Criminal Justice and Behavior
Aamodt (2008), the author of the article: “Reducing misconceptions and false beliefs in police and criminal psychology,” asserts that the sectors of criminal psychology and police appear to be segments that are greatly vulnerable to convictions which do not have an experimental foundation. For instance, the assertions that that members of the police force are faced with high rates of divorce and suicide and that the degree of the occurrence of criminal activities rises tremendously in the course of a full moon are universally held convictions are not backed by scientific proof. Undoubtedly, more perturbing is that most of such convictions are not only unanchored in an experimental source, but are propagated regardless of the existence of proofs to the contrary (Aamodt, 2008). The issue under the study is plainly stated with the study presenting research carried out by the author and some learners in the course of the several years in an effort to examine the truth behind extant beliefs. The objective of the study is to decrease the misconceptions in the criminal psychology and police fields (Aamodt, 2008). The article presents four principles, which if well-considered the findings will boost the development of successful approaches geared toward the reduction of the rate of misinformation in both the field of criminal psychology and police. The problem discussed in the article is practically important as the identification of the existing misconceptions plays a critical role in the prevention of them leading to the wastage of fiscal and human resources.
The article has both strong and weak points. Regarding its weaknesses, foremost, the author failed to delineate the key terms used in the study, which would have eased reader’s comprehension of the implication of the research had they been clearly outlined. Additionally, the article does not clearly outline the hypothesis; readers only grasp it from a general perspective. On the other hand, save for the study’s purpose, objective, and the occurring problems that are defined clearly; the author identifies and refines the dependent, independent, and demographic variables. In line with the article, the application of secondary sources of data, a process that most probably has highly risen in recent times because of the accessibility of information in social media and other online platforms, is an essential source of misinformation in both criminal psychology and the police force (Ask, 2010). There exist a couple of significant challenges that are based on the dependence on secondary sources of information. These include the availability of primary sources and the accurateness of the details cited in the said secondary source.
Since Aamodt (2008) did not separate the introduction, review of the literature, and methodology parts with the aid of definite subheadings within the study, the sections seem contiguous. Apart from a few sources, the researcher draws on a wide pool of recent sources (written less than ten years from 2008 when the article was published) that are pertinent to the study to come up with a pertinent and concise but review. Apart from the concluding thoughts section, the author has relied on an extensive list of references all through the article. There is no proof of bias as the study is directly linked to the development of the research. Though the information in the article has been presented with maximum precision and intelligibility, the article would have been more effective had Aamodt (2008) centered on one of the misconceptions rather than covering vast misconceptions. Focusing the research in question would have illustrated the prevalence of the issue exhaustively and therefore trigger efforts towards its elimination in the modern society. The article can be recommended to others since the occurrence of misconception in police and criminal psychology not only develops the urge to eradicate such problems but also offer a resounding lesson for the present generation. The author presents the concepts in the study in such a simple way that even a lay can clearly understand them.
The study can be thought of as an excellent piece of writing that expresses sources and the impact of false beliefs in a meticulous aspect the. The author engages the reader with the question: “How can we prevent the spread of misinformation in police and criminal psychology (Aamodt, 2008, p. 1238)?” The question boggles the mind of the readers eliciting mixed responses in them and resulting in them yearning to continue reading and unfold the underscored reaction. Moreover, the author maintains rage carefully bound up and aglow beneath the striking surface of the depicted accounts. The author’s integrity and candor in condemning misconceptions and proposing the means of preventing the spread of misinformation act as the sources of the attractiveness of the study. The implication for practice and future research is that performing due diligence while researching a subject matter will eradicate the problem of the spread of misinformation. This calls on continued research endeavors to back or disprove information widely held in police and criminal psychology. The conclusion of the article is strongly linked to the initial purpose.
References
Aamodt, M. G. (2008). Reducing misconceptions and false beliefs in police and criminal psychology. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35(10), 1231-1240.
Ask, K. (2010). A survey of police officers’ and prosecutors’ beliefs about crime victim behaviors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25(6), 1132-1149.