PSYC 2205-03 – Introduction to Forensic Psychology
Final Exam Study Guide
30-35 multiple choice question
2-3 short answers/essays
Psychology of Violence and Intimidation
Violence – Physical force exerted for the purpose of inflicting injury, pain, discomfort, or
abuse on a person or persons or for the purpose of damaging or destroying property
o May be condoned by society
Examples: use of reasonable force by officers, self-defense, military,
entertainment (sports), etc.
o Criminal violence
Violence without justification (not condoned by society)
o Aggression
May or may not involve physical force – expressions of anger
Violence Research
o Characteristics and demographics of the individual
Social factors
Psychological factors
Biological factors
o Contexts and environments in which it occurs (more or less inclined)
Family
Peer
Community
Data Sources
o Uniform Crime Reports (UCRs)
Violent crimes (murder/nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery,
aggravate assault)
Difference between assault and battery
o Assault – attempted battery, no physical contact required
o Battery – physical contact resulting in injury
Property offenses (burglary, larceny/theft, mv theft, arson)
o National Incident-Based Reporting System
,2
Modernize crime information
Attempts to address UCR shortcomings and problems
5-year trend in Violent crime is down
o More preventative measures, more effective policies
Violent Crime Distribution in the US 2012
o Only includes offenses actually reported
o Majority of which is aggravated assault
o Decent amount of crime remains unreported to authorities
Gender Differences in Violent Crime
o Males account for 87 to 90% of total arrests for violent crime
90% of annual arrest rate
o Two explanations for gender discrepancies
Socialization factors – males are socialized to be more aggressive
Biological factors – testosterone implicated in aggression
Ethno-racial Differences in Violent Crimes
o Official data reflects social inequalities
High African American homicide rate
Black males significantly higher risk to be homicide victims
Significant predictor of gun violence = poverty
Minorities are more likely to be of low-income
Latino violence lower than economically deprived African Americans and
Caucasians (least likely to be homicide victims)
Not all Hispanics treated equally – more/less marginalized or
victimized based on country of origin
o Importance of studying variety of ethno-racial groups
o Problems of ethnocentrism – negative attitude towards those victimized
Types of Violence
o Instrumental violence – violence that is committed for a secondary goal
Injury of individual is secondary to the acquisition of another external goal
Money, status, security or material goods
, 3
o Reactive violence – response to perceived threat by another
Expressive violence
Physical violence precipitated by a hostile and angry reaction to a
perceived threat or dangerous situation
4 Causes of Violence
o Biological factors
o Socialization factors
o Cognitive factors
o Situational factors
Biological Causes
o Neurological, physiological, or chemical influences on aggression and violence
o Interactions with social environment influences on child development
Toxic materials found in the environment
Traumatic head injury/multiple concussions
Dietary deficiencies
Prenatal alcohol and drug ingestions
Birth trauma/complications
Socialization Factors
o Processes through which a person learns patterns of thinking, behavior, and
feeling from his or her early life
Social behavior – how one is socialized
Observational learning through exposure
More likely to mimic, imitate, and accept aggression as normative
Cognitive Factors
o Ideas, beliefs, and patterns of thinking that emerge as a result of interactions with
the world during a person’s lifetime
Have a more favorable attitude towards violence – instigators
Processing and interpretation of information
Problem solving
Antisocial beliefs
Situational factors
Final Exam Study Guide
30-35 multiple choice question
2-3 short answers/essays
Psychology of Violence and Intimidation
Violence – Physical force exerted for the purpose of inflicting injury, pain, discomfort, or
abuse on a person or persons or for the purpose of damaging or destroying property
o May be condoned by society
Examples: use of reasonable force by officers, self-defense, military,
entertainment (sports), etc.
o Criminal violence
Violence without justification (not condoned by society)
o Aggression
May or may not involve physical force – expressions of anger
Violence Research
o Characteristics and demographics of the individual
Social factors
Psychological factors
Biological factors
o Contexts and environments in which it occurs (more or less inclined)
Family
Peer
Community
Data Sources
o Uniform Crime Reports (UCRs)
Violent crimes (murder/nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery,
aggravate assault)
Difference between assault and battery
o Assault – attempted battery, no physical contact required
o Battery – physical contact resulting in injury
Property offenses (burglary, larceny/theft, mv theft, arson)
o National Incident-Based Reporting System
,2
Modernize crime information
Attempts to address UCR shortcomings and problems
5-year trend in Violent crime is down
o More preventative measures, more effective policies
Violent Crime Distribution in the US 2012
o Only includes offenses actually reported
o Majority of which is aggravated assault
o Decent amount of crime remains unreported to authorities
Gender Differences in Violent Crime
o Males account for 87 to 90% of total arrests for violent crime
90% of annual arrest rate
o Two explanations for gender discrepancies
Socialization factors – males are socialized to be more aggressive
Biological factors – testosterone implicated in aggression
Ethno-racial Differences in Violent Crimes
o Official data reflects social inequalities
High African American homicide rate
Black males significantly higher risk to be homicide victims
Significant predictor of gun violence = poverty
Minorities are more likely to be of low-income
Latino violence lower than economically deprived African Americans and
Caucasians (least likely to be homicide victims)
Not all Hispanics treated equally – more/less marginalized or
victimized based on country of origin
o Importance of studying variety of ethno-racial groups
o Problems of ethnocentrism – negative attitude towards those victimized
Types of Violence
o Instrumental violence – violence that is committed for a secondary goal
Injury of individual is secondary to the acquisition of another external goal
Money, status, security or material goods
, 3
o Reactive violence – response to perceived threat by another
Expressive violence
Physical violence precipitated by a hostile and angry reaction to a
perceived threat or dangerous situation
4 Causes of Violence
o Biological factors
o Socialization factors
o Cognitive factors
o Situational factors
Biological Causes
o Neurological, physiological, or chemical influences on aggression and violence
o Interactions with social environment influences on child development
Toxic materials found in the environment
Traumatic head injury/multiple concussions
Dietary deficiencies
Prenatal alcohol and drug ingestions
Birth trauma/complications
Socialization Factors
o Processes through which a person learns patterns of thinking, behavior, and
feeling from his or her early life
Social behavior – how one is socialized
Observational learning through exposure
More likely to mimic, imitate, and accept aggression as normative
Cognitive Factors
o Ideas, beliefs, and patterns of thinking that emerge as a result of interactions with
the world during a person’s lifetime
Have a more favorable attitude towards violence – instigators
Processing and interpretation of information
Problem solving
Antisocial beliefs
Situational factors
