Order Description
Select one theory discussed this semester and use it to explain the criminal behaviour of any famous or documented criminal. You may pick any criminal you wish, but you must document the source of your information. Because you will not have access to case files, you will have to rely on media reports of the criminal. This is an exception to the general rule that you should not use popular or internet sources for information.
Hints
Write the case study in normal essay-style. You do not need to pretend that you are writing a report for court or that you have personally interviewed the criminal.
In particular, if you select social learning theory, be sure to use the psychological versions covered in this course (e.g. Bandura) and not sociological versions (e.g. Sutherland’s differential association).
You must relate the theory to the specific case. Don’t just provide general information about your selected theory. Similarly, don’t waste space in your essay documenting exactly what the criminal did. You should take no more than a paragraph or two to describe who the criminal is and what they did.
Make sure that you try to explain the causes of the criminal’s behaviour.
Psychological Theories
Evolutionary
Genetics
Biobehavioural
Psychodynamic
Trait
Behavioural
Social learning
Moral development
Environmental psychology
