ISSUES OF CRIMINOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

The article reviews parts of sociological, criminological and psychological approaches concerning the research into the factors instigating and restraining criminality. An attempt is made to identify the spheres within the competence of the science of psychology that focus on the study of crime in traditional theories and mark prospective research directions.

The following is a description and analysis of some subfields of criminological psychology as one of the branches of psycho-legal studies. Social control and strain are regarded from different theoretical perspectives including D. Uznadze’s theory representing the Georgian school of psychology. In particular, the article discusses the following: (a) establishing connection between the efficacy of social sanctions and motivational models in psychology, including the models of ‘expected values’ and ‘behaviour potential’; (b) explanation of strain as a leading factor of criminality, as proposed by sociological and criminological theories, from the perspective of psychological Theory of Set and its connection with the concept of readiness in Set Theory, where readiness is understood as a state of tension; (c) differences in social integration and social regulation and the advantages of each in terms of their ability to exercise control; defining the specificity of the two forms of social control by types of underlying mental formations (i.e. situational set and dispositional set), their differential psychological characteristics (stability, steadiness, excitability, reactualization potential) and the dynamics of interaction.

It is assumed that the elaboration on the issues of criminological psychology and psycholegal studies in general, will not only stimulate the development of different sub-disciplines of psychology, but will also ensure social stability and security as well as the productivity of multidisciplinary efforts.