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Reviewer in CRIM Beh
Reviewer in CRIM Beh
By: RKManwong
CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY
In general, psychology is the science of behavior and mental processes. This means that
psychologists use the methods of science to investigate all kinds of behavior and mental processes,
from the activity of a single nerve cell to the social conflict in a complex society (Bernstein, et al,
1991). In particular, criminal Psychology is a sub-field of general psychology where criminal behavior
is only, in part by which phenomena psychologists choose to study. It may be defined as the study of
criminal behavior, the study of criminal conduct and activities in an attempt to discover recurrent
patterns and to formulate rules about his behavior.
A major description of criminal psychology is the word behavior. Behavior refers to actions or
activities (Kahayon, 1985). To the criminologist, behavior is the observable actions because he is
more interested in actions and reactions that can be seen and verified than in concepts, which
cannot be directly verified.
Classification of Behavior
Normal Behavior (adaptive or adjusted behavior) – the standard behavior, the totality
accepted behavior because they follow the standard norms of society. understanding criminal
behavior includes the idea of knowing what characterized a normal person from an abnormal one. A
normal person is characterized by: Efficient perception of reality, Self-knowledge, Ability to exercise
voluntary control over his behavior, Self-esteem and acceptance, Productivity, Ability to form
affectionate relationship with others.
KINDS OF BEHAVIOR
Overt or Covert Behavior - Behaviors that are outwardly manifested or those that are directly
observable are overt behaviors. On the other hand, covert behavior are behaviors that are hidden –
not visible to the naked eye.
Conscious or Unconscious Behavior - Behavior is conscious when acts are with in the level
of awareness. It is unconscious when acts are embedded in one’s subconscious – unaware.
Simple or Complex Behavior - These are acts categorized according to the number of
neurons involved in the process of behaving. Simple behavior involves less number of neurons while
complex behavior involved more number of neurons, a combination of simple behaviors.
Rational or Irrational Behavior - There is rational behavior when a person acted with sanity
or reason and there is irrational behavior when the person acted with no apparent reason or
explanation – as when a man loses his sanity and laugh out loud at nobody or nothing in particular.
Voluntary or Involuntary Behavior - Voluntary behavior is an act done with full volition or will
such as when we discriminate, decide or choose while involuntary behaviors refers the bodily
processes that foes on even when we are awake or asleep like respiration, circulation and digestion.
ASPECTS OF BEHAVIOR
Intellectual Aspect – this aspect of behavior pertains to our way of thinking, reasoning, solving,
problem, processing info and coping with the environment.
Emotional Aspect – this pertains to our feelings, moods, temper, and strong motivational force.
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Social Aspect – this pertains to how we interact or relate with other people
Moral Aspect – this refers to our conscience and concept on what is good or bad.
Psychosexual Aspect - this pertains to our being a man or a woman and the expression of love
Political Aspect – this pertains to our ideology towards society/government
Value/Attitude – this pertains to our interest towards something, our likes and dislikes
C=T+S
R
Where:
The formula shows that a person’s criminal tendency and his resistance to them may either
result in criminal act depending upon, which of them is stronger. This means that a crime or criminal
behavior exist when the person’s resistance is insufficient to withstands the pressure of his desire or
intent and the opportunity (Tradio, 1983).
In understanding this, the environment factors such as stress and strains are considered
because they contribute in mobilizing a person’s criminal tendency and the individual’s psychological
state while resistance t temptation arises from the emotional, intellectual and social upbringing and is
either manifestation of a strong or weak character.
DETERMINANTS OF BEHAVIOR
The answer to these questions requires the study and understanding of the influences of
HEREDITY and ENVIRONMENT. As cited by Tuason:
Environmental Factors
a. The inadequate family – characterized by the inability to cope with the ordinary problems of
family living. It lacks the resources, physical of psychological, for meeting the demands of
family satisfaction.
b. The anti-social family – those that espouses unacceptable values as a result of the influence
of parents to their children.
c. The discordant/disturbed family – characterized by non-satisfaction of one or both parent
from the relationship that may express feeling of frustration. This is usually due to value
differences as common sources of conflict and dissatisfaction.
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In the environment, the following are also factors that are influential to one’s behavior:
1. Institutional Influences such as peer groups, mass media, church and school, government
institutions, NGO’s, etc.
2. Socio-Cultural Factors such as war and violence, group prejudice and discrimination,
economic and employment problems and other social changes.
3. Nutrition or the quality of food that a person intake is also a factor that influence man to
commit crime because poverty is one of the may reasons to criminal behavior.
Motivation
Motivation on the other hand refers to the influences that govern the initiation, direction,
intensity, and persistence of behavior (Bernstein, et al, 1991). Thus motivation refers to the causes
and “why’s” of behavior as required by a need.
Motivation is the hypothetical concept that stands for the underlying force impelling behavior
and giving it s direction (Kahayon, 1975).
Drives are states of comfortable tension that spur activity until a goal is reached. Drive and
motivation are covered in the world of psychology, for they energize behavior and give direction to
man’s action. For example, a motivated individual is engaged in a more active, more vigorous, and
more effective that unmotivated one, thus a hungry person directs him to look for food.
Psychological Needs
Psychological needs are influenced primarily by the kind of society in which the individual is
raised. Psychological motives are those related to the individual happiness and well being, but not
for he survival, unlike the biological motives that focuses on basic needs – the primary motives.
Abraham Maslow has suggested that human needs form a hierarchy from the most basic
biological requirements to the needs for self-actualization – the highest of all needs.
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The pyramidal presentation shows that from the bottom to the top of the hierarchy, the levels
of needs or motive according to Maslow, are:
1. Biological or Physiological Needs – these motives include the need for food, water,
oxygen, activity, and sleep.
2. Safety Needs – these pertains to the motives of being cared for and being secured such
as in income and place to live.
3. Love/Belongingness – Belongingness is integration into various kinds of social groups
or social organizations. Love needs means need for affection.
4. Cognitive Needs – our motivation for learning and exploration
5. Esteem Needs – our motivation for an honest, fundamental respect for a person as a
useful and honorable human being.
6. Aesthetic Needs - our motivation for beauty and order
7. Self- actualization – pertains to human total satisfaction, when people are motivated not
so much by unmet needs, as by the desire to become all they are capable of (self-
realization).
According to the Maslow”s formulation, the levels that commands the individuals attention
and effort is ordinarily the lowest one on which there is an unmet need. For example, unless needs for
food and safety are reasonably well-met behavior will be dominated by these needs and higher
motives are of little significant. With their gratification, however, the individual is free to devote time
and effort to meet higher level. In other words, one level must at least be partially satisfied before
those at the next level become determiners of action.
Frustration refers to the unpleasant feelings that result from the blocking of motive
satisfaction. It is a form of stress, which results in tension. It is a feeling that is experienced when
something interferes with our hopes, wishes, plans and expectations (Coleman, 1980).
Conflict refers to the simultaneous arousal of two or more incompatible motives resulting to
unpleasant emotions. It is a source of frustration because it is a threat to normal behavior (Berstein,
et al, 1991).
Types of Conflicts
1. Double Approach Conflict – a person is motivated to engage in two desirable activities that
cannot be pursued simultaneously.
2. Double Avoidance Conflict – a person faces two undesirable situations in which the
avoidance of one is the exposure to the other resulting to an intense emotion.
3. Approach-Avoidance Conflict – a person faces situation having both a desirable and
undesirable feature. It is sometimes called “dilemma”, because some negative and some
positive features must be accepted regardless which course of action is chosen.
4. Multiple Approach-Avoidance Conflict – a situation in which a choice must be made between
two or more alternatives each has both positive and negative features. It is the most difficult
to resolve because the features of each portion are often difficult to compare.
Anxiety is an intangible feeling that seems to evade any effort to resolve it. It is also called
neurotic fear. It could be intense, it could be low and can be a motivating force (Coleman, 1980).
Stress is the process of adjusting to or dealing with circumstances that disrupts, or threatens
to disrupt a person’s physical or psychological functioning (Bernstein, et al, 1991)
The defense mechanisms are the unconscious techniques used to prevent a person’s self
image from being damaged. When stress becomes quite strong, an individual strives to protect his
self-esteem, avoiding defeat. We all use ego defense mechanisms to protect us from anxiety and
maintain our feeling of personal worth. We consider them normal adjustive reactions when they are
use to excess and threaten self-integrity (Bernstein, et al, 1991).
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1. Anxiety (Psychological Perspective) – stressful situations that when become extreme may
result to maladaptive behavior.
2. Faulty Learning (Behavior Perspective) – the failure to learn the necessary adaptive
behavior due to wrongful development. This usually result to delinquent behavior based on
the failure to learn the necessary social values and norms.
3. Blocked of Distorted Personal Growth (Humanistic Perspective) - presumably, human nature
tends towards cooperation and constructive activities, however, if we show aggression,
cruelty or other violent behavior, the result will be an unfavorable environment.
4. Unsatisfactory interpersonal relationship - self concept in early childhood by over critical
parents or by rigid socialization measures usually causes deviant behaviors among
individuals because they are not contented and even unhappy among individuals because
they are not contented and even unhappy to the kind of social dealings they are facing.
5. Pathological social conditions – poverty, social discrimination, and destructive violence
always results to deviant behavior.
Neurotic/Psychoneurotic Behaviors
Neurotic/Psychoneurotic behaviors are groups of mild functional personality disorders in
which there is no gross personality disorganization, the individual does not lose contact with reality,
and hospitalization is not required.
A. Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are commonly known as “neurotic fear”. When it is occasional but intense,
it is called “panic”. When it is mild but continuous, it is called “worry” which is usually accompanied
by physiological symptoms such as sustained muscular tension, increased blood pressure, insomnia,
etc. They are considered as the central feature of all neurotic patterns. This disorders are
characterized by mild depressions, fear and tensions, and mild stresses.
Obsessive-compulsive disorders - Obsessions usually centered on fear that one will submit to an
uncontrollable impulse to do something wrong. Compulsion on the other hand resulted from
repetitive acts (Wicks, 1974). An obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by the
following: When an individual is compelled to think about something that he do not want to think
about or carry some actions against his will, and the experience of persistent thoughts that we
cannot seem to get out of our minds such as thoughts about haunting situations.
Phobic Disorders - These refer to the persistent fear on some objects or situation that present no
actual danger to the person. Examples of Phobia: Acrophobia - fear of high places
B. Somatoform Disorders
Complaints of bodily symptoms that suggest the presence of physical problem but no
organic basis can be found. The individual is pre-occupied with his state of health or diseases.
Hypochondriasis - This refers to the excessive concern about state of health or physical
condition (multiplicity about illness)
Psychogenic Pain Disorder - It is characterized by the report of severe and lasting pain.
Either no physical basis is apparent reaction greatly in excess of what would be expected
from the physical abnormality.
Conversion Disorders (Hysteria) - It is a neurotic pattern in which symptoms of some
physical malfunction or loss of control without any underlying organic abnormality.
C. Dissociative Disorders
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Amnesia - The partial or total inability to recall or identify past experiences following a traumatic
incident. Brain pathology amnesia – total loss of memory and it cannot be retrieved by simple
means. It requires long period of medication. Psychogenic amnesia – failure to recall stored
information and still they are beneath the level of consciousness but “forgotten material.”
Multiple Personality - It is also called “dual personalities.” The reason manifests two or more
symptoms of personality usually dramatically different.
Depersonalization - The loss of sense of self or the so-called out of body experience. There is a
feeling of detachment from one’s mental processes or body or being in a dream state. Cases of
somnambulism (sleep walking) may fall under this disorder.
Depressive Disorders (Major Depressive Disorder) – Patients with depressed mood have a
loss of energy and interest, feeling of guilt, difficulty in concentrating, loss of appetite, and thoughts
of death or suicide, they are not affected with manic episodes.
Dysthymic Disorder – a mild form of major depressive disorder
Bipolar Disorders - those experienced by patients with both manic and depressive episodes.
Cyclothymic Disorder – a less severe form of bipolar disorder
Psychopathic Behaviors
The second group of abnormal behaviors, which typically stemmed from immature and
distorted personality development, resulting in persistent maladaptive ways of perceiving and
thinking. They are generally called “personality or character disorders”. These groups of disorders
are composed of the following:
A. Personality Disorders
The disorders of character, the person is characterized as a “problematic” without
psychoses. This disorder is characterized disrupted personal relationship, dependent or passive
aggressive behavior.
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The Psychotic Behaviors are group of disorders involving gross structural defects in the
brain tissue, severe disorientation of the mind thus it involves loss of contact with reality.
A. Organic Mental Disorders - A diagnosis of organic mental disorder is associated with a specific,
identified organic cause, such as abnormalities of the brain structure. These are mental disorder
that occurs when the normal brain has been damage resulted from any interference of the
functioning of the brain.
Acute brain disorder – caused by a diffuse impairment of the brain function. Its symptoms
range from mild mood changes to acute delirium.
Chronic brain disorder – the brain disorder that result from injuries, diseases, drugs, and a
variety of other conditions. Its symptoms includes impairment of orientation (time, place and person),
impairment of memory, learning, comprehension and judgement, emotion and self-control.
B. Disorders Involving Brain Tumor - A tumor is a new growth involving abnormal enlargement of
body tissue. Brain tumor can cause a variety of personality alterations, and it may lead to any
neurotic behavior and consequently psychotic behavior.
C. Disorders Involving Head Injury - Injury to the head as a result of falls, blows and accidents
causing sensory and motor disorders.
D. Senile and Presenile Dementia
E. Mental retardation
Metal retardation is a mental disorder characterized by sub-average general functioning
existing concurrency with deficits in adaptive behavior. It is a common mental disorder before the
age of 18. The person is suffering from low I.Q., difficulty in focusing attention and deficiency in fast
learning.
Sexual deviations to the impairment to either the desire for sexual gratification or in the
ability to achieve it (Coleman, 1980).
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As to Sexual Reversals
Homosexuality – it is a sexual behavior directed towards the same sex. It is also called
“lesbianism/tribadism” for female relationship.
Transvestism – refers to the achievement of sexual excitation by dressing as a member of
the opposite sex such a man who wears female apparel.
Fetishism – sexual gratification is obtained by looking at some body parts, underwear of the
opposite sex or other objects associated with the opposite sex.
Pedophilia – a sexual perversion where a person has the compulsive desire to have sexual
intercourse with a child of either sex.
Bestiality – the sexual gratification is attained by having sexual intercourse with animals
Auto-sexual (self-gratification/masturbation) – it is also called “self abuse”, sexual
satisfaction is carried out without the cooperation of another.
Gerontophilia – is a sexual desire with an elder person.
Necrophilia – an erotic desire or actual intercourse with a corpse
Incest – a sexual relation between person who, by reason of blood relationship cannot
legally marry.
As to Sexual Urge
Satyriasis – an excessive (sexual urge) desire of men to have sexual intercourse
Nymphomania – a strong sexual feeling of women with an excessive sexual urge.
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As to visual stimulus
Voyeurism – the person is commonly called “the peeping Tom”, an achievement of sexual
pleasures through clandestine peeping such as peeping to dressing room, couples room,
toilets, etc. and frequently the person masturbate during the peeping activity.
Scoptophilia – the intentional act of watching people undress or during sexual intimacies.