Theories of Criminal Behaviour

OCR

GCSE

The study of criminal behaviour requires candidates to evaluate competing etiological frameworks, ranging from historical biological determinism (Lombroso) to contemporary neural and genetic explanations, alongside psychological theories including Eysenck’s personality theory, cognitive distortions, and differential association. Candidates must critically assess the transition from viewing criminality as an innate pathology to understanding it as a complex interaction of dispositional and situational factors. Mastery involves analysing the implications of these theories for judicial responsibility, recidivism, and custodial sentencing.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

Learning Objectives

What you need to know and understand

Eysenck's Theory: High P, E, and N scores correlate with criminal behaviour
Amygdala: Part of the limbic system responsible for fight or flight; dysfunction links to aggression
Social Learning Theory: Vicarious reinforcement increases the likelihood of imitating observed criminal acts
Heaven (1996): Longitudinal study of 282 teenagers finding Psychoticism is the best predictor of delinquency
Cooper and Mackie (1986): Lab experiment showing playing aggressive video games increased aggression in girls specifically

Example Examiner Feedback

Real feedback patterns examiners use when marking

"You have defined the theory well, but you must explicitly link the behaviour in the scenario to the specific theoretical concept"
"Your evaluation of the study is generic; specify how the sample composition limits the population validity"
"Differentiate clearly between the biological cause (arousal levels) and the resulting personality trait (Extraversion)"
"When discussing SLT, ensure you mention the consequence of the model's behaviour (vicarious reinforcement) not just the observation"

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Credit accurate description of the amygdala's role in the limbic system and its specific link to aggressive behaviour
Award marks for precise application of Social Learning Theory stages (Attention, Retention, Reproduction, Motivation) to novel scenarios
Evaluation of Heaven (1996) must address longitudinal design strengths versus attrition rates and self-report bias
Differentiation between Eysenck's biological basis (under-active nervous system) and the resulting personality traits (PEN) is required for top band AO1

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡For 13-mark extended responses, ensure equal weighting is given to Description (AO1), Application (AO2), and Evaluation (AO3)
💡When criticizing studies, move beyond 'small sample' to explain the specific implications for generalizability to the target population
💡Use the 'ARRM' mnemonic (Attention, Retention, Reproduction, Motivation) to structure SLT application answers
💡Explicitly link the high extraversion score in Eysenck's theory to the under-active nervous system requiring stimulation

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Confusing the definitions of Psychoticism with clinical psychosis rather than the trait of coldness/lack of empathy
Describing Social Learning Theory generally without referencing the specific role of vicarious reinforcement
Failing to contextualize the evaluation of Cooper and Mackie (1986) regarding the artificiality of the lab setting
Conflating the findings of Heaven (1996) regarding Psychoticism with findings related to Extraversion

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Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

Likely Command Words

How questions on this topic are typically asked

Identify

Describe

Explain

Discuss

Evaluate

Calculate

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