Theories of Criminal Psychology

Introduction

• Presented by Dr. Ritu Shaw, Psychologist and Behavioral Skills Trainer.
• Focuses on theories of criminal psychology.
• Prerequisites: Basic understanding of psychology, social psychology, clinical psychology, theories of psychology, and history of psychology.
• Objective: To study theories of criminal psychology and understand perspectives explaining criminal behavior.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand various perspectives on criminal behavior.
• Remember and analyze theories of criminal psychology.

Topic 1: Theory Development in Psychology

Basic vs. Applied Research

• Basic Research: Aimed at theory development, creating theories for applied psychology.
• Applied Research: Uses existing theories to address real-life issues.
• Most theory development results from basic research.

Topic 2: Theories of Criminal Behavior

Perspectives on Criminal Behavior

• Biological Perspective: Physiological and genetic factors.
• Sociological Perspective: Social and cultural interactions and influences.
• Psychological Perspective: Cognitive, developmental, and personality theories.

Biological Perspective

• Sheldon's Constitutional Theory (1949): Links body types to personality and criminal behavior.

  • Endomorphs: Relaxed, jolly temperament, less likely to commit crimes.
  • Ectomorphs: Introverted, thoughtful.
  • Mesomorphs: Muscular, aggressive, most likely to commit crimes.

• Jacobs et al.'s Chromosomal Theory (1965): Links chromosomal irregularities (e.g., XYY) to increased aggression and crime.

• Mark and Irwin's Discontrol Theory (1970): Lesions in the brain may lead to impulsive and violent behavior, indicating discontrol syndrome.

Sociological Perspectives

• Social Disorganization Theory (Shaw & McKay, 1900s): Crime increases in socially disorganized areas due to failures in social control institutions.

• Merton's Strain Theory (1938): Economic strain leads people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to commit crime to achieve valued goals.

• Sutherland's Differential Association Theory (1939): Criminal behavior is learned through social interactions and acceptance of criminal values.

• Becker's Labeling Theory (1963): Labels assigned to individuals can promote deviance and criminal behavior.

Psychological Perspective

• Bowlby's Maternal Deprivation Theory (1944): Early separation from mothers leads to social development issues and increases the risk of criminal behavior.

• Eysenck's Biosocial Theory (1964): Links criminal behavior with nervous system activity and childhood experiences affecting learning from consequences.

• Glazer's Choice Theory (1998): Crime is a voluntary decision based on individual choice influenced by personal needs and desires.

  • Models of Behavior:
    • Rational Actor: Plans crimes based on expected penalties.
    • Peristalt Actor: Compulsively engages in crime without explanation.
    • Victimized Actor: Engages in crime to address personal psychological trauma from being victimized.

• Psychodynamic Theory (Freud):

  • Developmental stages influence behavior and actions.
  • Id, Ego, Super Ego: Imbalance may lead to criminal behavior due to suppressed moral control (Superego) and uncontrolled desires (Id).

• Behaviorism: Classical conditioning (e.g., Watson and Rayner, Skinner, Pavlov) establishes connections between stimuli and responses, contributing to understanding of criminal behavior.

Summary

• Theories are categorized into biological, sociological, and psychological perspectives.
• Biological Theories: Sheldon, Jacobs et al., Mark and Irwin.
• Sociological Theories: Shaw & McKay, Merton, Sutherland, Becker.
• Psychological Theories: Bowlby, Eysenck, Glazer, Freud.

Conclusion

• Theoretical development plays a critical role in understanding and addressing criminal behavior through multiple perspectives.