Psychological explanations for offending - AQA Psychology

A student is given a scenario: "An individual has a high extraversion score and a high neuroticism score." Based on Eysenck’s theory, what might this suggest about the individual’s likelihood of engaging in offending behavior?

• They are less likely to engage in offending behavior due to high stability.

• They are more likely to engage in offending behavior due to seeking excitement and being more reactive.

• They are unlikely to be influenced by their personality traits.

• They are more likely to avoid social situations.

What did Eysenck and Eysenck (1970) find in their study of male offenders regarding the relationship between personality traits and criminality?

• High scores for psychoticism and neuroticism, but not for extraversion, were found

• High scores for extraversion only were found

• No relationship between any personality traits and criminality was found

• Only neuroticism was linked to criminality

According to Kohlberg's theory, at what age is moral reasoning usually considered complete, aligning with the age of criminal responsibility in the UK?

• 5 or 6 years old

• 9 or 10 years old

• 13 or 14 years old

• 16 or 17 years old

Rosen (1980) criticized the use of the Heinz dilemma in Kohlberg’s research for which main reason?

• The dilemma was too easy for participants

• The scenario lacked validity as children could not relate to it from their own perspective

• The dilemma was not ethical to present to children

• The scenario was too short and simple

How did the study by Copello and Tata (1980) contribute to our understanding of hostile attribution bias?

• It showed that all people interpret ambiguous sentences as hostile

• It found that adult male violent offenders were more likely to interpret ambiguous sentences as hostile compared to non-offenders

• It proved that hostile attribution bias does not exist

• It showed that non-offenders are more hostile than offenders

According to Kennedy and Grubin (1992), what did the majority of convicted sex offenders tend to do regarding their crimes?

• Accept full responsibility for their actions

• Blame the victim

• Deny the crime occurred

• Blame law enforcement

Evaluate one strength of Sutherland’s differential association theory as discussed in the material.

• It only applies to violent crimes

• It explains how different types of crimes, including “white collar crimes,” can be understood through learned associations

• It ignores the role of socio-economic status

• It assumes all crimes are impulsive

Using strategic thinking, explain how differential association theory might fail to predict certain types of criminal behavior.

• It cannot predict crimes committed by groups

• It may not account for crimes committed impulsively or without prior association with criminal attitudes

• It only predicts crimes in professional settings

• It always predicts the exact pattern of criminal behavior

According to Freud's psychodynamic theory, which part of the personality operates on the "reality principle" and is responsible for balancing and delaying gratification using defence mechanisms?

• Id

• Ego

• Superego

• Unconscious mind

Which of the following best describes the consequence of an underdeveloped superego, as discussed by psychodynamic theorists such as Aichhorn (1965)?

• The individual is unable to control their desires for pleasure, potentially leading to criminal behaviour.

• The individual experiences overwhelming guilt and little pleasure.

• The individual is able to balance their desires and societal expectations.

• The individual becomes more constructive in their behaviour.