Assignment:
Differentiate Criminal Behavior
An important role of a forensic psychologist is to understand and use various theoretical perspectives to describe, track, and understand different criminal behaviors. Write a 2 to 3 page paper (excluding cover and reference pages) differentiating criminal behavior using the various theories of crime.
Identify how each of the following theories attempts to explain the existence of criminal behavior. Students should focus on the following theoretical areas:
- Sociological
- Biological
- Psychological
- Social-Psychological
For each of the above theoretical areas, students should:
1. Provide a brief historical summary of the development of the theoretical area of focus.
2. Explain the basis of each theory (Examples may be that people commit crimes based on neurological malfunctions in the brain, because of peer pressure, due to Pavlovâ??s concept of conditioning, etc.). Essentially, explain what concepts each theory uses to explain criminal behavior. Be sure to provide examples that support your explanations.
3. Provide an academic and/or operational example of each theory in practice (Example: The Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory or MMPI as an example of a psychologically-based theory in practice)
4. Explain how the theoretical areas listed above may be interrelated by identifying similarities in creator, school of thought, philosophical basis, or other specific trait.
5. Identify which theory is most accurate in explaining criminal behavior and provide specific examples to support your observation.