PSYCH230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Impulsivity, Serotonin, Operant Conditioning
24 Sep 2013
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Document Summary
Week 3 readings: psychology and the legal system- chapter 3. Criminology: the study of crime and criminal behaviour: serious offending is decreasing, however most americans that crime is their number 1 concern. Individuals still view crime as a major threat because the publicity of crime, the high rate of violent crime (juveniles are involved in high profile fatal events) Theories of crime as explanations of criminal behaviour. Classical school of criminology: beccaria and bentham: believed the punishment should fit the crime; people freely choose between right and wrong. Positivist school of criminology: certain factors determined criminal behaviour (biological, psychological, environmental etc) This is divided into two groups: structural explanations and subcultural explanations. Structural explanations: certain groups of people suffer fundamental equalities in opportunities to achieve the goals valued by society (durkheim: anomie) Legal means of achieving goals is blocked: differential opportunity: tried to explain black youth in crime; denied job opportunities.
