Individualistic theories of criminality Flashcards
What is Freud’s Tripartite Personality Theory?
The idea that most of our mind is unconscious and drives our behaviour, including criminality.
What is in your Conscious Level? (iceberg)
Thoughts and perceptions
What is in your Subconscious level? (iceberg)
Memories and stored knowledge
What is in your unconscious level? (iceberg)
Fears, violent and immoral motives and urges, shameful experiences,unacceptable sexual desires, selfish needs.
What is the Inkblot Test?
They test the unconscious mind by giving images for people to analyse so psychodynamics can analyse what they’ve seen and how that coincides with their personality.
Structure of Personality- ID
Present at birth and operates on the please- it gets what it wants. eg. rape.
Structure of personality- Superego
Develops at around 5,works on the morality principle. It represents oral standards of the same set parent and is responsible for guilt.
Structure of personality- Ego
Develops at around 2 works o the reality principle. Reduces conflict between ID & Superego using defence mechanisms.
Unresolved conflict
A healthy personality needs a balance of 3 parts so when these are out of balance they have unresolved conflict which creates a disturbed personality.
How does this link to criminality
Childhoods anxieties or problems such as failure to identify with your same sex parent may prevent the superego from developing fully which could lead to offending behaviour.
What is Bowlby’s Maternal Deprivation Theory?
The idea that if there is early and prolonged childhood separations from the mother leads to emotional damage later in life which means you’ll be at risk of developing affection less psychopathy
What will lack of empathy for others lead to?
It will lead to criminal behaviour as they’re unable to appreciate how their actions affect others
What sample did Bowlby use in his maternal deprivation study?
44 Juvenile thieves (88 including the control group) who were in a guidance clinic where he worked who had been in trouble for stealing.
What were the findings of Bowlby’s study?
14/44 thieves experienced deprivation
12/44 were classified as an affection less psychopath
2/44 non- criminals experienced separation
What is the conclusion of Bowlby’s study?
Affectionless psychopaths are more likely to have experienced maternal deprivation
What is Eysenck’s personality theory?
The theory that peoples personalities are made up of 3 different traits which are thought of as linked to the brain and what your personality does to affect your behaviour.
What did Eysenck say that peoples personalities made up of?
Three traits
What are the 3 traits Eysenck’s said personalities were made up of?
1- Introvert v/s Extravert
2- Neurotic v/s Stable
3- Psychotic v/s Non-Psychotic
How does this link to criminality?
Eysenck says that criminals are more likely to be extraverted because they want the excitement and thrill of breaking the law.
What is Kohlberg’s theory?
Moral Development
What do cognitive theories argue?
It argues that our thinking that shapes our behaviour.
what may happen if your cognition is distorted and faulty
your behaviour may be faulty aswell
What did Kohlberg think about criminals?
That they weren’t interested whether people thought an action was right or wrong, but instead they reasons they gave for their choices.
What are the 3 stages of moral development
Pre conventional (aged 3-7)
Conventional (8-13)
Post conventional (Adulthood)
