ac 2.2 + 3.2 - psychodymic theory (individualistic)

Question 1

what is the psychodynamic theory

Answer 1

created by Freud. says that adult behaviour is influenced by childhood experiences, namely the first five years of a chid’ development. says our behaviour is governed mainly by our unconscious

Question 2

what the id?

Answer 2

fully in our unconscious. operates on the pleasure principle, meaning it seeks immediate gratification without considering consequences

Question 3

what is the superego?

Answer 3

our internal conscience. makes us feel guilty for things that don’t fit into our morals which we internalise earlier in life from one of our parents. operates on the morality principle

Question 5

what is the ego?

Answer 5

operates on the reality principle to meet the demands of our id while also pleasing ur superego through using more socially acceptable methods. makes use of defence mechanisms

Question 6

what is a dominant id?

Answer 6

this causes individuals to act on their impulses without considering the consequences, leading to violent and/or aggressive crime as their id is in control and operates on the pleasure principle

Question 7

what is the weak superego?

Answer 7

this is developed as a result of abnormal relationship within the family. they would have few of the usual inhibitions against anti-social behaviour and are likely act in a way that gratifies their id

Question 8

what is the deviant superego?

Answer 8

when both or one of an individuals parents are criminals, an individual may develop a skewed superego as they internalise their parent(s) morals, causing their own to be deviant due to their parent(s) criminality

Question 9

what is the strong superego?

Answer 9

develops as a result of strict parenting. our morals will be rigid as we internalised from our same sex parent cause us to feel guilty for our actions that don’t fit in with our morals. the individual eventually commits a crime in order to satisfy their need to punishment which will be fulfilled when they are caught, e.g. prison, fine, etc

Question 10

strengths of the psychodynamic theory

Answer 10

• a strength is that there is support from Bowlby. his 44 thieves study supports the role of a stable and affectionate home life in the prevention of crime, he found that 39% of the juveniles had suffered maternal deprivation at age 5. therefore, this supports Freud’s idea that criminals come from unstable homes.
• a strength is that a lot of Freud’s supporting research comes from case studies. case studies have high validity as they use triangulation for collecting data. therefore, results will have higher accuracy and more in depth, making this a credible explanation of criminality. (however for ethnocentric and androcentric sample)

Question 11

weaknesses of the psychodynamic theory

Answer 11

• a weakness is that this theory is unfalsifiable. the unconscious and the id, ego and superego aren’t physical structures in the brain that can be seen. therefore, this theory lacks credibility as an explanation of crime.
• a weakness is that Freud’s sample in his case studies was often androcentric and ethnocentric. he usually looked at middle ages women from vienna. therefore, this theory may not generalise to how criminality is shown in males or cross-culturally.
• a weakness is that there may be an alternative explanation for criminality. SLT would suggest we learn through observation and imitation of a role models behaviour. therefore, the psychodynamic theory may be too simplistic for explaining criminality.