Individualistic Theories of Criminality

1. Individualistic Theories of Criminality Psychological theories – Eysenck, Kohlberg Learning theory - Bandura Psychodynamic theory – Freud and Bowlby

2. Learning Objectives • To be able to provide evidence for social learning theory and one other learning theory of criminality. • To be able to explain social learning theory as a theory of criminality and link to a real life event. • To be able to describe social learning theory as a theory of criminality.

3. Starter Activity • Who are Eric David Harris and Dylan Bennett Klebold? • What crime did they commit? • Why did they commit this crime?

4. Suggested reasons for Columbine shootings:  • Psychopathy (psychopaths are rational and aware of what they are doing and why. Their behavior is the result of choice, freely exercised. Lack of remorse, empathy, grandiosity)  • Harris - Disturbed personality with prominent antisocial, narcissistic, and sadistic traits – the mastermind behind it, cool, calculating  • Klebold was hotheaded, depressive and suicidal – probably would have recovered  • These are all individualistic, psychological reasons 

5. Individualistic Theories of crime (spec) Individualistic theories are psychological theories. They suggest criminality has psychological rather than biological cause. However, there is some overlap with biological and sociological theories. Key people we are looking at: • Freud • Bandura • Eysenck • Kohlberg

6. Bandura – Social Learning Theory • Bandura developed his theory in the 1960’s • He drew on previous behaviourist theories such as Skinner’s operant conditioning.

7. What is Learning Theory • Learning theories suggest that our behavior is determined by the environment. This can be the rewards and punishments we receive, the associations we make or what we observe others doing in our environment. • They fall on the NURTURE side of the nature/nurture debate so can be clearly contrasted with genetic explanations of behavior. • You must Learn Social Learning Theory and the work of Bandura. As extension you can link operant conditioning to criminality as well.

8. It has been estimated that a child entering secondary school will have seen 8,000 murders and 100,000 other violent acts on TV. Eron (1995)

9. Key Terms Observational Learning Vicarious (Indirect) Reinforcement Vicarious (Indirect) Punishment Role Model Imitation Mental Representation (Cognition) Social Learning Theory You must make sure you can define these terms by the end of the lesson. Mental representations (or mental imagery) enable representing things that have never been experienced as well as things that do not exist.. Think of yourself traveling to a place you have never visited before, or having a third arm. These things have either never happened or are impossible and do not exist, yet our brain and mental imagery allows us to imagine them. 

10. SLT – Bandura and Walters • Biological make up creates potential for aggression, but we learn crime: • We learn through observation – family, subcultures, cultural symbols (media) • Vicarious reinforcement – when we see a person rewarded for their behaviour we are more likely to imitate it. • Copy behaviour of those we identify with – family, peers, celebrities • Role models – we observe and imitate • Modelling – When an individual models behaviour.

11. The cognitive bit! • Children may not immediately imitate behavior • They make mental representations of the behaviour • They retain the information • Will recreate the behavior at an appropriate time if reward is likely. • They have to be motivated to imitate the behaviour.

12. Task • Identify role models that you think would be important to young children today. Use specific examples • Create a scenario which include a role model, observational learning and vicarious reinforcement – this could be any scenario not just crime. E.g. • Gender • Tidying up • Sport Extension – look up operant conditioning and explain what positive reinforcement and punishment lead to

13. Research Study • Bandura et al. (1961) • Video Clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqNaLerMNOE

14. Task • Read the Bobo doll study on your capture sheet and answer the questions. • Draw a cartoon strip to help you remember the study.

15. What’s the punchline? Think back to what you learned about last lesson… Can you think of the punchline for this joke? “Why was Pavlov’s hair so soft?”

16. Answer: “Because he conditioned it!”

17. Activity • Research into the  James Bulger Murders – Jon Venables and Robert Thompson • What crime did they commit? • What was their family background like? • How might Bandura’s SLT explain their crime? Draw on specific concepts. Apply your learning. • https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/nov/01/bulger.familyandrelationships

18. Question – Explain Social Learning Theory (6) • Social learning theory suggests criminal behavior like all behavior is learnt. Behaviour is learnt from observing the behavior of role models such as parents, celebrities and peer groups. Children observe the behavior of models and imitate this behavior especially if they observe the model rewarded for their behavior.This is called vicarious reinforcement and means behaviour is more likely to be copied if the individual has the expectation of reward. This theory also considers the fact that a child may not immediately imitate behavior but forms a mental representation of the behavior and expected consequences and copies the behavior at an appropriate time. A child is much more likely to imitate behavior that they have seen a person rewarded for. This can relate to criminal behavior because if a child sees their father gain respect from others for committing crime they may learn that crime can have positive consequences. This theory has strong evidence such as the Bobo doll study. In this study children saw either an aggressive or non aggressive adult hitting and punching an inflatable doll. Those children who witnessed the aggressive model were much more likely to show aggressive behavior to the doll when they were left in a room with the same doll. A real life case that can illustrate the role of observational learning is the case of Thompson and Venables and the killing of Jamie Bulger. It was considered that these boys had watched violent films such as Child’s play, which may have led them to copy some of the actions they saw in the movie.

19. How can Learning Theory explain recidivism • Recidivism is the act of repeating behavior that you have been punished for. • It is also used to refer to the percentage of former prisoners who are rearrested for a similar offense. Read the short extract on Sutherland’s ideas on your capture sheet (there is more detail on this in the text book) • Why does this have implications for the use of prisons as punishment?

20. Plenary – defend the indefensible! • Criminals are not responsible for their actions, it is due to how their parents brought them up. • You can look up the terms determinism and free will to help you with your debate.

21. Psychological Explanations of Crime Psychodynamic Explanation

22. Starter – Define the terms • Imitation - • Role Model - • Reinforcement - • Vicarious reinforcement - • Mental representation -

23. Starter – Define the terms • Imitation – When observed behaviour is copied • Role Model – An individual that models behaviour and that others may imitate. • Reinforcement – When a behaviour has a positive consequence (this means the behaviour is likely to be repeated • Vicarious reinforcement -observing another person rewarded for their behaviour. This makes it more likely that the behaviour will be imitated • Mental representation – This is the cognitive part of SLT which suggests individuals do not immediately imitate the behaviour of others but hold what they see in their memory. The behaviour is then shown when reward is likely

24. Sutherland’s Differential Association Theory • Criminal behaviour is learnt through our interactions with others. • Pro crime attitudes – If individuals are exposed to these values they may go on to offend. • Anti-crime attitudes would reduce the likelihood of criminal behaviour. • If pro-crime outweigh anti-crime then more likely to attend. A good thing about this explanation is it can be used to predict the likelihood someone will commit a crime. We can use the frequency, intensity and duration of the pro-crime attitudes and anti-crime attitudes they are exposed to.

25. As well as learning values, attitudes and motives of criminal behaviour. Individuals also learn techniques of how to commit a crime. This might be very practical skills.

26. To be able to describe Freud’s theory and how it links to criminality and describe and evaluate the 44 thieves study • To be able to describe Freud’s psychodynamic theory and provide evidence • To be able to describe how Freud’s psychodynamic theory can explain criminal behaviour

27. What factors stop us committing crime? Extension – Apply psychological theory to the factors you identify.

28. Psychodynamic Theory • This is a famous psychological theory of behaviour. • It is a personality theory that states our personality develops through stages • Our personality is tripartite (three parts) • Id • Ego • Superego • These parts of our personality develop during the first three stages of development

29. According to Psychodynamic Theory, the personality is made up of three parts. It is known as the Tripartite theory of personality. • Present from birth • The pleasure principle • Represents our basic needs • Requires instant gratification • Selfish and primitive • Develops from about 18 months • The reality principle • It is practical and acts as a • Mediator between the Id and • superego • Develops after completion • of the Phallic stage. • Internalise morality of same sex parent Our conscience and ego ideal

31. The Tripartite Personality • To be healthy these parts of our personality need to balanced. • The ego should be strong enough to cope with the demands of the Id and Superego. • If the Id dominates we may engage in impulsive, irresponsible behaviour leading to crime. • If the superego dominates we could be over moralistic and judgemental

33. How does our conscience develop? • As we reach the phallic stage at around 3 years. We go through a stage known as the Oedipus complex (Electra Complex in girls. • This stage involves a strong love and desire for the opposite sex parent and a fear of the same sex parent (or fear of losing mothers love in girls) • This this turns into the child identifying with the same sex parent and internalising their values and beliefs. • Therefore, the child internalises the morality of their same sex parent.

34. Deviant Superego • The child identifies with same sex parent but that parent happens to be criminal. • Therefore, the child develops the same morality as a criminal. Weak Superego • Same sex parent is absent during phallic stage • Child has no one to identify with and no morality to internalise. Harsh or Overdeveloped Superego • Strong identification with a strict parent. • Causing excessive guilt and anxiety

35. Types of Superego and Crime • From our discussion link the description and link to offending behaviour to the correct type of superego.

36. Evidence for the Psychodynamic Theory • Bowlby’s 44 Thieves • Read the study and complete the questions on the study • What are the consequences of maternal deprivation? • An inability to form attachments in the future • Affectionless psychopathy (inability to feel remorse) • Delinquency (behavioural problems in adolescence) • Problems with Cognitive Development Mistake on capture. 39% of thieves experienced early separation not over half

37. In Pairs A – has the list of key terminology B – Speak for one minute about what you have learned. A tick off all the words they use correctly. A – has one minute to fill in the gaps.

38. Psychological Explanations of Offending Behaviour

39. Starter – Define the Terms • Psyche • Id • Ego • Superego

40. Objectives • To be able to describe and provide evidence for Eysenck’s personality theory as a psychological explanation of criminal behaviour. • To be able to describe and provide evidence for Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning as an explanations of criminal behaviour. • To be able evaluate these theories with both strengths and weaknesses

41. http://similarminds.com/eysenck.html

42. Eysenck’s Psychological Theory • Key terminology – Make sure you have definitions for these by the end of the lesson: • Extraversion • Introversion • Neuroticism • Stability • Psychoticism

43. Eysenck’s EPQ Extroverts are outgoing, prefer the company of others to being alone, get bored easily, experience positive emotions • Extroversion – Introversion • Neuroticism - Stability Introverts prefer their own company, they are more cautious and less sociable than extroverts

44. Neuroticism-stable • Neuroticism – A tendency to experience negative emotions such as anger, anxiety and depression. • Stable – This is the other end of the scale and these people are calm, even tempered and carefree.

45. Psychoticism – was added later • Psychotics are egocentric, aggressive, impulsive, impersonal, lacking in empathy and generally not concerned about the welfare of other people

46. Psychological or Biological • This is considered a psychological explanations • There is a biological basis to the theory • Extroversion – arousal in the nervous system – under aroused and seeks stimulation. • Introversion – innately over-aroused and reduce or avoid stimulation. • Neuroticism – Reacts quickly, vigilant for threat in the environment • Stable – calm under pressure, underactive SNS • Psychoticism – Higher levels of testosterone – so men more likely to be psychotics.

47. Extraverts seek out arousal and so engage in dangerous activities. Risk taking behaviours – seeking a thrill! How does this link to criminal behaviour? Psychoticism – aggressive, angry, lacking in empathy, they will not feel guilty for engaging in criminal activity so there is no holding them back Neurotics have high levels of emotion and they over-react to situations where there is threat. Introverts are less likely to engage in crime

48. Link to Operant conditioning Commentary • Interactionist approach • Eysenck’s ideas have a strong biological basis. But our innate temperament will interact with the environment. • Eysenck argued that people who score high on extroversion and neuroticism are less easily conditioned. Therefore when they are punished for doing something wrong they are less likely to learn to avoid that behaviour in the future.

49. Research evidence • Read the study on the capture sheet.

50. Evaluation of Eysenck’s theory • Supporting evidence – Eysenck found prisoners had higher scores on psychoticism, neuroticism and extroversion. • Challenging evidence – Farrington found it was psychoticism that was the important factor – not neuroticism or extroversion. • Challenging evidence – Eysenck linked personality to physiological arousal. We would therefore expect differences in arousal levels in the brain – this has not been found