Human Nature. How Do They

¶ … human nature. How do they relate to the analysis of violent crime and criminal behavior? What are the three (3) categories of risk factors associated with criminal behavior? Finally, discuss one (1) theory of criminal behavior that you learned about.

The Hobbesian perspective assumes that human beings are basically undisciplined, self-interested creatures who instinctually seek to dominate other creatures. According to this view, human beings would commit crimes indiscriminately if there were no political organization in place to constrain them. In our society, these constraints come in the form of rules, regulations, and the policing power that enforces them.

The Lockeian perspective sees human beings as born basically neutral, what Locke called a "blank slate." Human beings acquire virtually all of their behaviors, beliefs and tendencies from their social environment. According to this view, criminal behavior is learned through social interactions with other people, just as all social behavior is learned. Thus, preventing criminal behavior is a matter of altering the social environment of an individual.

The Confucian perspective views humans as naturally compassionate but weak. Human beings do not naturally wish to harm others but are led to do so through the influence of self-interest. Being social creatures, they are also influenced by the values and attitudes of the society in which they live. According to this view, criminal behavior is learned as just another method of securing one's own interests, a method informed by social values and attitudes. Thus, preventing criminal behavior is a matter of convincing an individual that she can secure her interests without harming the interests of other people.

b. There are personal risk factors, such as aggressiveness. There are social risk factors, such as growing up in a broken home. Also, there are biological risk factors, such as excessive levels of adrenaline and dopamine.

c. Social conflict theorists believe a person, group, or institution has the power and ability to exercise influence and control over others. Conflict theorists are concerned with the role that political and economic structures play in the prevalence of crime. It also critically evaluates the prevalence of bias in the operation of criminal justice systems as well as the influence of powerful groups in the shaping of criminal law.

Describe the process of operant conditioning and give an example of how criminal behavior is acquired. What do you believe is the most powerful origin of criminal behavior? Why? Explain your answer using information you have learned in the first half of class.

a. Operant conditioning is a form of learning during which an individual modifies her own behavior due to the association of the behavior with a stimulus. Operant conditioning promotes the increase of behaviors through reinforcements and decrease of behaviors through punishments. It can increase criminal behavior when such behavior is followed immediately by positive or negative reinforcement.

Take the example of a drug addict who is craving another dose but cannot get one for lack of money. He feels anxiety over his lack of money so he threatens a random pedestrian with a knife and the pedestrian gives him his wallet. The addict takes the money from the wallet and buys his next dose with it. The addicts' behavior is positively reinforced by acquiring money and negatively reinforced by the alleviation of anxiety over not having money. He has learned to satisfy his cravings and by robbing people through operant conditioning.

c. The most powerful origin of criminal behavior is the feeling of lack, a poverty of the soul. Traditional poverty, financial poverty, is what drives a poor person to want to take from other people. However, it does not explain why a rich person would seek to take from other people, even those poorer than him. A rich person, though far from a state of poverty, can easily feel a sense of lack. Similarly, a married man, though he has a wife, can feel a sense of lack sexually. This sense of lack can lead him to rape a female subordinate at work.

Describe the core behavioral characteristics of the criminal psychopath. Name and describe any five instruments used to measure psychopathy. What is the difference between criminal psychopathy and mental disorder?

a. The core characteristics of the criminal psychopath are a lack of empathy, egocentricity, lack of shame or remorse, and tendency for lying and manipulation

b. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist is a psycho-diagnostic tool used in tandem with the broader PCL-R inventory to measure a person's psychopathic profile.

The Psychopathic Personality Inventory is a self-report survey used to comprehensively index personality traits without explicitly referring to anti-social or criminal behaviors themselves.

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory measures various components of person's personality with a self-report inventory. Each component is measured by a special scale, such as the Psychopathic Deviate scale, which indicates psychopathic tendencies.

The California Psychological Inventory is another self-report inventory composed of 434 items that utilizes everyday language to describe psychological behavior. It uses socialization as one of the 18 scales.

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory is a self-report inventory composed of 175 true-false questions that is designed to identify signs of specific personality disorders, which is measure with the Antisocial Personality Disorder scale.

c. Mental disorders are usually diagnosed exclusively through behaviors, whereas a Psychopathy is diagnosed through behaviors along with certain affective and interpersonal personality factors. Thus, Psychopathy can be seen as a subset of a broader class of mental disorder, known as Antisocial Personality Disorder. A person diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder may not necessarily be diagnosed with Psychopathy but a person diagnosed with Psychopathy will necessarily be diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder as well.

Describe the difference between an organized and disorganized crime scene. Identify and discuss the motives of the four types of serial murders according to Holmes and DeBurger. Why is the victimology perspective important in understanding serial murder?

a. An organize crime scene is characterized by planning, premeditation, and an d evasion efforts on the part of the offender. The offender has usually hidden the victim's body and the weapon. Also, the victim's body exhibits evidence of physical abuse before death . The violence appears to be controlled, with the offender using restraints on the victim.