Explanations of crime and anti-social behaviour: Freud

Question 1

What is the Id?

Answer 1

Biological principle, controls our biological impulses and want’s immediate gratification

Question 2

What is the Ego?

Answer 2

Reality principle, aims to satisfy the Id’s urges whilst considering our moral/social constraints

Question 3

What is the Superego?

Answer 3

Judges whether actions are right or wrong, is an internalized representation of the values and morals of society from our parents

Question 4

What is Thanatos?

Answer 4

Drive for death, aggression, destruction and violence, the energy of Thanatos will often be redirected away from ourselves and towards others, resulting in aggression

Question 5

What is the Libido?

Answer 5

Physiological or psychic energy associated with sexual urges

Question 6

What is the conscious and unconscious?

Answer 6

Conscious = Everything that we are aware of, mental processing that we can think and talk about rationally. Unconscious = Feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of our conscious awareness, the contents of the unconscious are unacceptable or unpleasant, such as feelings of pain, anxiety, or conflict.

Question 7

When is the superego formed?

Answer 7

The superego is formed at the end of the phallic stage of development (3-6 years) when children resolve the Oedipus complex (or Electra complex for girls). The superego works on the morality principle and exerts its influence by punishing the ego through guilt for wrongdoing, whilst rewarding it with pride for moral behaviour.

Question 8

How does a weak superego develop?

Answer 8

The same-sex parent is absent during the phallic stage of psycho-sexual development. This would mean that we would fall to internalize the moral values of the same sex parent.

Question 9

What is the consequence for having a weak superego?

Answer 9

• Id will dictate behaviour
• No longer know right from wrong
• Aggression= impulses/ urges from id need satisfying

Question 10

How does an Excesssively strong superego develop?

Answer 10

The same-sex parent is overly harsh. This may mean an individual is crippled by guilt and anxiety and commits crime in order to satisfy the superego’s need for punishment.

Question 11

What is a consequence for having an excessively strong superego?

Answer 11

• Aggressive irges- not acceptable
• Murder- harsh punishment- satisfy superego

Question 12

How does a deviant superego develop?

Answer 12

If the child internalizes the morals of a criminal or deviant same-sex parent.

Question 13

What is the consequence for having a deviant superego?

Answer 13

• Criminal father- reason for aggressive behaviour
• See this is acceptable behaviour (Id)

Question 14

What is Bowlby’s research: 44 thieves?

Answer 14

Bowlby interviewed 44 juvenile thieves and their families.
Found that 14 of the sample showed personality and behavioural characteristics that could be classified as ‘affectionless psychopathy’.
Of this 14, 12 had experienced prolonged separation from their mothers during infancy (in particular, the first 2 years of life).
In a non-criminal group, only two had experienced similar separation.
Bowlby concluded that the effects of maternal deprivation had caused affectionless and delinquent behaviour among the juvenile thieves.

Question 15

What is displacement and an example related to crime?

Answer 15

• Satisfying an impulse e.g. aggression with a substitute object in a not socially accepted way
• Could explain lashing out at a stranger in the street instead of attacking a boss at work

Question 16

What is rationalisation and an example realted to crime?

Answer 16

• This is explaining behaviour in a rational and acceptable way when it is actually very negative
• Offenders may use this mechanism to justify their criminal behaviour so it could explain why an offender feels no remorse e.g. a women who kills a prostitute because she believes they are a threat to civilisation

Question 17

What is sublimation and an example related to crime?

Answer 17

• The id’s urges are acted upon, but are transformed into something socially acceptable – remember ego does not consider guilt.
• Could explain why people might commit lesser crimes e.g. petty theft instead of the really heinous crime they unconsciously wish to commit