2.2 Individualistic theories Flashcards
Psychodynamic
Personality contains active forces (urges within unconscious mind) that causes actions -> criminal behaviour result of failure to resolve inner conflicts in socially acceptable way
Freud’s psychoanalysis
Early experiences determine our future behaviour
Super ego
Conscious/moral rules learnt through early socialisation
Ego
Learns through experiences & satisfies id’s desires in a morally acceptable way
Id
Contains pleasure-seeking/urges to do things without consequence
How deviant behaviour forms (Freud)
- Weakly developed superego - less guilt about anti-social behaviour
- Harsh/unforgiving superego - extreme guilt leads to craving punishment
- Deviant superego - no guilt for immoral acts due to moral code
Strengths of Freud
Useful (importance of early childhood & family relationships in understanding criminality - use as parents)
Limitations of Freud
Validity (unscientific & objective - reliance on psychanalyst’s claim)
Credible (no longer accredited by psychologists due to difficulty testing concepts such as unconscious mind)
Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation theory
Link between lack of relationship with mother & deviant behaviour
Affectionless psychopathy
Broken attachment -> inability to feel guilt/empathy & form meaningful relationships
Bowlby’s study (MD)
44 thieves (39% experienced maternal deprivation before age of 5 compared to 5% in control group)
Strengths of Bowlby
Credible (44 thieves study - 39% delinquents experienced maternal deprivation, 5% control group)
Limitations of Bowlby
Validity (retrospective study involving recall - issues/later study of 60 children - no evidence of affectionless psychopathy)
Eysenck’s Personality theory
Criminals have personality types of extroversion (outgoing, charismatic) & neuroticism (impulsive) -> score highly on scales
Explanations of Eysenck
- Conditioning (seek pleasure & avoid punishment)
- Genetic inheritance (a nervous system that causes development of criminal personality)
Added characteristics to Eysenck
Psychoticism - prone to risk taking & engagement in deviant behaviour, lack empathy & are aggressive
Strengths of Eysenck
Useful (describes how measurable tendencies could increase risk of offending)
Limitations of Eysenck
Credibility (Farrington - examined studies and found prisoners were N & P but not E - contradictory)
Social Learning Theory
Observational learning by observation & imitation
- Modelled
- Identify (w/role model)
- Observed (ARRM)
- Imitated
Vicarious reinforcement
Watching someone else being reinforced - imitate the behaviour
Strengths of social learning theory
Reliability (replicated with slight changes and similar results were found)
Limitations of social learning theory
No practical application (lab studies - artificial & not valid for real-life situations)
Operant conditioning
Behaviour is learnt through consequences
Strengths of operant conditioning
Supporting evidence (Skinner’s studies of animals can be applied to offending according to Jeffery)