Jessica Bryan SNHU PSY-310 Criminal Psychology Dr. Becca December 2, 2023
I. Limitations a) What are the limitations of utilizing psychological theories in the prosecution of criminals? There are many limitations of utilizing psychological theories in the prosecution of criminals. While psychological theories "identify causes and precursors of criminal behavior" (Bartol & Bartol, 2020), they are not always the contributing factor to consider when prosecuting someone. Psychological theories should also be used with full evidence and any information relating to the case and person who committed the crime. A person can grow up in a loving and healthy environment and still commit criminal offenses. So, this shows that using just psychological theories creates biases like "if his parents raised him right, he wouldn't be in jail" (Bartol & Bartol, 2020). b) Explain how limitations can be addressed or rectified using concrete evidence to justify claims. The limitations could be addressed or rectified by getting all the information needed about the crime and the person who committed the crime. Also, by shutting out biases and being completely objective can also rectify the limitations. II. Motivational Factors a) Does a person's age impact their motivation? A person's age can impact their motivation, "neuroscience suggests that the parts of the brain the govern risk and reward are not fully developed until age 25 after which law breaking drops off" (Goldstein, 2015). Children who commit crimes at an early age eventually end up continuing their criminal activity. "Approximately one-third of murder victims and almost half of the offenders are under age 25" (Bartol & Bartol, 2020).
b) Does a person's age increase the chances of continued criminal behavior? Yes, a person's age does seem to increase the chances of continued criminal behaviors. However, research suggests that after a certain age "an offender will commit fewer crimes as he or she ages" (Atkinson, 2023).