Forensic Psychology | AQA A-Level Psychology (7182)
Forensic Psychology
- 156 questions
- 4 subtopics
- Paper 3: Issues and options in psychology
- Paper 3
Forensic Psychology is an optional topic for Paper 3.
It covers how offenders are profiled, biological and psychological explanations of offending, and the ways offending behaviour is dealt with through custodial sentencing and behaviour change programmes.
Sample questions from Forensic Psychology
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Offender profiling
What is the typical relationship status of an organised offender?
Show the answer
They are likely to be in a relationship. -
Offender profiling
What does the concept of interpersonal coherence propose about offender behaviour?
Show the answer
That offenders behave consistently across situations, so their behaviour during a crime reflects their everyday behaviour. -
Biological explanations of offending behaviour
If monozygotic twins show higher concordance rates for criminality than dizygotic twins, what does this suggest?
Show the answer
It suggests a genetic component to offending behaviour. -
Biological explanations of offending behaviour
How might reduced amygdala functioning contribute to antisocial behaviour?
Show the answer
The resulting lack of fear response and reduced empathy may contribute to antisocial and violent behaviour. -
Psychological explanations of offending behaviour
What did Eysenck argue about the heritability of personality traits in relation to criminal tendencies?
Show the answer
Eysenck argued that personality traits are inherited, meaning criminal tendencies have a genetic component transmitted through biological predisposition to certain personality types. -
Psychological explanations of offending behaviour
In differential association theory, what does 'frequency' of association refer to?
Show the answer
How often an individual interacts with criminal others, with more frequent contact increasing the likelihood of adopting criminal behaviour. -
Dealing with offending behaviour
What is self-harm in the context of psychological effects of custody?
Show the answer
Deliberate injury to oneself, which occurs at increased rates among prisoners due to the psychological pressures of imprisonment. -
Dealing with offending behaviour
What do offenders learn during the cognitive preparation stage of anger management?
Show the answer
To identify situations that trigger their anger and recognise their own physiological and cognitive patterns associated with anger.
The 4 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Offender profiling | The FBI typology approach with its organised and disorganised categories, and the investigative psychology approach developed as an alternative. | 31 |
| Biological explanations of offending behaviour | Lombroso's atavistic form and its evaluation, twin and adoption evidence for inherited criminality, and the brain differences linked to violent offending. | 31 |
| Psychological explanations of offending behaviour | Eysenck's personality dimensions and their link to offending, Kohlberg's levels of moral reasoning, and cognitive distortions. | 50 |
| Dealing with offending behaviour | The four aims of custodial sentencing and its psychological effects, token economy programmes in prisons, and the three stages of anger management. | 44 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Psychology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,999 questions with their answers.