Psychological Explanations of Psychological Explanations of Criminal BehaviourCriminal Behaviour

IntroductionIntroduction

Winter 2015Winter 2015

What is it we want to understand?What is it we want to understand?

What “behaviour” are we trying to What “behaviour” are we trying to explain?explain?

Any unlawful behaviour?Any unlawful behaviour?

Criminal behaviour?Criminal behaviour?

Serious criminal behaviour?Serious criminal behaviour?

Violent behaviour?Violent behaviour?

Recidivistic criminal behaviour?Recidivistic criminal behaviour?

Antisocial behaviour?Antisocial behaviour?

Criminal vs. Antisocial BehaviourCriminal vs. Antisocial Behaviour

What is antisocial behaviour?What is antisocial behaviour? behavioursbehaviours thatthat are costly or injurious to are costly or injurious to

the individual perpetrator, other the individual perpetrator, other citizens, and/or society overall.citizens, and/or society overall.

Fishbein, 2001Fishbein, 2001

Criminality vs. Antisocial BehaviourCriminality vs. Antisocial Behaviour

Criminal BehaviourCriminal Behaviour Not necessarily Not necessarily

offensive to most offensive to most peoplepeople

Includes victimless Includes victimless crimescrimes

Violates criminal Violates criminal lawslaws

Detection by CJSDetection by CJS

Antisocial BehaviourAntisocial Behaviour Offends most peopleOffends most people Usually excludes Usually excludes

victimless crimesvictimless crimes May not violate May not violate

criminal lawscriminal laws official official detectdetection not ion not

requiredrequired

Fishbein, 2001Fishbein, 2001

Varied CasesVaried Cases

Vancouver City Police arrested a 32-Vancouver City Police arrested a 32-year old Abbotsford man allegedly year old Abbotsford man allegedly responsible for a string of purse responsible for a string of purse snatchings. The purse snatcher snatchings. The purse snatcher targeted older women who were targeted older women who were walking. The perpetrator would push walking. The perpetrator would push his victims to the ground, grab their his victims to the ground, grab their purses from them, and leave.purses from them, and leave.

The Province, August 24, 2008The Province, August 24, 2008

Varied CasesVaried Cases

Without warning a 40-Without warning a 40-year old man on a year old man on a Greyhound bus Greyhound bus repeatedly stabbed the repeatedly stabbed the passenger who was passenger who was asleep in the seat next to asleep in the seat next to him. He then decapitated him. He then decapitated the victim and held the the victim and held the victimvictim’’s head up for the s head up for the other passengers to see. other passengers to see. Witnesses described the Witnesses described the assailant as calm, like assailant as calm, like ““a a robot or somethingrobot or something””..

CBC News, July 31, 2008CBC News, July 31, 2008

Varied CasesVaried Cases

Three former executives of Nortel Three former executives of Nortel Networks Networks were charged with a variety were charged with a variety offences for allegedly misstating and offences for allegedly misstating and making false entries concerning the making false entries concerning the company’s financial results and acting company’s financial results and acting with the intent to deceive or defraud with the intent to deceive or defraud the members, shareholders and the members, shareholders and creditors of the company.creditors of the company.

Vancouver Sun, June 20, 2008Vancouver Sun, June 20, 2008

Varied CasesVaried Cases

The mayor of PoCo burst The mayor of PoCo burst into his ex-girlfriend’s into his ex-girlfriend’s home and assaulted her home and assaulted her boyfriend. On arrival, boyfriend. On arrival, police found he was very police found he was very intoxicated. He had also intoxicated. He had also stopped taking stopped taking antidepressants just antidepressants just prior to the incident.prior to the incident.

The Province, July 25, 2008The Province, July 25, 2008

““Causes” of criminal behaviour?Causes” of criminal behaviour?

What do you think are the What do you think are the causes of criminal behaviour?causes of criminal behaviour?

Many layers to “Causes”Many layers to “Causes”

BiologicalBiological

Personal Personal

InterpersonalInterpersonal

SituationalSituational

SocialSocial

What is Psychology?What is Psychology?

Psychology may be defined as:Psychology may be defined as: The scientific study of behaviour and The scientific study of behaviour and

mental processes.mental processes.

Three elements of this definition:Three elements of this definition:1.1. Psychology is empirical in naturePsychology is empirical in nature

2.2. Observation of behaviourObservation of behaviour

3.3. Infer mental processesInfer mental processes

Psychology in CriminologyPsychology in Criminology

Criminology is a multidisciplinary study of Criminology is a multidisciplinary study of crime. crime.

Psychological criminologyPsychological criminology: : This is the science of the behaviour and mental process This is the science of the behaviour and mental process

of individuals who commit crimes. Focus on individual of individuals who commit crimes. Focus on individual differencesdifferences

Cognitions (attitudes, beliefs, thoughts and values) , Cognitions (attitudes, beliefs, thoughts and values) , emotions, behavioursemotions, behaviours

Offers explains for variety of Offers explains for variety of phenomenon in real worldphenomenon in real world Interconnected propositions used to Interconnected propositions used to

explain how events/factors relateexplain how events/factors relate Helps us understand why things Helps us understand why things

happenhappen Provides dimension of knowing Provides dimension of knowing

beyond mere info or observationbeyond mere info or observation

What is Theory?What is Theory?

The Nature of TheoryThe Nature of Theory

May be simple or complexMay be simple or complexMay be concrete or abstractMay be concrete or abstractUsed in our everyday livesUsed in our everyday livesAllows for generalizationsAllows for generalizationsAllows for predictions (in Allows for predictions (in

some circumstances)some circumstances)

Why Study TheoryWhy Study Theory

Take info & organize in Take info & organize in meaningful way meaningful way models or explanatory frameworksmodels or explanatory frameworks

Provides way to think about crime Provides way to think about crime & criminal behaviour & way to & criminal behaviour & way to explain it within social worldexplain it within social world

Components of a good theoryComponents of a good theory

Must be testableMust be testable Fits research evidenceFits research evidence Critiques :Critiques :

Simplistic Simplistic Misses assumptionsMisses assumptions Human behaviour can’t always be Human behaviour can’t always be

empirically testedempirically tested May miss broader contextMay miss broader context

We will be examining various We will be examining various theories in an attempt to explain theories in an attempt to explain criminal behaviors… the explanations criminal behaviors… the explanations are only as good as the theories are only as good as the theories available to us TODAYavailable to us TODAY

Psychology in CriminologyPsychology in Criminology

Assumptions of Psychological TheoriesAssumptions of Psychological Theories Assumption of offender deficit:Assumption of offender deficit:

The view that offenders who break the law The view that offenders who break the law have some psychological deficit that have some psychological deficit that distinguishes them from normal law-abiding distinguishes them from normal law-abiding citizens citizens

Assumption of discriminating traits:Assumption of discriminating traits: The view that offenders are distinguished The view that offenders are distinguished

from non-offenders by, for example, their high from non-offenders by, for example, their high levels of impulsiveness and aggressionlevels of impulsiveness and aggression

Nature vs. NurtureNature vs. Nurture

NatureNature behaviour is primarily a function of behaviour is primarily a function of

our genes and resulting biological our genes and resulting biological formform

NurtureNurture behaviour is primarily a function of behaviour is primarily a function of

our environment and resulting social our environment and resulting social influencesinfluences

An Example of Integrated ApproachAn Example of Integrated Approach

Diathesis-Stress ModelDiathesis-Stress Model Not nature vs. nurture, Nature + NurtureNot nature vs. nurture, Nature + Nurture

DiathesisDiathesis – a inherited or biological – a inherited or biological predisposition or vulnerability to express a predisposition or vulnerability to express a certain trait or behaviourcertain trait or behaviour

biological conditions set the stage for how an biological conditions set the stage for how an individual responds to environmental stressorsindividual responds to environmental stressors

dynamic interaction between biological & dynamic interaction between biological & social causessocial causes

What needs to be accounted What needs to be accounted for?for?

Philadelphia Cohort Study Philadelphia Cohort Study (Wolfgang, 1983)(Wolfgang, 1983) 12% of the 1958 birth cohort (12% of the 1958 birth cohort (NN = 28,338) = 28,338)

accounted for 85% of all official delinquent acts accounted for 85% of all official delinquent acts recorded between ages 10 to 18 yearsrecorded between ages 10 to 18 years

Cambridge Study in Delinquent Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development Development (Farrington, 1997)(Farrington, 1997)

6% of the sample of 411 males from London, UK 6% of the sample of 411 males from London, UK had had 6 offences by age 40 years and they 6 offences by age 40 years and they accounted for half of all convictions for the entire accounted for half of all convictions for the entire samplesample

BIG 4 CRIMINAL CORRELATESBIG 4 CRIMINAL CORRELATES LESS 4 CRIMINAL CORRELATESLESS 4 CRIMINAL CORRELATES FACTORS THAT ARE NOT RELATED FACTORS THAT ARE NOT RELATED

TO CRIMETO CRIME

Evaluating theoriesEvaluating theories

A “good” theory should…A “good” theory should…

support theoretical interrelationships with support theoretical interrelationships with researchresearch

informinform interventions that reduce criminal interventions that reduce criminal behaviourbehaviour

predict variation in criminal behaviourpredict variation in criminal behaviour intra-individualintra-individual inter-individualinter-individual

account for criminal behaviour across gender, account for criminal behaviour across gender, culture & ethnicityculture & ethnicity

ComplexityComplexity Because crime and criminal behavior is complex, Because crime and criminal behavior is complex,

explanations of crime require complicated, explanations of crime require complicated, involved answers. involved answers.

No one theory explains. Multidisciplinary!No one theory explains. Multidisciplinary! Most people have limited tolerance for complexity Most people have limited tolerance for complexity

and ambiguity = want easy, straightforward and ambiguity = want easy, straightforward answers.answers.

Vast explanations, and often poorly integrated Vast explanations, and often poorly integrated and understood. and understood.

There is no one true theory that will There is no one true theory that will rightly explain crime & criminal rightly explain crime & criminal behaviour; there is no one theory behaviour; there is no one theory that will render all others wrongly that will render all others wrongly conceivedconceived Theories are not ‘truth’ - in reality, they Theories are not ‘truth’ - in reality, they

are describing realityare describing reality

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