Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2025
06:42
Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
Published on: September 28, 2018
11.6K
Evolution, the Cognitive Sciences, and the Science of Victimization
Jamie M Gajos1, Brian B Boutwell2,3
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Summary
Low self-control strongly predicts adolescent victimization, while intelligence shows no effect. Integrating cognitive science enhances criminological theories like Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory.
Area of Science:
- Criminological theory
- Cognitive science
- Developmental psychology
Background:
- Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory of crime is a dominant criminological framework.
- The theory has historically excluded insights from cognitive science, neuroscience, and evolutionary theory.
- This exclusion may limit the comprehensive understanding of criminal behavior and victimization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-examine Gottfredson and Hirschi's general theory by incorporating cognitive science.
- To investigate the cognitive underpinnings of adolescent victimization.
- To analyze the relationship between self-control, intelligence, and victimization in adolescents.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N=3,444).
- Employed robust measures of self-control and intelligence.
- Assessed four distinct types of adolescent victimization.
Main Results:
- Self-control demonstrated a significant and robust association with all measured forms of adolescent victimization.
- Intelligence exhibited no detectable effect on adolescent victimization across the study sample.
- Findings support the central role of self-control in understanding victimization risk.
Conclusions:
- Low self-control is a key predictor of adolescent victimization.
- Integrating cognitive and developmental perspectives can strengthen criminological theories.
- Future research should explore the cognitive mechanisms underlying self-control and victimization.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:20Evolutionary Psychology
270
Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...
270
01:23Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective
104
In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
104
01:13Psychology as a Science
703
Psychology, as a scientific discipline, aims to understand the mind and behavior through rigorous and systematic methods. The foundation of psychological research is evidence-based, relying heavily on the scientific method to derive and validate knowledge. This structured approach ensures that findings are reliable, valid, and applicable to broader contexts.
The scientific method in psychology involves six critical steps: making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting tests, analyzing...
The scientific method in psychology involves six critical steps: making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting tests, analyzing...
703
01:17Cognitivism
1.4K
Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
1.4K
01:29Contemporary Psychology
560
Psychology explores human behavior and mental processes through various lenses, each offering unique insights. This overview examines key subfields, including biopsychology, evolutionary, developmental, personality, and social psychology, highlighting their approaches and contributions to understanding complex human behaviors.
Biopsychology
Biopsychology, also known as biological psychology or behavioral neuroscience, focuses on the biological underpinnings of behavior and mental processes. It...
Biopsychology
Biopsychology, also known as biological psychology or behavioral neuroscience, focuses on the biological underpinnings of behavior and mental processes. It...
560
01:24Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition
32
A revisionist approach to Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development has brought new insights that challenge and reinterpret his established ideas. Piaget proposed that the formal operational stage, emerging in adolescence, represents the culmination of cognitive maturity. During this stage, individuals are said to develop abstract thinking, engage in systematic problem-solving, and show a form of egocentrism, believing others are as preoccupied with their behavior as they are...
32