Psychological Traits

1. Psychological Traits SOC 112 Part 2

2. Criminality • Sociological theories - crime rates of groups - do not look at individual a. Cannot explain: - poor area / abuse / discord / drop-out - resists crime (1) Individual differences - psychologists / biologists - finding out reasons

3. Criminality, cont. (2) Affluent neighborhood - two parent family - tries to kill president b. Sociologists: not individual differences - psychologists / biologists: interested (1) Different theories: not competing - study same act / status / character

4. Criminality, cont. c. To understand crime - more than one perspective (1) Sociological - ignores personality / human biology (2) Psychological - focuses on individual - not interactions • Individual differences

5. Criminality, cont. - defective conscience - emotional immaturity - inadequate childhood socialization - maternal deprivation - poor mental development a. What do criminal psychologist study? - why people commit crimes - how aggression learned - personal conditions

6. Criminality, cont. - abused b. Personality factors - introverted / pessimist / smart / deviant c. Mental disorders associated - head injury - serious illness - lead paint

7. Psychological Development • Founder of psychoanalysis - Sigmund Freud - researchers referred to a. Criminality may result from: - overactive superego / conscience (1) Unbearable guilt - committed crimes - to be apprehended / punished - then, guilt relieved

8. Psychological, cont. b. Example: Richard - anger: father’s death / mother’s abandon - unconscious feelings of guilt - once punished: relieved (1) Persistent criminal activity - conscience: not too strong / too weak - impulses of the Id (2) Superego - internalized parental image

9. Psychological, cont. - child assumes attitude / moral value - without = uncontrolled Id - leads to delinquency (2) Analysts view (delinquents) - unable to give up instant pleasure • Psychoanalytical approach - more prominent explanation - normal / asocial functioning - three basic principles:

10. Psychoanalytical, cont. a. Actions / behaviors of adult - childhood development - occurred as a child b. Behavior / unconscious motives: intertwined - interaction must be unraveled - understand criminality c. Criminality - psychological conflict

11. Psychological Theories • Freudian theory: unconscious - others: conscious a. Classical conditioning - passive person - learns what to expect (1) Conditioned to respond - Pavlov - receive pleasure (food / praise) - expect reward / continue action

12. Theories, cont. b. Operant conditioning (B.F. Skinner) - foremost behavioral theory - rewards / punishment = control - reinforce / curtail behaviors - associate with own behavior (1) Become criminal - association with act - receive encouragement - reinforces behavior - see you as / therefore, I am

13. Theories, cont. • Cognitive theory - mental processes - perceive the world a. Cognitive development theory - organize thoughts into rules / laws - way organized: criminal / noncriminal (1) Moral vs. legal reasoning (thinking) - organize thoughts = moral - apply to law = legal

14. Theories, cont. b. Jean Piaget - stages in development - reason through c. Rules: sacred / immutable - what’s considered right - guide actions d. Rules: product of humans - taught rules - must understand to apply

15. Theories, cont. • Lawrence Kohlberg - pioneered moral development a. Categorized into 6 stages (1) Stage 1: obedience / punishment - do what you are told - authority figure (2) Stage 2: right behavior

16. Theories, cont. - acting in one’s own interest - “selflessness” (3) Stage 3: Approval of others - what’s expected (4) Stage 4: Abide by law - obligation of duty (5) Stage 5: social mutuality - genuine interest = welfare of others

17. Theories, cont. (6) Stage 6: Respect - universal principles - individual conscience b. Three levels of reasoning (1) Pre-conventional - from those around us - necessary rules - leave level 9 to 11 years

18. Theories, cont. - they think: “If I steal, what are my chances of getting caught and being punished?” (2) Conventional - apply moral thinking - adopt values / rules to uphold - criminal: not beyond preconventional - they think: “It is illegal to steal and therefore I should not steal under any circumstances.”

19. Theories, cont. (3) Post-conventional - accepted moral reasoning - apply it = sense of beliefs - human rights / moral principles / duty - they think: “One must live within the law, but certain ethical principles do supersede the written law.” - after the age of 20 c. Delinquents / criminals - preconventional level (Kohlberg)

20. Theories, cont. d. Many believe matter of choice - choose behavior (1) US Penitentiary, Leavenworth, KS - environmental factors - limit one’s choice - but do not determine (2) Way people think - choices made - root cause: thought / choice

21. Theories, cont. (3) Criminals: confined forever - change way of thinking • Moral Development Theory - psychometry - supersensory powers of unconscious - links intelligence / crime - personality theory a. Success in life - influenced by intelligence

22. Theories, cont. - more intelligent / more successful - technology / science / legal / financial b. Educational levels - lower inner cities / rural South - mental disorders - crime population (1) Mental disorder approach - lower intelligence - mental illness/crime

23. Theories, cont. (2) Poor / inner city youth - no educational advantage - little family interaction - criminal behavior c. National Institute of Justice - mental disorders: higher among criminals - not necessarily cause crime (1) Mental disorders / crime - demographic factors

24. Theories, cont. - environment / family / age / gender/ race peer group • Personality theory - emotional conflict / personality deviations - characterizes many criminals a. Different disorders - paranoid / schizoid / dependent / atypical / avoidant / narcissistic / compulsive / passive-aggressive

25. Theories, cont. b. Psychopthic personality disorder - antisocial/ sociopathic behavior - used synonymously - chronic law violator - lack: guilt feelings / outward charm / high intelligence (1) Sociopath - inability to empathize - learn from experience - disregard others rights

26. Theories, cont. (2) Disregard: before age 15 - continues into adult life - diminish: age 30 (3) Symptoms - lying / stealing / fighting / truancy - sexual behavior / alcohol-drug use - failure: hold job / stable marriage c. High risk: deviant behavior - 3% men / 1% women

27. Theories, cont. (1) No remorse - do not learn - imprisonment: no impact (2) Explain disorder: - biological, psychological, sociological d. Criminal personality - different frame: reference / language - treat: change thinking

28. Theories, cont. (1) Studies show: - preoccupied: fear / death - put down / ridiculed / worthless - better than others - unique - fantasies: triumph / power / control • Psychoanalytical: juvenile delinquency - C.J. Schoenfield - Freud’s theories - founder

29. Theories, cont. a. Id = primary / rash / impulsive - pleasure / pain - hedonistic b. Delinquents - defective superego - unconscious: feelings of guilt - crimes: to be punished c. Inability to control - deficiency: ego / superego development

30. Theories, cont. (1) Faulty development - little capacity to repress - pleasure / gratification - defective superego (2) Dominated by Id - become antisocial - disturbed ego development - first 3 years d. Overdeveloped superego

31. Theories, cont. - neurotic - low self-esteem / excessive anxiety / wide mood swings (1) Psychoanalysts - normal: control drives - socially acceptable outlets (2) Criminal - cannot control

32. Theories, cont. • Psychological causation - error in thinking / new cause - any behavior / excused a. “Fundamental psycholegal error” - attorneys use - legal defenses (1) Twinkie defense (2) Hypoglycemia

33. Theories, cont. (3) PMS (4) Television intoxication (5) XYY chromosomal defense