Experts in Criminology and Psychology - Literature review Example

Experts in Criminology and Psychology This paper delves into the analysis of experts from the viewpoint of criminology and psychology. The discourse uses literature from the two fields of psychology and criminology top advance these definitions and views. Criminology experts focus on studying crime in its perspective as a social phenomenon. Criminology experts evaluate the influences of crime, criminal acts, and the development as well as the effect of laws in the society. We refer to them as criminologists. They put to use scientific techniques to test hypotheses and development of theories applicable in explaining aspects of crimes in addition to the causes. This provides the point of separation between criminal justice and criminology. Allen, (2001) posits that as much as the two related disciplines deal with crime, criminal justice centers on the elements of the justice systems otherwise referred to as the judicial system that brings together courts, the police force, and corrections. Carrington, (2002) compounds this statement by stating that criminology falls as a branch of the larger discipline of sociology that draws various concepts from economics, psychology, psychiatry, anthropology, statistics, and biology among other fields of study. These areas help in comprehending the prevention mechanism as well as causes of criminal behavior. Drake, (2006) delves into identifying various areas of specialization for experts in the field of criminology. They include among others penology, which encompasses the study of prison systems and prisons, biocriminology that entails the study of basis of biological criminal actions, feminist criminology that considers the study of women and their relationships with criminal behavior. According to Drake, (2006), others are criminalistics that constitutes the study of detective mechanisms of crime. This field relates to Forensic Science closely. Cullen, (1994) on the other hand, puts forward that the role played by criminology entails reforming concerning criminal law as well as the justice system. This role continues to develop since historical times. Carrington, (2002) considers criminology an applied science. Here, Carrington, (2002) holds that the field continues to produce findings that influence judges, legislators, lawyers, prosecutors, prisons officials, and probation officers. To support this, White, (2001) outlines that this prompts these stated officials to understand criminal behavior, crime, and criminals. This develops advanced and more humane judgments and handling for criminal activities. Harmon-Jones, (2004) defines psychology as the scientific study of cognition, behavior, and emotion. Similar to the discipline of criminology, Reid, (1994) posits that, an applied discipline that involves the scientific study evaluating metal behaviors and processes. According to Harmon-Jones, (2004), experts make the use of skills and knowledge in various spheres of human activity considering problems faced by people in their lives as well as the care of mental illnesses. White, (2001) avers that psychology is a discipline independent from others such as economics, anthropology, sociology, and political science. This is in terms of explaining the mental behaviors and processes of different people. White, (2001) continues to explain that psychology differs from other health-related disciplines including neuroscience and biology because it focuses on the interaction of mental behavior and processes on systematic levels. This is as opposed to evaluating the neural processes or biological aspects. White, (2001) supports the stance taken by Harmon-Jones, (2004) but adds that the subfield of neuropsychology provides a contrasting position because it entails the actual study of neural processes and their relation mechanisms concerning mental influences produced subjectively. On the other hand, he adds that biological psychology constitutes the study of biological foundations of behavior and metal positions scientifically. He explains that as an academic as well as applied field, psychology involves the assessment of behavior, thought, and mind putting into consideration the subconscious neurological foundations of behavior. Experts in psychology deal with the use of knowledge that entails neurological foundations of behavior. Allen, (2001) highlights the use of psychology through different spheres of human activity that covers individual daily lives and handling of mental illness. Reid, (1994) feels that the discipline of psychology regards human beings as much as the mental processes and behavior of animals form part of the psychological research in its own position as a subject or as a way of penetrating into the human psychology through comparison albeit controversially. While defining through comparison with comparative psychology, Drake, (2006) defines it as the science of mental processes and human action. The author says that it goes beyond the nervous system and brain to encompass terminologies of phenomenological processing of theories or information in the mind. Carrington, (2002) includes the comprehension of brain roles in psychological practice and theory covering specific areas such as neuropsychology, artificial intelligence, and cognitive neuroscience. Cullen, (1994) writes in his book that experts in psychology describe and make effort to define the consciousness, social interaction, and behavior. This is when he introduces the concept of empirical psychology among experts in the discipline of psychology. This area devotes to the experience of human beings as well as human action because it actually takes place. Reid, (1994) points to the fact that experts in the field of psychology continue to examine the relationships between the nervous system also referred to as the brain and consciousness. The line of interaction remains unclear. Questions raised by White, (2001) regard whether consciousness determines states of brain or whether brain states lead to consciousness levels. White, (2001) puts forth that the world witnessed the increasing influence of evaluating sociological perspectives to criminology during the twentieth century. Experts took this as the most effective approach. Criminology subdivides sociology into social-process systems and socio-structural methods. Successful social-structural experts examine mechanisms through which social circumstances and frameworks affect to criminal behavior. The first thirty years of the twentieth century witnessed the development of the first successful experts in this area. The University of Chicago brought forth the first bunch of these experts. Carrington, (2002) posits that these professionals aim at explaining the relationship between crime to both environmental and social change. Experts in the subcategory of Social-Process Criminology concentrate on defining how people become criminals. They develop theories applicable in the study of this development. White, (2001) on the other hand, describes these experts as considering criminal activities as learned also categorized as acquired behavior. This describes a successful expert in the field of criminology and its subcategories. Doing things to the contrary defines failed criminologists. White, (2001) insists that the reason behind failure by psychology experts is fear. Experts fail despite the fact that they have abilities, knowledge, and resources because of unconscious fear. Evaluating effects and causes of failure from a psychological perspective constitutes psychology of failure. Experts in psychology deal with the use of knowledge that entails neurological foundations of behavior. Allen, (2001) highlights the use of psychology through different spheres of human activity that covers individual daily lives and handling of mental illness. Reid, (1994) feels that the discipline of psychology regards human beings as much as the mental processes and behavior of animals form part of the psychological research in its own position as a subject or as a way of penetrating into the human psychology through comparison albeit controversially. Fear also guides failure within professional fields alongside the fear of underachieving when people have natural desires to succeed. Bibliography Allen, J. (2001). Manipulation of frontal EEG asymmetry through biofeedback alters self-reported emotional responses and facial EMG. Psychophysiology, 38, 685-693. Carrington, K. (2002). Critical Criminology: Issues, Debates, Challenges. Portland, Ore.: William Publishing. Cullen, T. (1994). Contemporary Criminological Theory. New York: New York Univ. Press. Drake, R. A. (2006). Visual attention, emotion, and action tendency: Feeling active or passive. Cognition and Emotion, 20, 608-622. Harmon-Jones, E. (2004). The effect of manipulated sympathy and anger on left and right frontal cortical activity. Emotion, 4, 95-101. Reid, Sue T. (1994). Crime and Criminology. 7th ed. Madison, Wis.: Times Mirror Higher Education Group, Brown & Benchmark. White, R. (2001). "Criminology for Sale: Institutional Change and Intellectual Field." Current Issues in Criminal Justice 13 (November). Read More