Forensics- psychodynamic explanations INADEQUATE SUPEREGO

Question 1

Hamburger, limitation

GENDER BIAS

Answer 1

An implicit assumption within Freud’s theory is that girls develop a weaker superego than boys.

This is because they do not experience castration anxiety. As a result, their superego, and sense of morality, is not realised to the same extent.

The inadequate superego explanation therefore suffers from gender bias as it suggests that females should be more prone to criminal behaviour than males.

Question 2

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V LITTLE EVIDENCE FOR INADEQUARE SUPEREGO

Answer 2

The inadequate superego explanation has little supporting evidence.
For example, children raised without a same-sex parent do not appear to be less law-abiding as adults.
This contradicts Blackburn’s weak superego argument.

Question 3

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PSEUDOSCIENTIFIC

Answer 3

Superegos are an unconscious concept.

This means that they lack falsifiability as we cannot empirically test whether someone’s superego causes their criminal behaviour. In the absence of supporting evidence, arguments such as the inadequate superego can only be judged on their face value rather than their scientific worth.

This leads to people treating them as pseudoscientific.

Question 4

Combo whopper, limitation

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE CAN BE EXPLAINED IN DIFFERENT WAYS

Answer 4

The evidence that the inadequate superego explanation is using as supporting evidence, could be explained in alternative ways.

Children raised by deviant parents who commit crime themselves does not provide proof of the deviant superego. It could be that this finding is explained due to the influence of genetics, or because of socialisation.

This reduces the validity of the evidence supporting this explanation.