Criminal Psychology Trait Theory Quiz

Trait Theory

• Criminality is a product of abnormal biological and or psychological traits.
• Focuses on the idea that individuals are predisposed towards crime due to their biological makeup and psychological traits.

Biological and Psychological Views

• Lombroso was an early proponent of biological explanations for crime.
• Sociobiology theory suggests that biological and genetic factors shape how individuals learn and perceive social behaviors.
• Contemporary trait theory emphasizes the unique physical and mental characteristics of each offender.
• Crime is seen as an interaction between personal traits and environmental factors.

Biological Trait Theories

• Chemical and mineral influences: Imbalances in essential minerals and chemicals can lead to mood disorders, cognitive issues, and abnormal behavior.
• Hormonal influences: Hormones, particularly testosterone, are linked to aggression and impulsivity, and some argue that differences in crime rates between genders are due to innate biological predispositions.
• Environmental contaminants: Exposure to environmental contaminants has been linked to behavioral and emotional problems.
• Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): People with ADHD can have difficulty with attention, impulse control, and hyperactivity, often leading to poor school performance and behavioral issues.
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): Alcohol consumption during pregnancy can result in physical and behavioral problems.
• Acquired Brain Injury (ABI): Brain injuries can contribute to risk-taking behavior.
• Neurophysiological conditions: Focuses on how brain chemistry and functioning influence behavior.
  • Neurotransmitters: Abnormal levels of neurotransmitters can be linked to aggression and impulsivity.
  • Arousal theory: Individuals seek to maintain an optimal level of arousal, and those who seek high levels may engage in risky behavior.
• Genetics and crime:
  • Parental deviance: Studies suggest a link between parental criminality and children's delinquent behavior.
  • Twin behavior: Research on identical (MZ) and fraternal (DZ) twins is helpful in understanding the relative roles of genetics vs environment.
  • Adoption studies: These studies examine criminal behavior patterns in adopted children compared to the biological and adoptive parents.
• Evolutionary views of crime:
  • Evolution of gender and crime: Differences in mating strategies between men and women are suggested to influence aggression and crime rates.
  • "Cheater theory": Some men, genetically predisposed towards lower parental involvement, may engage in deception and risky behavior.
• Evolution of biological trait theory: Critics argue that biological theories can be racist and dangerous, and that they don't fully account for social and environmental factors.

Psychodynamic Perspective

• It suggests that our childhood experiences and unconscious mental processes shape our personality and behavior.
• Key concepts:
  • ID: The primitive part of the personality, driven by instincts and desires.
  • Ego: The rational part of the personality, mediates between the ID and superego.
  • Superego: Represents internalized moral standards and values.
• Criminality is seen as a product of an aggressive and frustrated personality stemming from early childhood events.
• Aichorn: Societal stress can contribute to criminality, and a strong ID can predispose individuals to antisocial acts.

Behavioral Perspective

• Behavior theory: People learn from experiences and interactions with others.
• Skinner: Operant conditioning emphasizes the role of reinforcement in shaping behavior.
• Social learning theory: Emphasizes the importance of observation and imitation in learning.
• Behavioral modeling: People learn aggressive behaviors by observing others.
• Four factors that contribute to aggressive behavior:
  • Arousal
  • Aggressive skills
  • Expected outcomes
  • Consistency with values

Cognitive Perspective

• Focuses on how people think and process information.
• Information processing theory: Examines how individuals gather, process, and store information, suggesting that faulty processing can contribute to criminal behavior.

Personality and Crime

• Personality is a relatively stable pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviors that distinguish individuals.
• Traits linked with criminality: impulsivity, hostility, and aggression.
• Eysenck proposed that extroversion and instability are associated with antisocial behavior.
• Personality deficits that may be linked to crime: hyperactivity, impulsivity, short attention spans, conduct disorders, anxiety, depression, lack of empathy, and shortsightedness.
• These personality traits can contribute to antisocial personality disorders.

Intelligence and Crime

• Early criminologists believed that criminals had lower intelligence.
• Debate continues about the role of intelligence in crime.
• Low IQ can lead to poor school performance, which can increase the risk of delinquency and later criminality.

Mental Disorder and Crime

• Mental disorders such as schizophrenia are often associated with crime.
• Most people with mental disorders are not criminals.
• While there's no strong association between mental disorder and violence in general, individuals with serious mental illness may be at a higher risk for violence, especially when combined with substance abuse.

Evaluation of Psychological Trait Theory

• Provides a foundation for treatment programs aimed at addressing problem behavior.
• Some critics argue that research findings contradict each other.
• The counterargument is that trait theories recognize the individual as the starting point in understanding behavior.

Social Policy Implications

• Primary prevention programs include substance abuse clinics and mental health services.
• Secondary prevention programs utilize psychological counseling for youth and adults.

Exam Review

• Chapters 1-5 for exam preparation.