Forensics - Psychological: Psychodynamic

Question 1

Inadequate superego

Answer 1

Issues in development of morality principle due to family upbringing during the Phallic stage leads to criminality

Question 2

Weak superego

Answer 2

• Lacking connection with the same sex parent (absence)
• Feel no guilt & develops loose morals

Question 3

Deviant superego

Answer 3

• Identify with immoral/deviant same sex parent
• Deviant morals & give into desires of id

Question 4

Over-harsh superego

Answer 4

• Stricter parenting
• Harsher morals & extreme guilt = craving punishments

Question 5

Defence mechanisms

Answer 5

Psychological techniques to protect from anxiety
- Denial (blocking events/refusing to acknowledge)
- Displacement (impulses projected onto other objects)
- Rationalisation (justifying unacceptable behaviour)

Question 6

Bowlby’s study (maternal deprivation)

Answer 6

44 thieves
14/44 had affectionless psychopathy
12/14 experienced prolonged separation

Question 7

Strengths of psychodynamic explanation (forensics)

Answer 7

+ Supporting evidence (Goreta - 10 offenders had disturbances in superego/overharsh)
+ Practical applications (first to link early experiences to offending - introduction of parenting classes & suitable adoption following Bowlby study)
+ Research support (44 thieves & the internalisation of separation)

Question 8

Limitations of psychodynamic explanation (forensics)

Answer 8

• Validity (harsher discipline from parents = rebellious children who express no guilt)
• Alpha bias (girls develop weaker superego due to weaker identification so should commit more crimes -> 20x more men in prison with little difference in morality)
• Conflicting evidence (Lewis - maternal deprivation was a poor predictor for behaviour -> not causational)
• Unscientific (not open to empirical testing due to subconscious & judged only by face value)