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Moral-Cognitive Delay and Distortions

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Clinical Forensic Psychology

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Abstract

Among the factors underpinning much deviant or antisocial behavior are social cognitive limitations that include moral-cognitive delays and distortions—especially, developmental stage delay in moral judgment and self-serving distortions in social perception. Highly power-assertive, physically abusive, and harsh (as well as neglectful or uninvolved) parenting homes offer few if any social perspective-taking opportunities and thereby render the children at risk for these social cognitive limitations and subsequent conduct disorder. A representative case of delay, distortion, and severe antisocial behavior is discussed. Treatment for antisocial individuals must include opportunities for social perspective-taking to remedy their problematic tendencies, especially moral-cognitive delay and distortion.

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Suggestions for Further Reading

  • Bandura, A. (2016). Moral disengagement: How people do harm and live with themselves. Worth Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T. (1999). Prisoners of hate: The cognitive basis of anger, hostility, and violence. HarperCollins.

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  • Potter, G. B., Gibbs, J. C., Robbins, M., & Langdon, P. (2021, in preparation). The EQUIP program for high-risk adolescents: A comprehensive cognitive-behavioral program for community and residential agencies. (2nd ed.). Research Press.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    John C. Gibbs

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  1. John C. Gibbs
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Correspondence to John C. Gibbs .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    Carlo Garofalo

  2. Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands

    Jelle J. Sijtsema

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Gibbs, J.C. (2022). Moral-Cognitive Delay and Distortions. In: Garofalo, C., Sijtsema, J.J. (eds) Clinical Forensic Psychology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80882-2_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80882-2_4

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