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Topic 6 Criminal Psychology Topic 6 Criminal psychology – Why do people become criminals? Exploring the topic Criminal psychology is an application of psychology that seeks to understand why people become criminals and what can be done to prevent crime and antisocial behaviour. Theories of behaviour can help us to understand why people become aggressive or steal; biological theories can also help to explain criminal behaviour. In addition, behaviour theories can be used to evaluate the ways in which criminals are treated or rehabilitated. In this topic, you will explore theories of behaviour that suggest that criminality is either learned or a result of other factors, including the theory proposed by Hans Eysenck in his book Crime and Personality (1964). This will help you understand whether criminals are born or made. Other biological theories for criminality will also be explored. In our society, criminals can be punished for their actions, and new ways of punishing people for their crimes are used. We will explore how effective these forms of punishment are. You will also look at how prisoners can be rehabilitated or treated in prison, which is where psychology can be used to help prisoners. M08_PSYC_SB_GCSE_2773_U06.indd 166 11/04/2017 12:32 Your learning In this topic you will learn about: • how learning theories can be used to explain criminality • how biological explanations can be used to explain criminality, including Eysenck’s (1964) personality types • the effects of punishment on whether criminals reoffend • two ways in which criminals are rehabilitated to encourage prosocial behaviour in prisons: token economy and anger management programmes • studies investigating criminality by Bandura, Ross and Ross (1961) and Charlton et al. (2000). Getting started Think about films you have watched that have depicted a criminal character, or watch an age-certificate appropriate film that has a criminal character. Perhaps the criminal character was aggressive, a fraudster or a thief. How was the cause of the character’s behaviour depicted in the film? Were they driven to crime? Did they have an experience during their upbringing, or were they portrayed as evil? Write a list of possible causes of criminality and discuss them with a partner. Consider whether one cause is a better explanation than the others. Harold Shipman was one of Britain’s most prolific serial killers. On 31 January 2000, a jury found Shipman guilty of 15 murders. However, an inquiry commission by a High Court Judge concluded it was likely that he had murdered at least 218 of his patients. What motivated him to commit murder? 167 M08_PSYC_SB_GCSE_2773_U06.indd 167 11/04/2017 12:32 Criminal psychology – Why do people become criminals? Understanding learning theories Link it up as an explanation of criminality Learning theories can also explain addiction. See Topic 3 Psychological problems to find out more. What you will learn • How criminality can be explained by operant Operant conditioning as an explanation conditioning. of criminality • How criminality can be explained through social Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1948) developed a theory of learning. learning called operant conditioning. He believed that • The strengths and weaknesses of these explanations. behaviours we display are likely to be repeated if they are reinforced, or extinguished and not repeated again if we are punished. Learning theories explain behaviour as a result of the experiences that we have. These theories suggest Operant conditioning explains that there are two that criminal behaviour can be explained as a result types of reinforcement – positive and negative of learning, like any other behaviour we display. For – the consequences of which encourage us to example, we can learn to behave well in school because repeat a behaviour we have displayed. In operant we see older peers behaving well or we are rewarded for conditioning there is reinforcement (which achieves good behaviour. Similarly, criminal behaviour can be a desired behaviour) and punishment (which prevents result of being rewarded or can come from modelling undesired behaviour). Reinforcements work well the criminal behaviour we see in others. You will explore when given when the behaviour has been displayed. these ideas in detail. • Positive reinforcement – we receive a pleasurable or rewarding consequence for our behaviour. We are then likely to repeat the behaviour to get something nice again. In terms of criminal behaviour, if someone receives praise from their family for fighting or for vandalism, or financial reward from committing fraud, then they are likely to commit the crime again. • Negative reinforcement – when a behaviour we display is strengthened by the avoidance of an aversive or unpleasant experience. We are likely to repeat a behaviour that gets rid of something unpleasant. In terms of criminal behaviour, if someone is able to stop a bully by punching them, it is likely that they will use their fists to solve problems in the future. Key terms Operant conditioning: learning from the consequences of actions. Positive reinforcement: receiving something pleasant for a behaviour, so we repeat it. Negative reinforcement: the avoidance of Behaviour can be shaped by how we are treated by others. something unpleasant, so we do it again. This begins at a young age, but can it be an explanation of adult criminal behaviour? 168 M08_PSYC_SB_GCSE_2773_U06.indd 168 11/04/2017 12:32 Criminal psychology – Why do people become criminals? Understanding learning theories as an explanation of criminalityPaper 1 Operant conditioning also explains that punishment is a consequence of Key terms behaviour, which means we are less likely to repeat the behaviour again. There are two types of punishment. Positive punishment: receiving something unpleasant for a • Positive punishment – receiving a negative consequence for a behaviour, behaviour, so we do not do it such as a child being told off by a parent for not keeping their bedroom again. tidy. This is often the way that we treat criminal behaviour. If someone Negative punishment: does a criminal act and is fined or imprisoned, they are being positively removing something pleasant punished. so we do not repeat the • Negative punishment – taking away something pleasant as a behaviour again. consequence of a behaviour that is not desired. For example, if a child Primary reinforcer: a reinforcer is disruptive at a birthday party, which they are really enjoying, a parent that satisfies a biological need. can remove them from the party to sit in the corner. In terms of criminal behaviour a person may enjoy being part of a gang. The gang may start Secondary reinforcer: a to vandalise public property but because the person does not want to reinforcer of no survival value, join in, they are told to leave the gang. The undesired behaviour of not but we have learned to associate vandalising property is punished. it with a primary reinforcer. The state uses both positive punishment and negative reinforcement. For example, if someone commits fraud and is put into prison, they are Apply it receiving positive punishment for their actions. When they are released from Two siblings enjoy watching their prison, they should avoid committing fraud because they do not want to be favourite television programmes. imprisoned again: this would be negative reinforcement. They begin to fight over the remote control, so their parents Operant conditioning explains that there are two types of positive send them to their bedroom. reinforcers that can be used as a consequence for behaviour to strengthen behaviour. Explain what kind of reinforcement is shown in this example. • Primary reinforcers – these satisfy a basic biological need, such as food and water. A parent may reward a child with food treats for behaving well, for example. Although it is unlikely that most criminals commit crime for primary reinforcers, people who are in extreme poverty or are starving may resort to committing a crime, such as theft, in order to satisfy a basic need. • Secondary reinforcers – these are common reinforcers, such as school grades and tokens. These reinforcers often have no survival value, but we have learned to associate them with a primary reinforcer. A good example of a secondary reinforcer is a credit card. The card itself has no intrinsic value but it can be used to buy goods, which are rewarding or satisfy a basic need such as food and warmth. Exam-style question Exam tip A school tutor group is collecting money for charity. The collection box Take care to read the question is kept at the back of the room. One day, Richard notices the tutor room carefully and distinguish between is empty and takes a pound coin from the box. Each day Richard returns the type of reinforcer and type of and takes another pound coin. reinforcement. Explain what type of reinforcer is shown in this example. (2 marks) 169 M08_PSYC_SB_GCSE_2773_U06.indd 169 11/04/2017 12:32 Criminal psychology – Why do people become criminals? Strengths and weaknesses of operant conditioning A strength of operant conditioning is that the theory can be used to explain a wide range of crimes. For example, it explains theft and how social approval can be a strong reinforcer in peer groups that encourage deviant behaviour through positive reinforcement. It can also explain some murders. For example, a man may find out that his friend is stealing from him; he attacks him, and the friend dies. This is negative reinforcement as it removes the aversive situation. Operant conditioning also explains that punishment can remove an undesirable behaviour. This is used in our criminal justice system – offenders are punished through the removal of their civil liberties. It has also contributed to the development of behaviour management techniques, such as token economies. These systems reward good behaviour in prison with tokens that prisoners can exchange for goods or treats. Link it up Token economy programmes are discussed later, as a form of treatment to rehabilitate and reduce criminal behaviour and increase prosocial behaviour.
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