Psychology of Criminal Behaviour

In this research study, eyewitness testimony and specifically inconsistencies in eyewitness testimony was investigated. To determine if inconsistencies in eyewitness testimony influenced juries’ verdicts, a study with 227 participants was done. In this study, the participants were each given one of three transcripts of a trial. Each transcript was identical except for the portion that talked about the eyewitness testimony. In that portion, there was one of three possible scenarios presented; no eyewitness testimony, consistent eyewitness testimony, or inconsistent eyewitness testimony. After the transcript had been reviewed, each participant was asked to decide on the defendant’s guilt or innocence, and they were given a questionnaire to fill out. The questionnaire asked about their confidence in their verdict as well as other questions regarding components of the trial and their own thought process. To analyze these results, a one-way ANOVA test was run as well as a post-hoc test, Tukey’s HSD (F(2, 227) = 6.33, p = .002, ƞ2= 0.05). The results showed that there was a significant difference between the guilt ratings for our participants in the eyewitness group versus the refuted eyewitness group, and we also found a small relative effect size. No other significant difference between the three groups were found. This means that the mock jurors did not rate guilt differently when there was no eyewitness versus having a consistent eyewitness. The participants also didn’t rate guilt differently when there was a refuted eyewitness versus no eyewitness at all.

(This paper was completed for an Experimental Psychology Class during the Fall 2016 semester.)

The aim of the present study was to examine to what degree different mechanisms of moral disengagement were related to age, gender, bullying, and defending among school children. Three hundred and seventy-two Swedish children ranging in age from 10 to 14 years completed a questionnaire. Findings revealed that boys expressed significantly higher levels of moral justification, euphemistic labeling, diffusion of responsibility, distorting consequences, and victim attribution, as compared with girls. Whereas boys bullied others significantly more often than girls, age was unrelated to bullying. Moral justification and victim attribution were the only dimensions of moral disengagement that significantly related to bullying. Furthermore, younger children and girls were more likely to defend victims. Diffusion of responsibility and victim attribution were significantly and negatively related to defending, while the other dimensions of moral disengagement were unrelated to defending.

La teoría de la mente es la capacidad de inferir, predecir y atribuir estados mentales a otras personas. Este constructo ha sido estudiado desde numerosas patologías, como el autismo, la esquizofrenia y el síndrome de Down. Estudios recientes han mostrado que las alteraciones de la teoría de la mente pueden ser observadas en los diferentes cuadros clínicos deriva-dos de alteraciones del lóbulo frontal, como la personalidad antisocial. Algunos autores plantean que un aspecto esencial de la teoría de la mente es la empatía. Sin embargo, este constructo no ha sido estudiado en población normal colombiana con conductas violentas y delictivas que han estado vinculadas al conflicto armado. Este artículo tiene como propósito describir algunas características de la ToM en sujetos que estuvieron vinculados al conflicto armado en Antioquia con manifestaciones sintomáticas relacionadas con comportamientos violentos y delictivos. Palabras clave: Teoría de la mente, empatía, procesamiento emocional, comportamiento violento.
Abstract
The Theory of Mind (ToM) is the ability to infer, predict, and attribute mental states to others. This construct has been studied for many illnesses, such as autism, schizophrenia, and Down syndrome. Recent studies have shown that an impaired ToM can be observed in various clinical conditions resulting from alterations of the frontal lobe, such as antisocial personality. Some authors argue that an essential aspect of the ToM is empathy. However, this construct has not been studied in Colombian normal population with violent and criminal behaviors that have been linked to an armed conflict. This paper aims to describe some characteristics of the ToM in subjects who were involved in the armed conflict in Antioquia, with symptomatic manifestations related to violent and criminal behavior.

Our research project is framed as biosocial analyzes of the etiology of criminal behavior. This research can be characterized as a conceptually and methodologically innovative attempt to connect the research areas that so far have not been considered together in one project. The research project is based on three components: sociological, psychological, and biological. The main aims of the article are to initiate and facilitate debate concerning the interaction between factors belonging to a variety of different areas and provide an interdisciplinary approach to the study of criminal behavior etiology. A discussion over proveniences of criminal behavior is needed both to enrich consciousness and knowledge about conditions lying under criminal behavior and to reshape practical solutions in the field of social rehabilitation. The article also concerns our methodological and ethical reflections coming from our pilotage project involvement.

Keywords: criminal behavior etiology; biosocial criminology; GxE; aggressive crime.

ABSTRACT. In this article we call into question the binomial of sadomasochism defended in general by freudian psychoanalysis. We propose in its place the independency of these two expressions of perversion, based on the study and analysis of the works of the Marquis of Sade and Sacher-Masoch done by Gilles Deleuze. | RESUMEN. En este artículo ponemos en cuestión el binomio del sadomasoquismo defendido en general por el psicoanálisis freudiano. Proponemos en su lugar la independencia de estas dos expresiones de la perversión, apoyándonos en el estudio y análisis de las obras del Marqués de Sade y de Sacher-Masoch realizado por Gilles Deleuze.

Mutuality between handwriting and individual's inclination toward crime is an area of profound fascination. It is challenging to enter the most hidden corners of an abnormal mind in order to discover, understand and explain its resorts, and also to provide clues regarding the way of approaching, treating and planning rehabilitation. In India and other common law countries, insanity is exempted from punishment even if insanity leads to the person committing heinous crimes; because they are considered incapable of deciding the rightness or wrongness of an act. Therefore, it is crucial and imperative to understand the reason behind the antisocial crime and associated factors influencing personality of the offenders especially psychopaths. Forensic graphology and psychiatry are the two major disciplines involved in assessment of psychopathic tendencies and criminality. Both the approaches follow projective nature to analyse and get into deepest of the personality of an individual. Forensic is a punitive science concerned with the passing judgement on human conduct while psychiatry is a therapeutic and reformative science followed for the benefit of society, human rights and psychopaths. Though the two approaches assess personality from different perspectives, when applied together can give a more effective and holistic explanation of criminal behaviour. The present paper describes some important techniques of handwriting analysis and highlights common handwriting patterns of psychopaths.

This study examines the prevalence, types, and reasons of academic dishonesty among a sample of 106 college students. A mixed methodology was used in order to obtain the required data. An experimental observation was done to know the prevalence of cheating behavior in experimental settings. A standardized self-report instrument was used to study the prevalence of types of academic dishonesty behaviors that the students are engaged in and focus group discussions were carried out to explore the reasons for academic dishonesty behavior from the student perspective. Results: The prevalence of cheating behavior of students in the experiment is 61.6 % and 75% from faculty and student perspective respectively. The self-reporting survey showed 93.4% of students engaging in academic dishonesty. Findings suggest that taking help from external sources, plagiarism, lying, and cheating in the examination were admitted as the most prominent behaviors with 76.4%, 72.6%, 50.9%, and 55.7% involvement respectively. Parental expectations, conformity, taking up courses due to external influence like parental choice or societal pressure, high competition in getting grades, reservations in education are found as the most vital reasons for students involving in academic dishonesty.

RESUMEN. Obra original sobre la psicopatía por su perspectiva multidisciplinar. Como corresponde al contexto de nuestro siglo, los autores abordan el tema desde su origen filosófico, pasando por la historia nosológica del término, hasta llegar a los principales hallazgos y modelos en cuanto a su etiología neuropsicológica. Su contenido no descuida un estudio exhaustivo de los métodos diagnósticos; las diferencias entre la psicopatía masculina y la femenina, la psicopatía criminal y la integrada; las aplicaciones de su conocimiento a temas tan actuales como el terrorismo o las sectas, sin olvidar la importante repercusión de la psicopatía en los niveles penal y jurídico. La obra está pensada para los estudiantes de Grado de Criminología, Derecho, Psicología y Filosofía; también para los distintos cursos de Posgrado que abordan esta materia, como el Máster de conducta criminal, el Máster de psicología general sanitario o el Máster de psicología forense. Como lectura de referencia, se recomienda para profesionales criminólogos, psicólogos, Cuerpos y Fuerzas de Seguridad del Estado, juristas en derecho penal y especialistas en medicina legal y forense. ABSTRACT. Original work on psychopathy for its multidisciplinary perspective. As corresponds to the context of our century, the authors approach the subject from its philosophical origin, through the nosological history of the term, until reaching the main findings and models in terms of its neuropsychological etiology. Its content does not neglect an exhaustive study of diagnostic methods; the differences between male and female psychopathy, criminal and integrated psychopathy; the applications of his knowledge to current topics such as terrorism or sects, without forgetting the important repercussion of psychopathy at the criminal and legal levels. The work is designed for undergraduate students in Criminology, Law, Psychology and Philosophy; also for the different Postgraduate courses that address this matter, such as the Master in criminal conduct, the Master in general health psychology or the Master in forensic psychology. As a reference reading, it is recommended for professional criminologists, psychologists, State Security Forces and Corps, jurists in criminal law, and specialists in legal and forensic medicine.

Morality is the key psycho-philosophical faculty of the human mind that enables an individual to take right moral decisions and thus exhibit a moral behaviour. Moral behaviour is the act that is valued by an observer as right or good which effectively results in a common good. The concept of morality and moral behaviour has been pondered upon by various philosophers and psychologists and there are numerous views and theories on the nature of morality. However a moral action is said to be so in terms of its reference with its desirability in the society or to the significant other. Various researchers have found that there is an inverse relation between criminality and morality. Accordingly the rate of increase of criminality in the world population is a direct indicator of the decline of morality. In the Indian context too the alarming increase of the crime rates and incidents of harm towards individuals signals to the fact that moral orientation in the Indian population is facing a notable shift that needs to be viewed seriously. The present study in its co-relational review form delineates the crime rates in India in the context of Morality.