack consideration for others) and pro-social behaviour (actions that benefit others).
- 💡When discussing token economies, explicitly use psychological terminology such as operant conditioning, positive reinforcement, and secondary reinforcers.
- 💡Evaluate treatments by comparing their short-term effectiveness in institutions against their long-term success in reducing recidivism in society.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing negative reinforcement with punishment. Correction: Negative reinforcement increases a behaviour by removing something unpleasant, whereas punishment decreases a behaviour.
- Using 'modelling' and 'imitation' interchangeably without context. Correction: Modelling refers to the role model demonstrating the behaviour, which the observer then imitates.
- Assuming primary reinforcers are always more powerful than secondary ones. Correction: Secondary reinforcers like money can be highly motivating because they provide access to multiple primary reinforcers.
- Confusing psychoticism with psychosis or schizophrenia. Correction: Psychoticism is a personality trait relating to aggression and lack of empathy, not a clinical mental health disorder involving hallucinations.
- Treating introversion as a cause of criminality. Correction: Introverts are easier to condition and less likely to seek illegal stimulation, making them less prone to criminality according to Eysenck.
- Failing to link the personality traits to their biological basis. Correction: Always explain that these traits are rooted in the functioning of the central and autonomic nervous systems.
- Mistake: Confusing restorative justice with community sentencing. Correction: Restorative justice specifically involves communication between the victim and offender, whereas community sentencing involves unpaid work or curfews.
- Mistake: Assuming prison is the most effective way to reduce recidivism. Correction: Acknowledge that while prison protects the public, it often has high recidivism rates due to the criminal environment.
- Mistake: Stating restorative justice can be forced on offenders. Correction: Emphasise that restorative justice requires the voluntary consent of both the victim and the offender to be effective.
- Mistake: Stating that tokens in a token economy are the actual reward. Correction: Clarify that tokens are secondary reinforcers that must be exchanged for primary rewards or privileges.
- Mistake: Assuming anger management is suitable for all offenders. Correction: Note that anger management is only effective for offenders whose crimes are motivated by anger, not for instrumental or calculated crimes.
- Mistake: Claiming token economies change the underlying causes of criminal behaviour. Correction: Explain that token economies only modify surface behaviour through reinforcement and do not address cognitive or emotional causes.