Lesson 1  – We continued with Custodial sentencing  – please look at this power point. I cannot spend another lesson on this topic (time is limited) dealing-with-offending-behaviour

Custodial sentencing involves imprisonment for offending behaviour and serves several functions:

1.Deterrence – imprisonment is so unpleasant that criminals will not re-offend.

2.Retribution – imprisonment punishes offenders for their criminal actions.

3.Confinement – imprisonment protects society through offenders not being free to re-offend.

4.Rehabilitation – imprisonment allows for counselling and other programmes to help teach criminals not to re-offend.

The psychological effects of custodial sentencing concern the mental consequences of imprisonment:

1.Institutionalisation – individuals deliberately re-offend, as they cannot live independently outside of prison.

2.Negative mental health – imprisonment incurs high levels of self-harm, suicide, depression, etc.

3. Recidivism – imprisonment incurs high re-offending levels through institutionalisation, the learning of criminal skills in prison, and
ex-prisoners finding employment hard to come by.

Lesson 2  – 1 token economy 2017

Miltenberger (2008) identified seven components of a token economy: If you were asked HOW to design a TEP these are the stages

1. Target behaviours: This is the behaviours that are decided are desirable and undesirable, which should be shown more or less.
2. Type of tokens: This is the type of tokens that are used, such as stars, poker chips, plastic tokens, etc.
3. The reinforcers are identified: This is what tokens will be exchanged for – usually material items, services or activities.
4. Reinforcement schedule: A reinforcement schedule needs to be decided – this is initially continuous but partial reinforcement could be used as time passes.
5. Exchange criterion: This is the exchange price – for example, a chocolate bar is 5 tokens
6. Time/place for exchange: A decision about when the tokens can be exchanged and where.
7. *Response cost: A penalty or fine could be used where tokens are taken away for engaging in undesirable behaviour.     *Not always used

Lesson 3  – Anger management. The process is described in this power point >>>               2 am and rj 2017

Lesson 4  – Restorative justice – this seems to be the best way of genuinely changing an offender’s attitude and behaviour. It is straight forward to describe provided you understand the PROCESS. Like Anger management the Process is crucial in your understanding, because a ‘HOW’ question could be asked. Do check that you can evaluate these different types of ways of treating offenders.

During the lesson you did lots of activities to further your understanding of these treatments.

Prep

By now you should have already read the relevant chapters in the PHG text  book and Revision guide. Ensure you have understood and can describe the 4 ways of dealing with offenders: Prison, changing behaviour using operant conditioning, treating anger issues and restorative justice. You will need to be able to explain the strengths and weaknesses of each one. Consider too which is the most effective at reducing recidivism.

Discuss whether custodial sentencing is an effective way of dealing with offenders (16 marks)   Due next WEDNESDAY 

To write this essay you should first explain what we mean by custodial sentencing. Then identify prison’s four functions. You should  comment on how effective you think these are. Do they reduce recidivism? What is the evidence?  You should identify the positive and negative psychological effects of custodial sentencing. This question requires that you reach a conclusion. Do you think it is effective?  I have given you an essay plannner to help you construct your answer.

ADVANCE WARNING: There will be a Forensic Assessment next Wednesday – DO revise. 

Schizophrenia next. Time to print out the resources I have sent you 🙂

Lesson 1  – Homework Amnesty – we started the lesson by looking for work that has yet to be marked/checked by me. If you have anything in your file that is unmarked please dig out and hand to me ASAP.

We then completed an ‘Apply it’ question based on Measuring Brain Volume  – it was the kind of question that required Research Method’s skills. These types of question can crop up any where on any of the 3 examination papers. They are to be found on nearly every double page spread in both the GHG and PHG. If you are not regularly practicing these types of questions, and checking your answers with those in the digital text book, you are doing yourself a massive dis-service. These questions can make up to 2 grades difference in the final examination!

We will continue with DA theory next lesson.

Lesson 2  – We evaluated Differential Association Theory. Using common sense alone we should be able to come up with some strengths and weaknesses of this theory.

Lesson 3  – We examined 2 possible psycho-dynamic explanations for offending behaviour. We discussed the idea of a problematic super-ego, or the outcome of Maternal Deprivation (Bowlby). You need to be able to describe and evaluate both theories. Now is a good time to re-vist your psychodynamic theory notes.

Lesson 4-5  – We need to explore how best to deal with offenders. Here are the power points I will be using:   BUT – I gave back exam papers instead 🙂

dealing-with-offending-behaviour

1 token economy 2017

2 am and rj 2017

Prep – for next Wednesday     

1. You have been asked to create a mind-map/poster/revision cards for all the explanations for offending behaviour. Think about which will help you the most in terms of revision. Include a brief description of the explanation together with at least one strength and one weakness.
2. Please complete the PHG mini worksheet pack (the one printed in colour) – specifically exercise 12.11 and 12.13.  Have you read the table  (12.10b)?
3. Ensure you have used the PHG digital text book – have you done the quiz? Have you looked at the Apply It questions?
4. Check you have read the Tutor2U companion for this topic – it could be you find the explanations easier to understand in this pack than in the PHG text book.
5. Check you have completed the relevant sections of the Forensic Fill In pack. This one is helpful as it helps you create useful notes without having to write too much.

This week we need to really crack on with the explanations for crime. We have already examined some Biological explanations, and now we need to learn about some Psychological ones.

For those of you that like to print, or have the power point in the lesson, here are the ones will be using this week.

eysenk 1

cognitive-explanation-kohlberg

simple differential association     this one is more challenging >> criminal behaviours – social 1 – differential association

psychodynamic explanation

Please ensure you have already read the relevant sections on the PHG  – p330-337

Here is a link to an online personality test >>>  https://similarminds.com/eysenck.html

Lesson 1  – you completed 2 versions of Eysenck’s Personality Inventory. If the questionnaires have concurrent validity you should get a similar result on both tests. Remember a valid test measures what it intends to measure, in this case personality. If the questionnaire is RELIABLE, you should get the same score if your complete the same test again in a month’s time, in other words, the results should be consistent over time.

Lesson 2 – We finished describing and evaluating Eysenck’s personality theory.  You used your PHG revision guide to find some evaluation points. You completed the relevant section in your ‘fill in Forensic Booklet’. You should always have this with you in the lesson!

Lesson 3 – We examined the 2 cognitive explanations for offending – see power point above.

There will be an open book timed examination question on this during the lesson tomorrow. Ensure you have considered how you will evaluate this explanation.

Lesson 4  – Starter activity from your PHG mini pack (coloured version handed out today).  Open book 16 mark question.

Describe and discuss cognitive explanations for offending. Refer to at least one other explanation of offending in your answer (16 marks)

Lesson 5  – Time to examine a social learning explanation for offending – the differential association theory.  

Prep – Due next Wednesday 

Discuss Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality, referring to evidence within your answer (16 marks).     This requires that you briefly outline his theory, ensuring you make at least 6 mark worthy points.  Discussion means you present the arguments both for and against this being a reasonable explanation for offending behaviour.

and/or

Complete exercise 12.8 in the Mini PHG pack (the one I printed in colour).    This requires that you think about each of the evaluation points given, and elaborate each one.

 

This week it was mock exam week – I hope your revision paid off, and that you felt comfortable in your knowledge during the examinations.

Remember to check previous blog for homework set over the Christmas period. This will be due in on Monday 14th Jan.

Your final examinations will be here before you know it. Remember each paper is 2 hours long and is marked out of 96.

Paper 1    (20th May pm)

• Section A –  Social Influence
• Section B – Memory
• Section C- Attachment
• Section D-  Psychopathology

Half Term 

Paper 2    (7th June pm)

• Section A –  Approaches
• Section B – Biological
• Section C-  Research Methods

Paper 3    (14th June am)

• Section A –  Issues and Debates
• Section B – Relationships/Gender (we need to decide)
• Section C- Schizophrenia
• Section D-  Forensic

Below  is the direct link to the AQA website where you will see the actual 2016 and 2017 examination papers together with the mark schemes and examiners reports.

http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/psychology/as-and-a-level/psychology-7181-7182/assessment-resources

RECAP – 2019 Psychology examination dates are:

• Paper 1 is on the 20th May 2019 (pm)
• Paper 2 is in the 7th June 2019 (pm)
• Paper 3 is on 14th June 2019 (am)