Showing papers in "European Journal of Psychology Applied to Legal Context in 2009"

Perceived neighborhood social disorder and attitudes toward domestic violence against women among Latin-American immigrants

Abstract: In the present study we explore the relationship between perceived neighbourhood social disorder (perceived crime and insecurity in residential areas) and attitudes toward domestic violence against women in Latin-American population in Spain (N =350). Perceived severity of incidents of domestic violence, its acceptability, victim-blaming attitudes and knowing victims of domestic violence are analyzed among immigrant population. Results show that the perception of neighbourhood social disorder is associated with a lower perceived severity of incidents of domestic violence, with greater acceptability of violence, and higher degree of victim-blaming. Also, those residents of disorder neighbourhoods also know more victims of domestic violence. These results suggest the social characteristics in residential areas, such as disorder and deprivation, configure an impoverished social context that might favour attitudes that condone domestic violence against women.

Adolescent violence against parents: is it a consequence of gender inequality?

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to explore the psychosocial profile of juveniles reported for violent behaviours against their parents, as well as the extent to which the phenomenon of violence against parents (VAP) can be explained by the hypothesis of the bi- directionality of intra-family violence. For this purpose we selected a sample of 103 juveniles classified in three groups -(a) VAP offences, (b) VAP offences and other types of offence, and (c) other offences. In total we analyzed 413 files from the office of the Public Prosecutor for Juveniles in Bilbao (Basque Country, northern Spain). We extracted personal, family context and judicial variables for the juveniles. The results suggest the existence of a specific profile of juveniles reported for VAP, and also show that through the hypothesis of the bi- directionality of intra-family violence it is possible to explain one-third of the cases analyzed.

Social perception of violence against women: individual and psychosocial characteristics of victims and abusers

Abstract: Violence against women in close relationships is one of the most worrying and controversial situations in modern society. The main goal of this study was to identify the social perception that people generally have of gender violence in order to obtain profiles of both men who resort to violence against their partners and women who are victims of abuse, identifying both individual (e.g. self-esteem) and social (power in relationship) characteristics related to gender violence. Using a questionnaire (designed between groups), 268 participants were asked to estimate the probability of men (Batterers vs. Non-batterers) and women (Victims vs. Nonvictims) displaying certain behaviours, beliefs or attitudes. The results revealed the existence of clear social profiles of both aggressors and victims, comprising both individual and psychosocial characteristics. These profiles contained aspects that coincide with the roles traditionally associated with men and women, thus highlighting inequality between both sexes, and which seems to be one of the main causes of gender violence.

Discriminating real victims from feigners of psychological injury in gender violence: validating a protocol for forensic settings

Abstract: Standard clinical assessment of psychological injury does not provide valid evidence in forensic settings, and screening of genuine from feigned complaints must be undertaken prior to the diagnosis of mental state (American Psychological Association, 2002). Whereas psychological injury is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a clinical diagnosis may encompass other nosologies (e.g., depression and anxiety). The assessment of psychological injury in forensic contexts requires a multimethod approach consisting of a psychometric measure and an interview. To assess the efficacy of the multimethod approach in discriminating real from false victims, 25 real victims of gender violence and 24 feigners were assessed using a the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), a recognition task; and a forensic clinical interview, a knowledge task. The results revealed that feigners reported more clinical symptoms on the SCL-90-R than real victims. Moreover, the feigning indicators on the SCL-90-R, GSI, PST, and PSDI were higher in feigners, but not sufficient to provide a screening test for invalidating feigning protocols. In contrast, real victims reported more clinical symptoms related to PTSD in the forensic clinical interview than feigners. Notwithstanding, in the forensic clinical interview feigners were able to feign PTSD which was not detected by the analysis of feigning strategies. The combination of both measures and their corresponding validity controls enabled the discrimination of real victims from feigners. Hence, a protocol for discriminating the psychological sequelae of real victims from feigners of gender violence is described.

Norms in social representations: two studies with french young drivers.

Abstract: This paper deals with a representational and conditional approach regarding norms. In the framework of social representations, conditionality is linked to individual practices or behaviors. Taking a questionnaire based on conditional scenarios that permitted to articulate individual and group behaviors to the prescriptions of Highway Code, two studies manipulating instructions with samples of young drivers were designed. The first study confirmed that conditional transgressions declared through individual practices refer to what young drivers fell acceptable to contravene. In the second study, substitution instructions i.e., to answer at the scenario "to be well-seen by yours friends" or "to be badly-seen by yours friends", and standard instructions (e.g., "response as you behave"), were administrated, using a scenario of speed limit, to study the influence of norms in subjects' responses. A multiple regression analysis showed that the responses were mediated by normative models. In conclusion, the studies illustrated an important complementary aspect of road safety concerning the social perception of rules, the influence of normative models and theirs impacts on young driver behavior.

Implication degree and delay on recall of events: an experimental and hdv study

Abstract: This paper has done an experiment to test the effect of both retention (immediate vs. delayed one week) and implication degree (neutral vs. involved perspectives) over accuracy and quality of a complex event memory. 56 subjects witnessed a traffic accident adopting the role of either an observer or one of the actors involved in the accident. Subsequently they were asked to describe what happened either immediately or a week later. Several variables on recall were measured. All statistically significant variables were globally analyzed through High Dimensional Visualization (HDV). The results show that from the perspective of codification and taking into consideration the different degrees of involvement, the accuracy of the statements affects only in the immediate recovery since the subjects who encode the incident from the perspective of one of the players involved in the accident appear to ignore the less relevant information from their own perspective providing more specific and organized statements, although also more emotional and autobiographical and with most self-references and personal comments. The HDV graph representing all significant variables show a clear distinction of memories due to subjects perspective.

Discerning truth from deception: the sincere witness profile

Abstract: During the last twenty years, we have assisted to a growing interest in the detection of verbal cues under deception. In this context, we focused our attention on the truth vs. deception topic in adults. In particular, we were interested in discrepant findings concerning some verbal indicators. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether different experimental designs may yield different results regarding the presence or absence of CBCA criteria. Forty participants were shown a video of a robbery and were asked to give a truthful and a deceitful statement of the criminal event. The participants' performances were recorded in order to analyze content of the reports. Results showed more changes in verbal behaviour under within-subjects design compared to between- subjects one, though the presence/absence of some criteria was the same across the two statistical procedures. The different results yielded by between- and within-subjects analyses can provide some hints as regards the discrepancy in deception literature on verbal cues. Implications for applied settings are discussed.

Fear of crime: methodological considerations and results from a biannual survey in the city of Oporto

Abstract: This article presents the main results of a biannual inquiry on fear of crime in the city of Oporto (Portugal). Given the ongoing controversy on fear of crime measurement, we developed an instrument that: (a) differentiates between fear, risk and perceived seriousness of crime, (b) includes multiple levels of measurement, both general and specific, and (c) provides multiple measures of fear. Data were also collected on contextual clues that increase judgments of risk, defensive measures adopted by subjects and fear narratives. This instrument was first applied in 1997, to a sample of 467 subjects and again in 1999, to a sample of 500 subjects. Both studies evidence a high level of fear from crime in the population of Oporto, accompanied by a global perception of raising crime rates. Consistent with these high fear results, subjects resort to several defensive measures, mostly of an avoiding nature. Women and lower class subjects tend to report higher fear levels. Despite these global findings, fear levels (both general and between age groups) vary substantially according to the different measures used, providing a more complex analysis of the pattern of results usually found in fear of crime research.

A social desirability scale for the mmpi-2. which of the two: wiggins (wsd) or edwards (esd)?

Abstract: The objective of this research aims to comparatively analyze the diagnostic accuracy of two social desirability detection scales that have been obtained from the 567 items that comprise the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2): Wiggins Wsd Scale and Edwards ESD Scale. The 583 participants (232 men and 351 women) were differentiated into two groups according to their way of answering: Honest response group (N = 310) who replied truthfully following the guidelines of MMPI-2, and simulated response group (N = 273) who were instructed to intentionally and consistently show a positive image of themselves. The results have shown a higher diagnostic accuracy and predictive power, although less reliability (Cronbach's α) for the Wiggins (Wsd) Scale than for Edwards (ESD).

Homicide and domestic violence: are there different psychological profiles mediated by previous violence exerted on the victim?

Abstract: A sample of 46 men was evaluated with the DAPP (Questionnaire of Domestic Aggressor Psychological Profile). All were inmates convicted for various degrees of violence against their wives in different prisons. The sample was divided into three groups: homicides without previous violence against their wives (H) (n=11), homicides with previous violence (VH) (n=9) and domestic batterers without previous homicide attempts against their partners (B) (n=26). The aim of the study was to analyze the possible existence of three different kinds of profiles and more specifically if it’s possible to obtain an independent profile for domestic homicides with previous episodes of violence against their wives. The results neither confirm the hypothesis as whole nor for the violent homicides. However, differences between groups were obtained in the admission and description of the facts, in the risk of future violence, in some sociodemographical characteristics (i.e., level of education, social status), in the couple relationship, in the dissatisfaction concerning the unachieved ideal woman, in the use of extreme physical force during the aggression, the time of the first aggression, the use of verbal threats during the aggression, explanation of the events to the family and the period of time between the beginning of the romantic relationship and the manifestation of violence. The implications of the results for the theoretical frameworks proposed and future research are discussed.

Aggressive symbolic model identification in 13 year-old youths

Abstract: Although a great amount of research has been carried out about the effects of media on the audience, few studies deal with the process that determines why the viewers identify with a specific symbolic model instead of choosing any other. In this descriptive study we try to highlight similarity identification, focusing on aggressive model identification. A sample of 203 participants, both male and female, aged 13, and with a high socioeconomic level viewed different films sequences. They were asked to answer to a questionnaire both before and after watching the clip. This questionnaire included an adjective list about the traits that best defined themselves, their favorite characters, and characters they didn’t like. Results show a clear correspondence between the participants’ self-perceived traits and those perceived for the main characters in the film. Self-perceived traits were opposed to those perceived in the main characters opponents.