Forensic Psychology Studies Summary

Forensic Psychology Studies Summary

• Copson (1995): Study on top-down offender profiling. A police research group found that 80% of cases using this method were perceived as useful.

• Brunner (Study): Investigated a Dutch family exhibiting aggressive and violent behavior. They discovered unique gene mutations in the MAOA (monoamine oxidase A) gene, potentially linked to their violent tendencies.

• Raine (2000): Found a 11% reduction in prefrontal cortex (PFC) gray matter volume observed in individuals with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) compared to control groups.

• Eyesenck & Eyesenck (1977): Research supported the idea of a criminal personality. 2070 prisoners scored higher than average on the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire dimensions (Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism).

• Bartol & Holanchock (1979): Studying Hispanic and African-American offenders, found lower Extraversion scores compared to controls, which contradicts some Eysenck's theory predictions.

• Schonberg & Justye (2014): Offenders perceived expressionless faces as more aggressive than non-offenders – a critical piece of data on perceptions linked to criminal behavior.

• Palmer & Hollin (1998): 332 non-offenders contrasted with 126 convicted offenders in a study of moral reasoning through 11 moral dilemma questions. Convicted offenders demonstrated less mature moral reasoning compared to their counterparts.

• Langdon et al (2010): Intelligence may have a role in predicting criminality. Their data suggests a link between low IQ and criminal behavior.

• Farringdon (Study): A longitudinal study of working-class boys found familial links likely played a role in the 41% convicted of an offence.

• Kohlberg (1976): Developed stages of moral reasoning, a crucial idea impacting our understanding of offender behavior.

• Eyesenck: Proposed the theory of the criminal personality. The idea central to this theory is consistent characteristics within offenders, which are assessed during studies.

• Sutherland: Proposed the Differential Association Theory, which suggests that criminal behavior is learned through interaction with others.

• Lombroso: Investigated the relationship between genetics and criminal tendencies. Lombroso's "born criminal" theory posited physical traits linked to criminal behavior which has been significantly challenged by later studies.

• Goring (2013): Compared physical features between 3,000 offenders and 3,000 non-offenders finding no significant physical differences related to criminal tendencies. He also discovered a negative correlation between intelligence and criminality, which contradicts Lombroso's earlier work.

• Keyser et al (2011): A controversial notion of criminal behavior. Individuals with criminal tendencies may be capable of consciously modulating their empathy.

• Hollin et al (2002): Research suggests a link between a comparatively less developed stage of moral reasoning found in offenders.

• Blackburn (1993): Argued that a deficient or weak superego could lead to criminal behavior. They proposed three key aspects of inadequate superegos.

Explore key studies in forensic psychology including offender profiling, genetic factors in aggression, and personality traits related to criminal behavior. This quiz summarizes findings from prominent researchers like Copson, Brunner, Raine, and Eysenck. Test your knowledge of how these studies contribute to our understanding of criminal psychology.