Psychology Notes: Criminal Behavior
1. Criminal Behavior Psychology
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Definition: Study of how psychological factors influence criminal actions.
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Key Links:
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Personality disorders: Especially Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), Borderline Personality, and Narcissistic traits.
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Childhood trauma: Abuse, neglect, broken families increase risk.
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Environmental factors: Poverty, peer pressure, lack of education.
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Important Theories:
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Psychoanalytic theory (Freud): Unresolved unconscious conflicts.
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Behaviorist theory: Crime as learned behavior (B.F. Skinner).
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Social Learning Theory (Bandura): Crime learned through imitation.
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2. Cognitive Distortions
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Definition: Inaccurate or biased ways of thinking.
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In Criminals:
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Minimization: “It wasn’t a big deal.”
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Denial: “I didn’t hurt anyone.”
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Blaming others: “It’s society’s fault.”
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These distortions help offenders rationalize their crimes.
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3. Mental Health in Prisons
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Common disorders:
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Depression: Due to isolation, stigma, lack of freedom.
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Anxiety disorders: Generalized anxiety, panic disorders.
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PTSD: Especially in prisoners with abuse history or violent crimes.
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Substance use disorders: Very common.
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Challenges:
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Lack of professional staff.
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Overcrowding.
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Stigma among inmates.
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📗 MCQs: Psychology & Criminal Behavior
1. Which of the following personality disorders is most commonly linked to criminal behavior?
A) Obsessive-Compulsive
B) Antisocial Personality Disorder
C) Schizoid
D) Histrionic
✅ Answer: B
2. What is meant by 'cognitive distortions' in criminal psychology?
A) Physical brain defects
B) Defensive legal strategies
C) Faulty thinking patterns used to justify crime
D) Memory loss during trial
✅ Answer: C
3. Which theory suggests that criminal behavior is learned through imitation?
A) Psychoanalytic theory
B) Social Learning Theory
C) Classical conditioning
D) Cognitive theory
✅ Answer: B
4. Which mental health disorder is most prevalent in prisons?
A) Schizophrenia
B) Bipolar disorder
C) Depression
D) Autism
✅ Answer: C
5. What is a common cognitive distortion among offenders?
A) Acceptance of guilt
B) Denial of responsibility
C) Rational problem solving
D) Mindfulness
✅ Answer: B
6. PTSD is most likely to develop in prisoners who have experienced:
A) Academic failure
B) Substance abuse
C) Violent trauma or abuse
D) Family support
✅ Answer: C
7. Who proposed the Social Learning Theory relevant to criminal behavior?
A) Sigmund Freud
B) Albert Bandura
C) Carl Jung
D) Abraham Maslow
✅ Answer: B