Crime e emoções: diferenciação emocional entre grupos de criminosos

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate emotional spectrum of different types of criminals in order to characterize and distinguish criminals based on emotional activation patterns. Methodology: 45 inmate criminals convicted for different types of crimes (violent, non violent and related to drug-addiction crimes) were compared to 15 normal controls and between themselves concerning emotions and cognitions loaded by visual stimulation (pleasant, unpleasant, drugs and crime films) through the Emotions, Sensations and Cognitions Scale 96. Results: Criminals were suggested to be distinguished from controls based on their specific emotional pattern: differential loading of guilt, shame and sadness, flavoured with fear and rage. In addition, violent and non violent criminals, but not drug-addicts criminals, loaded more intensively and more frequently fear, which has a discriminate value between those subgroups of criminals. Furthermore, violent criminals, but not all the other subgroups of criminals, loaded more intensively and more frequently guilt, which has a discriminate value too. Concerning cognitions and attribution of meaning to emotional states, more violent criminals than non violent ones, reported self justification for the type of emotions loaded by crime film, although critic as an attribution is the one that distinguish the different criminal subgroups between themselves.