2.2 Individualistic theories

Question 1

Psychodynamic

Answer 1

Personality contains active forces (urges within unconscious mind) that causes actions -> criminal behaviour result of failure to resolve inner conflicts in socially acceptable way

Question 2

Freud’s psychoanalysis

Answer 2

Early experiences determine our future behaviour

Question 3

Super ego

Answer 3

Conscious/moral rules learnt through early socialisation

Question 4

Ego

Answer 4

Learns through experiences & satisfies id’s desires in a morally acceptable way

Question 5

Id

Answer 5

Contains pleasure-seeking/urges to do things without consequence

Question 6

How deviant behaviour forms (Freud)

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

Strengths of Freud

Answer 7

Useful (importance of early childhood & family relationships in understanding criminality - use as parents)

Question 8

Limitations of Freud

Answer 8

Validity (unscientific & objective - reliance on psychanalyst’s claim)
Credible (no longer accredited by psychologists due to difficulty testing concepts such as unconscious mind)

Question 9

Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation theory

Answer 9

Link between lack of relationship with mother & deviant behaviour

Question 10

Affectionless psychopathy

Answer 10

Broken attachment -> inability to feel guilt/empathy & form meaningful relationships

Question 11

Bowlby’s study (MD)

Answer 11

44 thieves (39% experienced maternal deprivation before age of 5 compared to 5% in control group)

Question 12

Strengths of Bowlby

Answer 12

Credible (44 thieves study - 39% delinquents experienced maternal deprivation, 5% control group)

Question 13

Limitations of Bowlby

Answer 13

Validity (retrospective study involving recall - issues/later study of 60 children - no evidence of affectionless psychopathy)

Question 14

Eysenck’s Personality theory

Answer 14

Criminals have personality types of extroversion (outgoing, charismatic) & neuroticism (impulsive) -> score highly on scales

Question 15

Explanations of Eysenck

Answer 15

• Conditioning (seek pleasure & avoid punishment)
• Genetic inheritance (a nervous system that causes development of criminal personality)

Question 16

Added characteristics to Eysenck

Answer 16

Psychoticism - prone to risk taking & engagement in deviant behaviour, lack empathy & are aggressive

Question 17

Strengths of Eysenck

Answer 17

Useful (describes how measurable tendencies could increase risk of offending)

Question 18

Limitations of Eysenck

Answer 18

Credibility (Farrington - examined studies and found prisoners were N & P but not E - contradictory)

Question 19

Social Learning Theory

Answer 19

Observational learning by observation & imitation
- Modelled
- Identify (w/role model)
- Observed (ARRM)
- Imitated

Question 20

Vicarious reinforcement

Answer 20

Watching someone else being reinforced - imitate the behaviour

Question 21

Strengths of social learning theory

Answer 21

Reliability (replicated with slight changes and similar results were found)

Question 22

Limitations of social learning theory

Answer 22

No practical application (lab studies - artificial & not valid for real-life situations)

Question 23

Operant conditioning

Answer 23

Behaviour is learnt through consequences

Question 24

Strengths of operant conditioning

Answer 24

Supporting evidence (Skinner’s studies of animals can be applied to offending according to Jeffery)

Question 25

Limitations of operant conditioning

Answer 25

Reductionist (ignores internal mental processes -> thinks of rewards/punishments only as an explanation of criminality)
Ungeneralisable (animal studies -> inadequate model of human behaviour)