Forensics - Psychological Explanations: Psychodynamic Explanations Flashcards
How many types of inadequate superegos are associated with criminality according to Blackburn?
3 types
According to Freud, when is the superego formed and what does it contain?
Formed at the end of the phallic stage and contains the child’s internalised sense of right or wrong from their same sex parent
What does the deviant superego mean?
Means that the child will internalise abnormal moral standards from their criminal parents.
Why would the weak superego be present?
Present due to a lack of identification with the same-sex parent during the phallic stage, perhaps because they were absent.
What does the over-harsh super ego crave?
Craves for punishment due to being accustomed to such a feeling because the child had grown up with over-harsh parents.
What does a dysfunctional super ego mean for the id?
Means that the id is able to exercise control and be selfish/ demand instant gratification thus leading to the selfish and impulsive characteristics of criminals.
What was the idea of the inadequate superego based upon? What does this theory describe?
Bowlby’s theory of maternal deprivation where the absence of a mother-figure during the critical period (first 2 years of life) would result in irreversible emotional and intellectual consequences,such as affectionless psychopathy and mental retardation. (as shown in Bowlby’s 44 juvenile thieves study.
What are the limitations of psychodynamic explanations for offending?
- There is evidence contradicting the findings of Bowlby’s 44 thieves study. Lewis found that maternal deprivation was not a reliable predictor of becoming a criminal in the future. Or that maternally deprived children were at a significant disadvantage in terms of forming close relationships during adulthood.
- Psychodynamic explanations for criminality suffer from gender bias. In line with Freud’s approach, girls should be at a greater risk of becoming criminal because they suffer from penis envy rather than castration anxiety and so their superego has not been internalised as much as boys’. However statistical evidence does not support this idea. Instead girls within the phallic stage are actually more appreciative of the value of delayed gratification compared to boys.
- Psychodynamic explanations lack scientific rigour. For example, the superego is something which cannot be falsified because it is unconscious meaning it is pseudoscientific. This does little to increase the scientific credibility of psychology.
What real world application is there to Bowlby’s findings?
Treatment of emotional problems in you delinquents is slow and difficult, so he suggested that it is preferable to try to prevent this problem in the first place by avoiding early separations .
How does the psychodynamic explanation consider emotion?
It is the only explanation for offending behaviour that takes into account the role of emotional factors. The psychodynamic approach addresses the fact that no other explanation considers emotional factors and includes how anxiety and or feelings of rejection may contribute to offending behaviour. It also recognises the role of biological influences and the importance of early childhood experiences in oulding adult personality.
