Cream booklet - Individualistic theories of crime Flashcards
What are the three categories of individualistic theories (3 C and 3 T)?
Learning theory= Social learning theory - Bandura
Psychodynamic = Theory of the psyche - Freud
Psychological = Criminal Personality- Eysenck
What is the social learning theory?
The belief that watching the behaviour of others will be repeated or rejected by children and that’s how they learn.
Good behaviour = rewarded
Bad behaviour = punished
What did Bandura believe observational learning takes place within?
Family
Cultural symbols like TV
Prevalent subculture
What did Bandura believe violence and aggression were produced by?
An arousal event
Learned aggressive skills
Expected success and rewards
Pro-violence values
What is the psychological concept of ARRM?
A - Attention
R - Retention
R - Reproduction
M - Motivation
What are the three types of vicarious reinforcement?
Positive reinforcement = rewarded for action - encouraged repetition of it.
Negative reinforcement = removal of burden or something bad when behaviour is repeated- encouraged repetition of behaviour.
Punishment = Consequence for bad behaviour - discouraged repetition of it.
What is the supporting research of the SLT?
Bandura - (1961) = Series of tests involving Bobo Doll, exposed children 3-5 to two diff adult models, aggressive model and non-aggressive model. AM kicked,pummelled and threw the doll. after witnessing this behaviour children placed in a room with no adult model and observed- children who observed the aggressive behaviour played aggressively and were likely to imitate their same-sex model.
Shows aggression can be learnt through imitation by observing aggressive models.
What is the supporting case study for Banduras SLT ?
Convicted murderer and rapist Robert Napper frequently witnessed violence in home by his father physically abusing his mother. At 13 he was SA’d by a close family friend. Believed that by observing criminality from his models as a child then influenced his own criminal behaviour in adulthood.
What is the theory of the psyche by Freud?
suggests that criminal behaviour, is shaped by past experiences stored in the Unconscious mind.
- He proposed that the mind has three levels: the Conscious, the Preconscious, and the Unconscious, with the Unconscious being the most significant as it holds normally inaccessible information.
-Behaviour is driven by unconscious factors that shape personality, which Freud believed is made up of three competing elements: the ID, EGO, and SUPEREGO.
What is the ID?
This controls your primitive desires and the need for
gratification, operating on the pleasure principle. The ID is
innate- meaning you’re born with it.
What is the EGO
This works on the reality principle and has the ability to delay
gratification for more realistic goals. The ego develops around 3
years old when we start to recognise we are individuals with
wants, needs and desires.
what is the SUPER EGO?
This is responsible for your morality principle, it is the ‘ideal’
force telling you how you should behave to be a better person.
The superego develops around 5 years old.
How did Freud say we develop a healthy psyche?
- Freud believed that to develop a healthy personality, a person must successfully pass through childhood Psychosexual Stages, which help form the EGO and SUPEREGO.
-Unresolved trauma during these stages, such as abuse or neglect, can cause long-term negative effects, leading to an abnormal personality.
-A healthy psyche forms by resolving all complexes during the stages, while failure to do so can result in an abnormal and possibly criminal psyche.
What are the 4 supporting researches?
1) Ressler et al (1988) ➔ This research interviewed 36 sex murderers in the USA. They found that 42% of these serious criminals were themselves sexually abused during their childhood.
2) Dietz and Warren (1995) ➔ This research interviewed 41 serial rapists and also found that a significant amount, 76%, were abused when young.
3) Wansell (1996) ➔ Studied the UK serial killers and child sex offenders,
Frederick and Rosemary West and found that they both suffered emotional and sexual abuse in
their childhood.
4)Bowlby’s 44 Thieves (1944) ➔ Bowlby looked at maternal deprivation by studying 44 juvenile delinquents and comparing them with non-criminal disturbed juveniles (control group). Of
the delinquents, 39% had experienced complete separation from their mothers for six months or more during the first five years of their lives, compared with 5% of the control group.
How does this theory explain criminality?
If progression through the psychosexual stages is unsuccessful it can lead to abnormal personalities which are more prone to criminality.
There are three main ways in which this could happen, a weak superego a deviant superego and a strong superego.
What are the three types of superegos?
1) weak superego
2) deviant superego
3) strong superego
What is a weak superego and what causes it ?
A weak superego can develop from abnormal family relationships or an absent same-sex parent, preventing the full development of morality.
As a result, behaviour is driven by the ID’s desire for pleasure rather than by moral standards.
This abnormal psyche explains serious criminals like rapists and serial killers, as well as offenders who lack empathy or understanding of the consequences of their actions.
What is a deviant superego and what causes it ?
A deviant superego develops when a child internalises the deviant morals of their same-sex parent.
If the parent sees crime as acceptable, the child’s superego will not punish criminal behaviour, causing the child to view crime as morally acceptable and making them more likely to commit it.
This explains a wide range of criminal behaviours.
What is a strong superego and what causes it ?
Caused by no outlet into deviant desires in a harmless way.
An excessively strong superego stops a person from expressing antisocial impulses in harmless ways, like through sports.
As a result, these urges build up in the unconscious and can erupt suddenly into violent acts such as murder or sexual assault.
What are the 3 strengths of the theory of the psyche?
- Freud’s theory is supported by research (e.g., Ressler et al., Dietz and Warren, Bowlby) and real-life cases like Fred and Rose West, showing a link between childhood trauma and later criminality, giving the theory credibility.
- It explains a wide range of crimes: a Weak Superego explains lack of remorse, a Deviant Superego explains acceptance of crime, and a Strong Superego explains sudden violent outbursts, making the theory highly useful.
- The theory has practical value by informing crime prevention strategies, such as removing children from harmful environments and offering therapy to reduce future offending.
What are the 3 weaknesses of Freuds theory of the psyche?
- A major weakness of Freud’s theory is that it is unfalsifiable. Since the unconscious mind cannot be accessed, we cannot prove or disprove his claims, making the theory scientifically weak and less useful for explaining criminal behaviour.
- Freud’s theory is highly deterministic, suggesting that childhood trauma inevitably leads to criminality. This ignores free will and the fact that many people overcome trauma without becoming criminals, reducing the theory’s overall usefulness.
- Another weakness is the ineffectiveness of Psychoanalysis Therapy. It relies on the offender’s willingness to change, which is often lacking. Blackburn (1993) found little positive evidence for its success with criminals, further questioning the theory’s practical value.
What is Eysnecks criminal personality theory?
Eysenck studied how personality traits can cause criminality, believing that a person inherits a central nervous system (biological trait) that influences their personality (psychological trait).
He initially proposed two personality dimensions: Extraversion vs. Introversion and Neuroticism vs. Stability, later adding a third: Psychoticism vs. Normality.
What are the Extraversion vs. Introversion personality types?
Extroverts have an under-aroused nervous system, making them sociable, impulsive, thrill-seeking, and prone to risk-taking. They get bored easily and often don’t learn from mistakes.
Introverts have an over-aroused nervous system, making them quiet, serious, reliable, emotionally controlled, and less likely to seek external stimulation.
What are the Neuroticism vs. Stability personality types?
Neuroticism is determined by the reactivity of the sympathetic nervous system.
Highly neurotic individuals are unstable, overly emotional, and prone to anxiety, anger, and fear, making them unpredictable and obsessive.
Stable individuals have a less reactive nervous system, staying calm and in control during stress.
