Psychological Explanations Forget Freud Cognitive Explanations Personality and Crime IQ and Crime

Cognitive Explanations HOW we think –Kholberg’s stages of moral devleopment Pre-conventional, conventional, post-conventional –Social Skills Anger management Basic skills

Cognitive II What we think –Rationalizations, “Pro-criminal Attitudes,” “Criminal Thinking Errors” Prompts for criminal behavior Negative Reinforcement

Policy Implications “Cognitive Behavioral” therapy is the best technology for rehabilitation –Recent study: such programs, when targeting the correct people reduce recidivism anywhere from 10-60% –Barkan: doesn’t address “structural factors” But, should we ignore immediate, individual factors?

Personality and Crime General Personality Traits –MMPI: Bias and Tautology Newest Test: MPQ –Three Superfactors Constraint Negative Emotionality Positive Emotionality CASPI and friends research –Next Step?

Personality II The “Psychopath” –Hervy Cleckly Above average intelligence, lying, leeching behavior, lack of remorse, inability to love, impulsive, risk seeking, superficial charm… –Robert Hare’s “Pscyopathy Checklist” (PCL) Structured Interview tapping these characteristics Interesting Studies comparing “Psycho” inmates to “non-psycho” inmates –Treatment implications

IQ and Crime—A brief History Alfred Binet –Series of tasks to identify “learning disabilities” (IQ) –3 Cardinal Rules Scores are practical devices Not for ranking “normal children” Use to help, not label children –Goddard and others violate all

IQ and crime As intelligence tests improve, IQ gap shrinks –Sociologists: it will eventually disappear –BUT—it hasn’t (8-10 point gap, weak effect) Why related? –Spurious? (evidence against this) –Direct? –Indirect School Failure Delinquent Peers Impulsivity