Forensic Psychology Quiz

Anger management:Therapy that aims to reduce criminal behaviour by identifying anger and aggressive behaviour and teaching alternatives to cope. For example learning meditation techniques.

• Identifying anger and aggressive behavior

• Teaching meditation techniques

• Reducing criminal behavior

• All of the above

Atavistic form:An approach to explain criminal behaviour, historically. This theory suggests criminal behaviour could be a result of genes, and therefore some individuals were predisposed to commit crimes. This theory further claimed to be able to identify criminals from the shape of their skulls, and that criminals were more primitive due to their inclination to commit crimes.

• Result of genes

• Identifying criminals from the shape of their skulls

• Primitive criminals

• All of the above

Cognitive distortions:Faulty cognitions that lead to irrational thoughts.

• Faulty cognitions

• Rational thoughts

• Irrational thoughts

• All of the above

Custodial sentencing:A punishment that aims to reduce criminal behaviour, via sentencing in court for either prison or some other institute.

• Punishment for reducing criminal behavior

• Sentencing in court

• Prison or other institute

• All of the above

Differential association theory:A theory that suggests that criminal behaviour develops through experiences and association with other criminal behaviours.

• Criminal behavior through experiences

• Association with criminal behaviors

• Development of criminal behavior

• All of the above

Disorganised offender:This is a term used to describe offenders who are more likely to have committed the crime impulsively. This would be implied through a discarded body and various evidence left at the scene. These types of offenders are typically of low intelligence, not confident and have poor rates of employment.

• Impulsive offenders

• Low intelligence

• Poor rates of employment

• All of the above

Eysenck’s theory (of criminal personality):This theory suggested that criminal behaviour was a result of certain personality traits, such as high extraversion and neuroticism.

• Result of personality traits

• High extraversion

• Neuroticism

• All of the above

Geographical profiling:An investigative method to identify an offender. By noting all the areas a certain crime took place, the location of the offender is predicted since an offender usually will not travel too far to commit crimes.

• Identifying an offender

• Predicting the location of the offender

• Travel distance of the offender

• All of the above

Level of moral reasoning:A theory for criminal behaviour which suggests it arises due to an immature sense of what is right or wrong. According to this theory, moral reasoning develops in stages.

• Criminal behavior due to immature sense

• Development of moral reasoning

• Stages of moral reasoning

• All of the above

Minimalisation:A form of cognitive distortion which may explain some criminal behaviour. This is when an offender reduces the severity of their crimes. For example using language like “they were asking for it” or avoiding using terms like “rape”.

• Cognitive distortion

• Reducing severity of crimes

• Language usage by offenders

• All of the above