Question

Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R
Assertion A: Mental illness may propagate some people to indulge in criminal behaviour (Veeraraghavan, 2019).
Reason R: Heather (2003) notes that mental disorders are not sufficient causes for violence and criminal behaviour, as socio-economic factors are the major determinants of these unlawful behaviours.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

• A. Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
• B. Both A and R are correct but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.
• C. A is correct but R is not correct.
• D. A is not correct but R is correct.

Hint:

In Assertion-Reason questions, check if both are true first. If they represent different viewpoints on the same subject, they are often both true but R is not the explanation for A.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept:

• Criminological psychology explores the link between mental health and crime.
• Different scholars emphasize different causative factors, ranging from individual pathology to social environment.

Step 1: Evaluate Assertion A
Veeraraghavan (2019) and many other forensic psychologists acknowledge that certain mental illnesses (like psychosis or anti-social personality disorder) can be a factor that "propagates" or pushes an individual toward criminal acts. Assertion A is correct.

Step 2: Evaluate Reason R
Heather (2003) represents the sociological/critical view. He argues that mental illness alone is rarely the "cause" and that factors like poverty, unemployment, and environment (socio-economic factors) are more powerful predictors of crime. Reason R is correct.

Step 3: Determine the relationship
Assertion A identifies individual pathology as a factor. Reason R identifies social structure as the primary factor, essentially downplaying the weight of the factor in A. While both are valid academic perspectives, Statement R does not explain why Statement A happens; instead, it offers a competing or qualifying viewpoint.

Step 4: Conclusion
Both statements are academically accurate reflections of the cited works, but they represent different viewpoints rather than an explanation-cause relationship. Therefore, option (B) is the correct answer.