2.2 Flashcards
psychodynamic theory
sees our personality as containing active forces that cause us to act the way as we do. These forces are powerful urges, feelings and conflicts within the unconscious mind. Criminal behaviour is the result of an individual’s failure to resolve these inner conflicts in a socially acceptable way.
psychoanalysis
our early childhood experiences determine personality and future behaviour, and whether we will go onto act in anti-social ways.
Id
the pleasure principle- unconscious and instinctive, acting on it’s urges= criminality
ego
reality principle- strikes a balance between conflicting demands. controls id’s urges while also satisfying them.
superego
morality principle- moral rules learnt through early socialisation. acting on this= feelings of guilt and anxiety.
Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation Theory
link between maternal deprivation and anti social behaviour. child needs a close, continuous relationship with its primary carer from birth to the age of 5 to develop normally.
evidence of BMD theory
Bowlby based his theory on study of 44 juvenile thieves who had been referred to a child guidance clinic. He found that 39% of them had suffered maternal deprivation before the age of 5, compared with only 5% of a control group of non-delinquents.
eysenck’s personality theory
argues that criminality is the result of a particular personality type; extraversion vs introversion (E), and neuroticism vs emotional stability (N).
conditioning
through experience we learn to seek pleasure and avoid pain. misbehave= punished, so we learn to stop doing it to avoid further punishment
genetic inheritance
some individuals inherit a nervous system that causes them to develop a criminal personality. Extroverts= nervous system that needs a high level of stimulation from their environment = constantly seeking excitement. This leads to impulsive, rule breaking behaviour; likely to be punished.
sutherland’s differential association theory
argues that individuals learn criminal behaviour largely in the family and peer groups and is the result of 2 factors: observations (imitation) and socialisations (learned attitudes).
cognitive theory
refers to thinking+mental processes. argues that mental processes shape our behaviour. Psychologists Yochelson and Samenow have found that criminals are prone to faulty thinking= commit crime.
cognitive theory evidence
240 male offenders- show a range of errors and biases in their thinking and decision making. These include lying, secretiveness, need for power and control, super optimism, failure to understand other’s positions, lack of trust in others, uniqueness, and victim stance. these cause criminality.
