AC 2.2 Individualistic Theories Flashcards
1
Q
Individualistic theories of criminality
A
- Psychodynamic approach
- learning theories
- maternal deprivation
- Criminal Personality Theory
2
Q
Psychodynamic theory
A
- Freud - Iceberg Theory
- explains behaviour by studying internal, unconscious forces
- childhood experiences - determining our personality in adulthood
- criminal behavior is the result of an individual’s failure to resolve inner conflicts
- driven by unconscious mind + behaviour and response to world is driven by previous life experiences
3
Q
Psychodynamic: Define id
A
- primitive part of our personality (devil on your shoulder)
- pleasure principle
- first part of our personality to develop
- self-serving + immediate gratification
4
Q
Psychodynamic: Types of crime associated with the id
A
- robbery
- sexual crime
- drug related crime
- violence
- anti-social behavior
5
Q
Psychodynamic: Define the superego
A
- contains our conscience
- morality principle
- learn right or wrong through primary socialisation
- punished by superego - guilt
6
Q
Psychodynamic: The superego and crime
A
- Blackburn (1993)
- weak superego - less guilt so do it more
- harsh superego - deep feelings of guilt - individual commits crime in order to punished
- deviant superego - negative socialisation, grow up thinking negative behaviours are normal
7
Q
Psychodynamic: Define the ego
A
- acts as a mediator between the id + superego
- reality principle
- reminds us that actions have consequences
- satisfies the id and makes sure that the behaviour is morally acceptable
8
Q
Psychodynamic theory - Evaluation: ‘talking therapy helpful?
A
- provides a more in depth explanation
- effective way of improving lives
- provides a pov that we wouldn’t see using other approaches
- in-depth analysis of something that cannot be measured physically
9
Q
Psychodynamic theory - Evaluation: does it explain all criminality
A
- no - ignores biological factors + learnt behaviour - Lombroso, Sheldon, Bandura
10
Q
Psychodynamic theory - Evaluation: childhood helpful in looking at cause of criminality
A
- shows where it stems from - indicates or predicts future criminality, which means we can prevent it
- presents a way of treating the trauma from certain childhood experiences
11
Q
Psychodynamic theory - Evaluation: how do we test the unconscious mind?
A
- no scientific process to test the unconscious mind
- in depth conversations
- analyse responses + childhood experiences
12
Q
Psychodynamic theory - Evaluation: Freud’s theory subjective or objective
A
- subjective - based on his own opinion
13
Q
Psychodynamic theory - Evaluation: why could Freud’s theory being subjective be an issue
A
- only produces findings that he wants to find
- his interpretations may differ from someone else
- biased
14
Q
Psychodynamic theory - Evaluation: why is Freud’s use of case studies a problem
A
- not generalised - every person is unique
- lacks ecological validity - unique situation
15
Q
Psychodynamic theory - Evaluation: why is it problematic for Freud to study his dreams and memories
A
- not accurate - will only be able to remember select parts
- can only psychoanalyse his conscious mind - id, ego and superego exist in unconscious mind which he cannot do himself
16
Q
Official definition of Maternal Deprivation
A
- refers to the separation of infants and young children from their mother or primary caregiver.
17
Q
Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation
A
- suggests that such separation can have long-term cognitive, social and emotional difficulties for the child.
18
Q
Maternal deprivation: Separation vs deprivation
A
- separation is a child not in the presence of the primary attachment figure
- becomes an issue for development if the child is deprived for example if they lose an element their case
- brief separations particularly where the child is with a substitute caregiver are not harmful
- extended separations can lead to deprivation which is harmful
19
Q
Maternal deprivation: Bond Disruption diagram
A
- Bond Disruption = Separation + Deprivation
20
Q
Maternal deprivation: Separation
A
- distress when physically separated for a relatively short period of time from primary caregiver
21
Q
Maternal deprivation: Deprivation
A
- occurs when a bond that has been formed is broken and an element of care is taken away
22
Q
Maternal deprivation: What is the Critical period
A
- 24 months/ 30 months
- if separated from mother in absence of suitable substitute care
- deprived of emotional care for an extended period during the critical period - psychological damage was inevitable (Bowlby believed)
23
Q
Maternal deprivation: Effects on Development
A
- Intellectual Development
- Emotional Development
24
Q
Maternal deprivation: Intellectual Development
A
- argued that if children were deprived of maternal care for too long during the critical period they would suffer delayed intellectual development characterised by an abnormally low IQ
25
Maternal deprivation: Emotional Development
- identified affectionless psychopathy as the inability to experience guilt or emotion for others prevents forming of normal relationships
26
Maternal deprivation: 44 Thieves Study (Bowlby, 1944)
- 44 adolescent juvenile delinquents (thieves)
- more than half of the juvenile thieves had been separated from their mothers for longer than 6 months
- 14 (32%) of the thieves showed 'affectionless psychopathy'
- concluded that maternal separation/deprivation in the child's early life caused permanent emotional damage
27
Criminal Personality Theory
- Eysenck
- particular personality types are more likely to be criminal
28
Criminal Personality: 3 dimensions of personality
- Extraversion - outgoing, sociable
- Neuroticism - anxious, easily upset
- Psychoticism - cruel, insensitive, aggressive, lacking in empathy
29
Criminal Personality: High Extraversion
- under-active nervous system, constantly seeking excitement and simulation, more likely to engage in risky behaviour
30
Criminal Personality: High Neuroticism
- nervous, jumpy, over-anxious, unpredictable, irrational
31
Criminal Personality: High Psychoticism
- cold, unemotional, prone to aggression
32
Criminal Personality: Evaluation - Lacks validity
- bias
- relies on people being self-aware
33
Criminal Personality: Evaluation - supporting evidence
- 1977 study of 2000 prisoners
- compared male prisoners with control group
- across all age groups prisoners recorded higher, E, N, and P scores than in control group
34
Criminal Personality: Evaluation - issues with Eysenck's sample
- male prisoners
- not generalisable to women
- not all criminals get caught
35
Maternal deprivation: Evaluation - change in social policy
- welfare checks
- paid maternity/paternity leave
- child benefits
36
Maternal deprivation: Evaluation - issues with Bowlby's study
- doesn't account for all factors (biological factors)
37
Maternal deprivation: Evaluation - not everyone with broken attachment goes into crime
- can't be applied to everyone
- can't be applied to all situations
