FP - Psychological explanations of offending behaviour: Psychodynamic

Question 1

What type of explanation is the psychodynamic approach?

Answer 1

Psychological

Question 2

Affectionless psychopathy

Answer 2

A behaviour disorder in which the individual has no ability to experience shame or guilt and lacks social conscience. This means that they may find it ‘easier’ to commit crimes.

Question 3

Maternal deprivation

Answer 3

The loss of emotional care that is normally provided by a primary caregiver.

Question 4

Psychodynamic explanation

Answer 4

Refers to any theory that emphasises change and development in the individual, particularly those theories where ‘drive’ is a central concept in development. The best-known psychodynamic theory is Freudian psychoanalysis.

Question 5

Superego

Answer 5

Part of Freud’s conception of the structure of the personality. The superego embodies our conscience and sense of right and wrong, as well as notions of the ideal self. It develops between the ages of 3 and 6.

Question 6

Who proposed maternal deprivation theory?

Answer 6

Bowlby (1951, 1953).

Question 7

What did the maternal deprivation theory propose?

Answer 7

That prolonged separations between a mother and child would have long-term emotional consequences if the separation is before the age of 2 and a half and if there is no substitute mother. Bowlby also felt there was a continuing risk up until the age of 5.

Question 8

What did Bowlby suggest was one long-term consequence of separation?

Answer 8

Affectionless psychopathy.

Question 9

What did Bowlby do to try and explain delinquent behaviour?

• Where did he work and who with?
• What did he observe?

Answer 9

• He worked as a psychiatrist in a Child Guidance Clinic in London so he regularly worked with children who had been caught stealing as his patients.
• He observed that a number of these delinquent thieves had experienced early and frequent separations and they also displayed signs of affectionless psychopathy. Such characteristics enabled them to be ‘thieves’ because they could steal from others since it didn’t matter to them.

Question 10

What did Bowlby do to test his hypothesis surrounding affectionless psychopathy and thieving?

Answer 10

Bowlby (1944) - 44 thieves study.

Question 11

Explain Bowlby’s (1944) 44 thieves study

Answer 11

• Compared 44 of the thieves attending his clinic with 44 control patients.
• Found that none of the control ppts experienced early separations, whereas 39% of the thieves had experienced early separations.
• Also found that those thieves with an affectionless character had almost all experienced frequent separations - 86% of the affectionless thieves (12 out of 14), compared with 17% (5 out of 30) of the other thieves.

Question 12

In Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis, what does personality develop from?

Answer 12

3 components: the id, ego and superego.

Question 13

What do each of the 3 components of personality demand?

Answer 13

Gratification.

Question 14

What does the id represent?

Answer 14

Our primitive wants.

Question 15

What does the id operate according to?

Answer 15

The pleasure principle.

Question 16

What does the superego determine?

Answer 16

Which behaviours are permissible.

Question 17

What does the superego cause?

Answer 17

Feelings of guilt when rules are broken.

Question 18

What does the superego function as?

Answer 18

A moral compass.

Question 19

What does the ego do?

Answer 19

mediates between the impulsive demands of the id and the moralistic demands of the superego.

Question 20

What is the ego anchored in?

Answer 20

The reality of the external world (the reality principle).

Question 21

Which part of personality is likely to be related to offending behaviour?

Answer 21

Superego.

Question 22

Why is the superego likely to be related to offending behaviour?

Answer 22

Because it is concerned with right and wrong.

Question 23

What are the 3 ways in which the superego might cause offending behaviour?

Answer 23

• Weak or underdeveloped superego.
• (Over)Harsh or overdeveloped superego.
• Deviant superego.

Question 24

What are the two psychodynamic explanations of crime?

Answer 24

• The inadequate superego.

- Maternal deprivation theory.

Question 25

What belief do psychodynamic explanations share?

Answer 25

The belief that unconscious conflicts (innate drives), rooted in early childhood and determined by interactions with parents drive future offending behaviour.

Question 26

When is the superego formed?

Answer 26

At the end of the phallic stage of psychosexual development when children resolve the Oedipus/Electra complex.

Question 27

Which parent do children internalise the superego of?

Answer 27

The superego of the same-sex parent.

Question 28

What principle does the ego work from?

Answer 28

Reality principle.

Question 29

What principle does the superego work from?

Answer 29

Morality principle.

Question 30

How does the superego punish the ego?

Answer 30

Through guilt for wrongdoing.

Question 31

How does the superego reward the ego?

Answer 31

Through pride for moral behaviour.

Question 32

What did Blackburn (1993) argue about the superego?

Answer 32

Argued that if the superego is somehow deficient or inadequate then offending behaviour is inevitable because the id is given ‘free rein’ and isn’t properly controlled.

Question 33

Who made an argument about an inadequate superego?

Answer 33

Blackburn (1993)

Question 34

Explain how the weak or underdeveloped superego is formed

Answer 34

• A child who does not identify with their same-sex parent or whose parent is absent develops a weak superego.
• Therefore, the child cannot internalise a fully-formed superego as there is no opportunity for identification.
• The consequence is that the person has little control over anti-social behaviour and is likely to act in ways that gratify their instinctual id impulses.

Question 35

Explain how the (over)harsh or overdeveloped superego is formed

Answer 35

• A child may internalise the superego of a very strict same-sex parent (as a result of a very strong identification).
• Therefore, they develop and excessively harsh superego.
• This means that the individual is crippled by guilt and anxiety most of the time because any time the person acts on their id impulses, they would feel bad.
• This may (unconsciously) drive the individual to offend with a wish to be caught in order to satisfy the superego’s overwhelming need for punishment and reduce their feelings of guilt.

Question 36

Explain how the deviant superego is formed

Answer 36

• If the superego that the child internalises has immoral or deviant values (e.g. a child with a criminal parent), this would lead to offending behaviour because the child may not associate wrongdoing with guilt.